The Rock and the harbour
Monaco-Ville is the old town, set on a rocky headland about sixty metres above the sea. It holds the Prince's Palace, the cathedral where Princess Grace is buried and the Oceanographic Museum. Directly below it, La Condamine and Port Hercule is the harbour district, with the yachts, the daily market on Place d'Armes and the start of the Grand Prix circuit. Monaco's railway station sits at the top of La Condamine, so this is where many visitors begin.
Glamour and the beach
Monte-Carlo climbs the hill on the far side of the port: the casino, the Opéra, the grand hotels, the luxury shops and the famous hairpin bend. Walk east along the coast and you reach Larvotto, Monaco's public beach, with the Grimaldi Forum, the Japanese Garden and the summer nightlife of the Sporting.
The quiet side
West of the Rock, Fontvieille was built on land reclaimed from the sea. It is calmer and more residential, with a small marina, the Princess Grace Rose Garden, the Prince's car collection and the Stade Louis II. Above it, the exotic garden and the Villa Paloma museum look down over everything.
How to fit them together
You can walk between every district in under an hour, and the free public lifts make the climbs easy. A good first day runs from the station down to the market, up to the Rock for the changing of the guard and the museum, back down across the port by the little ferry, and up to Monte-Carlo for the casino at dusk. Keep a second day for Fontvieille, Larvotto and a long lunch. If you want more detail, browse our places to visit list or use the free trip planner.