Casino Gardens

In front of the Casino stretch gardens as neat as a painting: gently sloping lawns, palm trees, flower beds and pools reflecting the facade. Locals sometimes call them the Boulingrins, a word borrowed from the English bowling green, the kind of lawn fashionable in the nineteenth century. The gardens were laid out when Monte Carlo was born, to give visitors an elegant stroll before entering the Casino. Look up at the giant stainless steel mirror at the edge of the square: it is Sky Mirror by the artist Anish Kapoor, turning the sky and the crowd upside down. Other contemporary sculptures dot the paths. In the evening, when the Casino and Hôtel de Paris facades light up, it is one of the finest sights in the principality and a favourite spot for luxury car spotters. Sit on a bench and watch this elegant, almost theatrical ballet.

History

These gardens were born together with Monte Carlo. In the 1860s François Blanc, head of the Société des Bains de Mer, transformed the Spélugues plateau, until then almost empty. Along with the casino and the Hôtel de Paris, he had a garden with a fountain and palm trees laid out in front of the entrance, so that visitors would reach the gaming rooms along an elegant promenade.

Over the decades the gardens grew and stepped down in terraces towards the sea, around the casino. By the 1950s they formed the largest public space in the principality. A 1959 report already describes a long avenue of palms, flower beds, bottle trees and cacti thriving in a frost free climate.

The very name Monte Carlo, Mount Charles, was given to the district in 1866 in honour of Prince Charles III, on François Blanc’s advice.

Art and architecture

The design of the gardens is credited to the landscape architect Édouard André, one of the great park designers of the late nineteenth century. The original plan included waterfalls running down the slope to a pond surrounded by sunken gardens.

Today lawns, fountains and palm trees frame the casino facade like a stage set. Among the trees, look for the tall, slender Washingtonia robusta palms and the Brachychiton, whose swollen trunks earn them the nickname bottle trees. The gardens also include an area nicknamed Little Africa.

Anecdotes

In 1921 these gardens hosted a pioneering event: the first Women’s Olympiad, at a time when women were almost absent from major sporting competitions.

The gardens also serve as an open air gallery where large works of art are regularly displayed. The most photographed is Sky Mirror by the British artist Anish Kapoor, a large concave mirror of polished steel set in front of the casino: it turns the sky, the facades and the crowd upside down. Other versions of the work exist, notably at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.

Below the terraces, on the sea side, a large composition of coloured tiles by Victor Vasarely is called Hexa Grace.

What to look for

Start at the top, facing the casino: stand in front of Sky Mirror and look for your reflection, upside down. Then walk slowly down the paths, watching the pools that reflect the facade. Late in the day, stay to see the casino and the Hôtel de Paris light up: the square becomes a show, with its luxury cars and strollers.

During the Monaco Grand Prix the racing cars pass just above the gardens, on Casino Square.

Practical

The gardens are free to enter, usually day and night. They lie in the heart of Monte Carlo, a few minutes’ walk from the harbour, up Avenue d’Ostende. The paths slope, so wear good shoes. Benches in the shade of the palms make for a real break. During the Grand Prix and some events, access to the square may be restricted.

Nearby

All around you can continue with the Casino, the Monte Carlo Opera, the Hôtel de Paris and the Café de Paris. The casino terraces on the sea side offer a fine view of the harbour and, on a clear day, of the Italian coast. For art lovers, the principality’s sculpture trail continues in other districts, notably Fontvieille.

Test yourself

Sources

• Wikipedia: Casino Gardens and Terraces
• Wikipédia : Casino de Monte-Carlo
• Wikipédia : Plateau des Spélugues
• OpenStreetMap : Terrasses du Casino

Information checked on 30 September 2026.