Menton - Menton visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Menton' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Alpes Maritimes.

Menton is a popular Cote d'Azur resort town in southern France, right next to the border with Italy, and near to Monaco and Nice. Nicknamed 'la perle de la France' (The Pearl of France), Menton is a popular tourist destination and good gateway for exploring the French Riviera, with many delightful cafes, restaurants and hotels.

The area around Menton has been inhabited since Palaeolithic times and in Roman times it lay on an important Roman road. It grew in importance in the 11th century when Count of Ventimiglia built Château de Puypin (Podium Pinum). In the 13th century the area belonged to Vento family of Genoa who built a castle on the site of the current Vieux-Château cemetery, around which Menton grew.

In the 19th century, Menton became a popular tourist destination, favoured by the English and Russians who built many luxurious hotels along the coastline. These hotels were used as hospitals after WWI. Today the town continues to attract tourists, drawn by the beautiful beaches and Mediterranean climate. Menton has numerous cafes, restaurants and hotels.

Menton - Tourist Attractions

• Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) - Italianate building containing the Salle des Mariages (Wedding Hall) which was decorated by Cocteau.
• Basilica St Michel - 17th century Baroque church in the heart of Menton.
• Jardin Biovès - pretty gardens in the center of Menton that hosts the Expositions d'agrumes (Citrus Expositions / Menton Lemon Festival).
• Festivals - Menton holds several festivals and parades, with the Lemon Festival in February-March, a Latern Parade and the Menton Music Festival in August.
• Musée Jean Cocteau - art museum housed in the 17th century bastion of Menton Harbour.
• Menton Town Gardens - Menton has several famous gardens including Serre de la Madona, the Fontana Rosa and the Le Val Rahmeh.
• Musée Municipal - art museum with paintings by Chagall, Dufy, Modigliani, Picasso, Vlaminck and others from the Wakefield-Mori Collection.
• Menton Old Town - winding roads with many old buildings, restaurants and cafes.
• Ste-Agnès - very picturesque mountain hamlet about 11km from Menton.
• Jardin botanique exotique de Menton (Jardin botanique exotique du Val Rahmeh) - botanical gardens established by the De Monléon family in 1875 with over 1,500 species of plants.
• Menton Cemetery - covering 4 levels of the old 13th century castle site, with many famous ex patriots buried here.

Menton Tourist Information Office
8 avenue Boyer
06506 Menton
Phone: 00 33 (0)4 92 41 76 76
Email tourisme@menton.fr
Web: menton.fr

Flight: Nice Airport and then train
Train: Menton Station with trains to Nice and Monte Carlo
Car: Menton is on the E80/E74, about 30km east of Nice, 10km east of Monte Carlo. It is 2km west of the Italian Border and 10km west of Ventimiglia in Italy.