Monaco-Ville or Le Rocher, Monaco.

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Le Rocher

Top choice in Monaco


Monaco Ville, also called Le Rocher, is the only part of Monaco to have retained its original old town, complete with small, windy medieval lanes. The old town thrusts skywards on a pistol-shaped rock, its strategic location overlooking the sea that became the stronghold of the Grimaldi dynasty. There are various staircases up to Le Rocher; the best route up is via Rampe Major, which starts from place d'Armes near the port.

On your way up, look out for the statue of the late Prince Rainier looking down on his beloved Monaco, created by Dutch artist Kees Verkade in 2013.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Monaco attractions

1. Palais Princier de Monaco

0.06 MILES

Built as a fortress atop Le Rocher in the 13th century, this palace is the private residence of the Grimaldi family. It is protected by the blue-helmeted,…

2. Cathédrale de Monaco

0.07 MILES

An adoring crowd continually shuffles past Prince Rainier’s and Princess Grace’s flower-adorned graves, located inside the cathedral choir of Monaco's…

4. Jardins St-Martin

0.13 MILES

The steep-sided, statue-studded Jardins St-Martin runs round the coast outside the Musée Océanographique.

5. Musée Océanographique de Monaco

0.18 MILES

Stuck dramatically to the edge of a cliff since 1910, the world-renowned Musée Océanographique de Monaco, founded by Prince Albert I (1848–1922), is a…

6. Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies

0.25 MILES

This one-room museum traces the history of stamps and coins minted in Monaco. The stamp collection, spanning many decades, is especially fun, with images…

7. Collection de Voitures Anciennes

0.28 MILES

Starting in the early 1950s, car-mad Prince Rainier amassed an impressive array of over 100 classic automobiles, which he opened to the public in 1993…

8. Roseraie Princesse Grace

0.3 MILES

Thoroughly revamped in 2014, this exuberant collection of over 4000 rose bushes – along with the adjacent Parc Fontvieille – stands out in dramatic…

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