Fontvieille is a district in Monaco built partly on reclaimed land from the sea. Instead of cars, here yachts are parked in front of the apartments; and trees grow on the roofs of the buildings.
Fontvieille is the youngest district in the principality, and was built in the 1970s by order of Prince Rainier III. Due to the lack of space, it was partly built on reclaimed land from the sea. Towards the west it borders the French town of Cap-d’Ail.
See also: Monaco travel guide
Many tourists visiting Monaco do not reach Fontvieille, which is a pity, because it is a beautiful place and worth seeing. As an additional recommendation you should know that such celebrities as Luciano Pavarotti, Lewis Hamilton, Boris Becker, and Michael Schumacher live here, or have at some time lived here.
Fontvieille yacht harbor
The most spectacular part of the district is Fontvieille Port, a yacht harbor perfectly protected from wind and waves. You can admire it from the Monaco’s Old Town or from the terraces of Monaco’s Exotic Garden. Many bigger and smaller yachts moor here, and their owners can guard their possessions from their apartment windows.
Fontvieille, district of Monaco
Between Fontvieille’s buildings, beautiful parks containing sculptures and fountains have been built. The largest is the Princess Grace Rose Garden (Roseraie Princesse Grace). This place was opened by Prince Rainier III in 1984, two years after the death of his wife. Here you can admire over 4,000 rose plants from 150 different species. Information about each of them is included in photo-codes, which you just need to scan with your phone.
Right next to the garden is a year-round circus tent where the Monte Carlo Circus Festival takes place each year. Its origins date back to 1974. The festival quickly gained a global reputation, and is today an important event in the Monaco calendar. The circus tent is adjacent to a more practical Fontvieille attraction – the helicopter airport, also known as Monaco Heliport (Héli Air Monaco). It serves as a taxi to the airport in Nice for Monaco’s rich inhabitants, but tourists can also book a sightseeing flight over Monaco.
The Fontvieille Terraces
The Fontvieille Terraces (Les Terrasses de Fontvieille) is the gateway into the district for people entering from the center of Monaco. Contained in four levels are museums, a shopping center with a huge Carrefour chain store and a McDonald’s restaurant, as well as cafes and boutiques.
Fontvieille, district of Monaco
The Fontvieille Terraces is primarily a commercial establishment, but it also includes some interesting museums: the Naval Museum (Musée Naval) with its collection of model ships and the Museum of Stamps and Coins (Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies), which exhibits mostly collections owned by Rainier III.
It is also worth visiting the nearby Monaco Zoo.
The western part of the district that borders France is primarily made up of offices and manufacturing companies (jewellery, pharmaceuticals, precision industries, etc.). The Monaco stadium (Stade Louis II), which is the headquarters of the AS Monaco FC football club, is also here.
Fontvieille, district of Monaco
Depending on your interests, a visit to Fontvieille can take from one to two hours – of course, without visits to museums and the zoo. It is worth visiting this area to compare whether the “climate” of the new Monaco equals that of the older districts. Fontvieille is also a good place to end your visit to the principality. If you have enough strength, you can reach, in 5 to 7 minutes, the picturesque seaside path that runs along the shore of Cap-d’Ail.
Leave A Comment