There are just so many beautiful places that are easily accessible by public transport from Nice that we were able to select a different destination each day. Our plan for the day was to visit Menton, the pearl of France which lies close to the Italian border. It’s possible to reach the town by either train or bus and we chose the latter to enjoy the beautiful coastal views along the way. Do try and sit on the right hand side of either the bus or train to make the best of the passing scenery. We caught Bus 100 from Port Lympia (the same bus as we used to visit Monaco) single fares only €1.50 and included in our one week travel card.
The pleasant journey took around 45 minutes and our first glimpses of this beautiful coastal town were impressive and we knew instantly that we would enjoy spending several hours there.
Our first stop was at the market hall as its opening hours are 6.00 – 12.00 noon and we wanted to get there before it closed. This was yet another of the French Riviera’s attractive indoor markets with row upon row of fresh produce all beautifully displayed. As Menton is just 8 km from the Italian border we noticed lots of Italian foods too, including wine, cheese and olives. Bakery stalls were in abundance too so the market would be a good place to pick up some items for a picnic to take down to the beach on a warmer day.
Talking about the weather, Menton with its location on the eastern French Riviera enjoys Europe’s mildest climate on the shores of the Mediterranean as it is sheltered by the high Maritime Alps behind.
After visiting the market we explored the surrounding streets with the buildings looking charming painted in colourful shades of cream, yellow and pink. Strolling along, we gazed in shop windows taking a special interest in lemon products such as lemon infused olive oil, lemon liquor and lemon scented soap.
Menton is considered to be the ‘capital of lemons’ and both high on the surrounding slopes and around town this citrus fruit can be seen growing. There’s even a huge two week festival ‘Fête du Citron’ that takes place at the end of February each year celebrating Menton’s connection with lemons and how it became a symbol of the town.
After finding a sunny terrace to enjoy our morning cappuccino’s we were ready for the steep climb through the old town up to the cathedral. A magnificent zig zag staircase leads to the historic medieval town above.
Wandering the labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways was a delight seeing all the ochre coloured houses with their pale wooden shutters. I was constantly pausing to take photos as at every turn the view seemed to become even more beautiful.
After clambering the steep steps we reached the top of the old town and visited the Basilica Saint Michel Archange. This stunning Baroque cathedral has a magnificent ceiling mural, several ornate side chapels and some magnificent works of art.
The 17th century Cathedral is unusual in that it boasts two towers, a 35 m clock tower as well as a 53 m steeple. Lying at right angles in the same square is the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception.
A further short climb took us to the Cemetery of the Old Chateau which stands on the site of the former castle. We had hoped to take a look in this cemetery which Google informed us was open but on arrival both of its entrances were firmly padlocked. One of the most visited tombs is that of Reverend William Ellis Webb, founder of Rugby Football at Rugby school in 1823. He was born in Lancashire in the United Kingdom but died on the Côte d’Azur. The Webb Ellis Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the men’s Rugby World Cup and named after the man credited as being the inventor of rugby football.
Despite the cemetery being closed there were some spectacular views to be had over the town and its idyllic coastline. A stiff breeze had developed by the time we had retraced our steps back down to sea level and it was bracing to say the least as we strolled along the elegant palm tree lined promenade adorned with fountains, ornamental flowerbeds and ample seating.
Along here we had lovely views of the marina, the surrounding hillsides and of the delightful pastel coloured houses clinging to the cliffs.
Continuing from the marina, we climbed several steps up onto the harbour wall which took us along to the fort. This bastion was constructed in 1619 by the Prince of Monaco in order to defend the Bay of Menton.
A museum dedicated to the famous artist and film director Jean Cocteau has been developed inside the old fort as he fell in love with the town and built his own studio there. More recently a second museum on the seafront incorporates the collection of Severin Wunderman, an American Cocteau enthusiast who was the sole manufacturer of watches for Gucci.
The Town Hall (Hôtel de Ville) has a beautiful façade and its ‘Salle des Mariages’ is sumptuously decorated by Jean Cocteau taking him two years to paint its frescoes from when he started in 1957. When wedding ceremonies are not taking place this hall is usually open to the public to view for a small charge but disappointingly was closed on the day of our visit.
Our tour of the town concluded with a stroll along the Plage des Sablettes with its crescent shaped bay and light shingle beach.
It had been a lovely day out exploring beautiful Menton with its charming old town, picturesque harbour and sweeping bay. It’s less touristy than some of it’s close neighbours but an elegant resort which is certainly definitely worth visit during a stay on the Côte d’Azur. After spending the day there ourselves it’s not difficult to see why Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill were regular visitors to this refined seaside resort.
If you have enjoyed reading this post you may also like:
Exploring Nice on the Côte d’Azur
A day trip from Nice to Ventimiglia, Italy
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Thank you for sharing! I wish to visit it someday!
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It’s my pleasure Nancy. I do hope you have an opportunity to visit Menton one day. Have a lovely weekend. Marion
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Menton looks so beautiful with really impressive street views!
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Menton was one of my favourite places that I visited on this trip Allie.
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The architecture of Menton and Ventimiglia seem very similar, I like the stairs. Thanks for the fun fact about rugby.
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It’s my pleasure, I’m glad you enjoyed reading about our day in Menton.
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Whenever I hear any mention of Menton, my first thought is of the ‘Fête du Citron’ but, having read your post, I know there is so much more to see and experience in this lovely place!
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I think Menton was one of my favourite places that we visited on this trip. Everything about the town is beautiful and I’d be happy to return sometime.
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Nice photos. Suggestion: add Grasse to your travel destination list next time you’re in the Cote d’Azur. The Fragonard perfumery offers free tours.
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https://usines-parfum.fragonard.com/en/free-tour/
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Thank you for the useful link Candy.
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That’s great to know. We’ll definitely try and visit Grasse then.
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Beautiful landscape and architecture but I was surprised at the color of the beach. Not like the white sands of the South Pacific.
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Thank you for your interest in my visit to Menton Ian.It’s a beautiful place to visit whilst staying in Nice but our sandy beaches in Northern Europe are much darker coloured than the more exotic ones of the South Pacific.
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Thanks for sharing this idea and we visited there in Menton but we stayed there in Nice and so amazing. This market is so amazing with delicious food and wine and such an amazing site. Anita
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Menton is a beautiful town to visit whilst staying on the Côte d’Azur Anita. Thanks for commenting.
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Menton looks like a lovely spot to wander around with all those narrow streets, historic buildings and beautiful views. There’s just something so relaxing about being by the water. I really liked the picture of the zig zag path leading to the cathedral. Thanks for sharing. Linda
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Thanks for your interest Linda. Menton was one of our favourite places that we visited during our week based in Nice. Public transport was so convenient and incredibly cheap to get around everywhere.
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So glad you got to visit Menton! I was there in 2019 for a few hours, and visiting in the summer brought plenty of warmth and sunshine! The Old Town walls are absolutely bright in shades of yellow, orange, and red, and I heard the town has a lemon festival every year (although I wasn’t there to celebrate). Glad you had a wonderful time!
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We adored Menton Rebecca in fact I think it was one of my favourite locations of the entire trip. I’d love to be there when the lemon festival is taking place. Hope you have a lovely weekend. Marion
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Oh Menton looks absolutely beautiful Marion – what a great day trip. I love the zig zag steps, the lemon and all the food…get me to the wine and cheese 🙂
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I think that Menton was probably my favourite coastal town along with Monaco during our stay. Unbelievable too that the journey cost just over £1 each way. Lemons, wine, cheese, sunshine and glorious views – bliss! Hope you have a lovely weekend Hannah.
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Menton is beautiful, Marion! I enjoyed seeing the old town and the views of the bay there. To live in a place with both mountains and beaches would be a dream come true. Then add in the history and shopping along those gorgeous narrow streets, and I would be in heaven! Thank you for sharing this most intriguing city.
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Thank you so much for your interest in our recent visit to Menton Kellye. The town was one of our favourite places that we visited from Nice and I’d love to return.
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Mento is one of our favourite places in this part of the world. In 2011, I took some photos of the along Rue Longue, which are on my family room wall. They show a restaurant (a Braijade Meridounale) which was closed on that day. When we went back in 2017 and 2019, we dined there and it was a fabulous experience. Menton will always have a place in our hearts. Thanks for the memories Marion. Allan
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Thanks so much for your interest in our recent visit to Menton Allan. I’ll remember that restaurant for whoever we return to beautiful Menton. Have a lovely weekend. Marion
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Here is the website. https://www.abraijade.fr/ They use a lot of locally produce products and also provide samples of liqueurs made from unique ingredients. Watch out for the absinthe. A
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Menton is a wonderful photogenic place isn’t it? We’d love to go back with the benefit of your research. We visited Menton by train from Nice a few years ago to experience the Lemon festival. It was really spectacular and colourful experience. Orange, yellow and green everywhere. The fruit sculptures were very clever. I would recommend spending a few hours walking round the streets of the medieval old town on the hill.
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How lovely to be in Menton when the lemon festival was taking place. We thought the town was beautiful and were so glad we chose to visit. Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment.
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Lovely day out! I’m assuming that the purpose of you visit is to show that bring based in Nice facilitates accessing many other places on public transport? I generally advise first-time visitors to Nice not to bother hiring a car but to do exactly what you’ve done. I’ll now be able to direct them to your informative posts, Marion.
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Thanks so much for your positive thoughts Sheree. It was so easy to travel around everywhere by public transport and all our days out were different but equally lovely.
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Delighted to hear that Marion
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Lovely Menton. I visited it too and had a look around then newly built Cocteau museum
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Thanks Tanja for your interest in our day spent in Menton. I thought the town and it’s setting was lovely.
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You are right Marion, there really are so many beautiful places around Nice! Oh, the market … I hear “wine, cheese and olives” and my mouth waters 🙂. It must have been wonderful to wander through the narrow streets in Menton surrounded by those beautiful buildings. And of course, you will always impress me with a lovely looking beach and harbour. Another great post, thanks Marion.
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Thanks so much for your kind words and interest in our day spent in Menton Corna. Another lovely day trip from Nice.
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The narrow winding streets of Menton look like they’re just waiting for you to explore them. I love the Harbour picture with Old Town behind. Another great day trip from Nice that you’ve brought us on! Maggie
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Thanks for your interest Maggie. Menton was one of my favourite places to visit along the coast.
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Thanks for share…👏
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It’s my pleasure.
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