Historic quarter atop Monaco's rock
Le Rocher – literally, the Rock – sits above the harbour on a narrow plateau, and it’s where you’ll find the Monaco that existed long before the casinos arrived. The streets here are narrow, funnelling sea breezes and the smell of fresh bread in equal measure.
The Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate anchors the old town. Inside, you’ll find a Bréa altarpiece from 1500 and, behind the high altar, the simple tomb of Princess Grace. It’s a place where Monaco’s glamour and its deeper history sit very close together.
Nearby, the Oceanographic Museum juts out over the cliff edge like a ship’s prow. Wander south and the Jardins Saint-Martin trace the cliff edge through palms and Mediterranean pines, with the sea laid out below.
The Prince’s Palace watches over all of it from the western tip. The State Apartments are open most of the year, and the Changing of the Guard – performed each morning at exactly 11:55 AM – is worth timing your walk around.
View The Principality of Monaco
