Menton, French Riviera, France
Menton is the most easterly town of the Côte d'Azur, situated on the Mediterranean. It is located practically on the French-Italian border. Italian influences in the town are clearly visible, beginning from the architecture, which is similar to the Italian towns of Cinque Terre, and ending with the waiters who prefer to talk to each other in Italian. :)
Parking in Menton
You can park your car in the parking lot near the marina (1; GPS: 43.775417, 7.510250). If you do not find a free space there, you can try to leave the car in a nearby parking lot at the Quai de Monleon street (2; GPS: 43.775142, 7.507511). However, there is also a newly opened, clean and modern underground parking lot Vieille Ville - Sablettes, located at Fontana Square (3; GPS: 43.775422, 7.508332). Prices in this parking lot are also reasonable, so you can use it.
The old town
Menton is a town full of beautifully restored, colorful buildings. In the center of the old town there is beautiful Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel (A; GPS: 43.776985, 7.507160) from seventeenth century and nearby located Chapelle des Penitents Blancs. The stairs that lead there are branched off in two directions and they have inlaid mosaics. After climbing up the Montée du Souvenir street to its junction with the D124 road you can enjoy an interesting view (B; GPS: 43.779023, 7.506017) of the town and the sea.
On the way back you can walk down the Rue Saint-Michel street, which is full of small shops and restaurants.
The beach
The beach in Menton is rocky, but it has a strip of sand created artificially. Nearby the marina you can see small Genoese fort (C; GPS: 43.774805, 7.508495) from seventeenth century that has been converted into a museum of Jean Cocteau.
Val Rahmeh Botanical Garden
There is also very interesting exzotic garden in Menton called Val Rahmeh Botanical Garden (D; GPS: 43.785307, 7.511591). It's just a magical place: unique and especially beautiful. It is a haven of harmony and artistry. You can spend there several hours to discover all plants and trees. It should be explored in the morning or in the afternoon, because 12:30 and 14:00 it is closed. It took two hours for us to thoroughly visit the garden. Admission tickets cost 6.50€ (normal) and 5€ (reduced). To get closer to the garden, you should park your car in the parking lot at Quai Laurenti street (4; GPS: 43.783324, 7.515400) nearby the marina. Theoretically you can drive up your car to the entrance to the garden, but there are practically no parking places (OK, there are as much as three places ;)), so do not try it.
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