Technically, I visited Monaco during my trip to Côte d’Azur in France, but this country deserves to be spoken about separately. Monaco is a place that one may not expect much from, but which can provide an amazing few days of the trip
Ok, so, Monaco. A country so tiny that you can walk it “coast to coast” in just 48 minutes according to Google Maps. A country known for its wealth, luxury and casinos
While taking a bus to Monaco, which also cost like 2 euros, I was thinking that we would just walk through it (48 minutes doesn`t seem like a long walk), then visit the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco and go back to Nice. But, it didn`t turn out this way. Monaco is an interesting place. Since it is so limited by its territory, it can`t build itself wider, but has to develop upside. That`s the first thing I felt, it looks different than other places in Europe. Most people know Monaco for its famous casino – Monte Carlo. And of course, I was not interested in it. At all. Yes, there were many expensive cars around. Yes, the buildings are beautiful. But it was so boring. And, a funny fact, the people of Monaco can`t play in casinos there. It is forbidden by the law. I guess this fact speaks for itself.
On the other hand, just walking around the city was an experience I really enjoyed. You can find a lot of beautiful buildings with tons of details worth discovering, a lot of narrow connections between them and, once again, a very beautiful seafront. And since the city is small, one can have a strange feeling that he or she can explore it all. Imagine saying that you have experienced every single street in a country. Somehow, it may be very motivating, at least for me. However, I have to admit that we ended up discovering only half of it since there are more things to see than one may expect. Oh, and one more funny fact about Monaco. Pigeons there are so beautiful. I mean, really beautiful. Don`t know why. Don`t know how. But they are. They also have cute road signs.
As you may know, I am a big fan of Japan and Japanese culture. So when I found that there is Princess Grace Japanese Garden in Monaco, it became the number one attraction to visit on my list
After walking through the northern part of the country, we headed towards the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, and our path lay to the Japanese Garden first. And it was one of the best experiences and memories from the whole trip. It is not that big of a garden. Many people would not find it impressive. But it was so.. Japanese. It was so.. calming. Just walking those wooden bridges, watching Koi carp of many colours peacefully swimming in the water and enjoying every bonsai tree that was in the area. I literally looked at the girl seating there and felt like I was present in Makoto Shinkai`s “The Garden of Words”. A completely unique experience, and a place I really wish I could find nearby from where I live. No words would describe how it made me feel, just make sure you visit it if you happen to be in Monaco. You wouldn`t regret it.
Next, we continued our road to one of the biggest attractions in Monaco, Musée Océanographique de Monaco
Musée Océanographique de Monaco, or Oceanographic Museum of Monaco takes your breath from the moment you see it. It is, quite literally, situated on the very edge of the sea. While walking there, you would, most probably, encounter a few monuments, which are quite interesting by themselves. And the views of the endless sea would try to get your attention all the time, so make sure you get to the museum. The ticket usually costs around 19 euros, but it was included in our French Riviera Pass, so we got it for free. If you don`t know what French Riviera Pass is, make sure to check my article about Azure Shore, where I wrote about it in detail.
I don`t know if it is just me, or my love for marine life, but once again I really enjoyed my visit to this museum. I was a bit skeptical beforehand because I was afraid it would be too dull, and I was very pleased with how interesting it turned out to be. The first things that catch your attention are the skeletons of small and big fish and animals, and they are really impressive. It is in such moments that you understand how various nature can be, and how different species on our planet are. Aquariums were very well composed as well in my opinion. Some creatures were so unique, unusual and strange at the same time that they looked absolutely alien. We ended up staying there all the way until the museum was starting to close, and literally left as late as was possible.
At the time of our visit there was a special “North Pole” exhibition, with giant top-to-bottom screens situated in a big hall. The screens were projected with interactive videos of north pole animals and their living conditions. Since they were interactive, it was a great experience for families, so make sure to bring your kids with you. After leaving the museum it was already dark, and conveniently enough, a few dozen minutes of walking provided us with an amazing view of the night city. Since the city is growing upside, the number of lights was bigger than one would expect, making the view even more impressive.
Summarizing, it was a very nice one-day trip from Nice, and even though Monaco may seem like a small country with nothing but luxurious cars, it has much more to show for those, who are willing to discover
Welcome to Monaco!
Entrance to the garden
Giant skeleton indeed
