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Gardens and nature

Cacti, roses, pines and koi.

Distance
5.8 km
Walking
1 h 22 on foot
With visits
about 4 h 30
Stops
6
Exotic Garden1Princess Grace Rose Garden2Saint-Martin Gardens3Casino Gardens4Japanese Garden5Larvotto Beach6
Map : © OpenStreetMap contributors, tuiles OpenFreeMap

Stops

  1. Exotic Garden

    Clinging to the cliff in the Moneghetti district, the Exotic Garden is one of the botanical treasures of the Riviera. The idea came from Prince Albert I, and the land was bought in 1912; work began in 1913 under the Monegasque engineer Louis Notari. Open to the public from 1931, the garden was officially inaugurated on 7 February 1933 by Prince Louis II.

    1.0 km to the next stop

  2. Princess Grace Rose Garden

    In the heart of Fontvieille’s landscaped park, the Princess Grace Rose Garden was created in 1984 by Prince Rainier III in tribute to his wife, who had died two years earlier. Grace Kelly loved flowers passionately: she made pictures of pressed flowers and founded a flower arranging club. The garden gathers several thousand rose bushes of hundreds of varieties, some named after the princess or members of the family.

    1.5 km to the next stop

  3. Saint-Martin Gardens

    Leave the crowds behind and step into the Saint-Martin Gardens, hanging on the southern cliff of the Rock. Laid out in the early nineteenth century, they are considered the principality’s first public garden. Shady paths wind between Aleppo pines, olive trees, agaves and prickly pears, with the turquoise sea below.

    2.1 km to the next stop

  4. 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.

    600 m to the next stop

  5. Japanese Garden

    Between the Grimaldi Forum and the sea lies a small world of serenity: the Japanese garden. Opened in 1994, it was designed by landscape architect Yasuo Beppu, winner of international awards, following the principles of Zen and Shinto gardens. Every element has meaning: water, which tumbles down a cascade and then calms in a pond where koi carp glide; stones, which stand for mountains; bridges, which invite you to pass from one world to another.

    540 m to the next stop

  6. Larvotto Beach

    This is Larvotto, Monaco’s big public beach, a short walk from the centre. Unlike many beaches on the Riviera, access is free, and this is where Monegasque families come for a swim. The beach was completely redesigned and reopened in 2021 with a new promenade, green spaces and restaurants.