Nature / Park Sights in Monaco — 6 of Our Favourites

Now a haven for children, the park has a playground, basketball courts, badminton and tennis courts and a football pitch. An 18 hole mini golf course is also open all year round, weather permitting.

Its majestic entrance is decorated with a spectacular row of Bougainvilleas, and opens the door to Monaco's "kingdom" of the sacred olive tree. This naturally beautiful site was probably the place for Sunday gatherings and get-togethers for Monaco's ancestors; it has since become an amusement park dedicated to garden lovers and children of all ages.

The small farm and vegetable garden area is a great place for kids where they can learn about the Mediterranean traditions of olive harvesting and pressing.

It is beautifully situated on the south face of Grimaldi Rock and is split over four levels on the rock with wide pathways through the garden areas. All of the animals here have come from donations, circuses or have been abandoned.

The park is located by the sea, and it has a varied collection of plants, great for a stroll.

Open every day. From October to February, 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00. From March to May, 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-18:00. From June to September, 09:00-12:00 and 14:00-19:00.

The plants acclimatized in this garden come from various far-away dry zones (hence the term ‘exotic’): the South-West of the United-States; Mexico; Central and South America for cacti and agaves; South Africa; Eastern Arabia and the Arabian Peninsulafor the other succulents. In spite of their extravagant shapes, they are plants in their own right, regularly producing flowers in order to reproduce.

At the base of the Exotic Garden's cliff, an underground cavity made from calcareous rock has been hollowed out by water rich in carbon dioxide and is full of caverns complete with amazing concretions: stalactites, stalagmites, curtains, columns, spaghetti-like helictites, and more. The gardens also hold an anthropology museum of prehistory.

Today, visitors come to the garden to meditate in serene surroundings, which include a waterfall, Zen garden, pond and tea house.

A great escape from the busy roads and streets of Monaco, this is a beautiful park covering 7000 m². A stylised copy of nature, it features a waterfall, small mountain, a beach and several ponds, all within a zen concept. All the wood for the tea house and covered terrace was assembled in Japan and then transported to Monaco, as well as the stone lanterns.

Laid out over an area of almost four hectares, this park contains a small lake bordered by palms and olive trees and offers a charming space full of serenity in the Fontvieille area. The footpath leads you around to discover many contemporary sculptures.

The Rose Garden first opened on 18 June 1984. Prince Rainier III wanted to create a place in memory of his wife Princess Grace. More than 30 years later, the new Rose Garden is much larger, but retains the charm of the original garden and has 8,000 rose bushes in some 300 different varieties.

Here you can discover roses such as the rose of the Grimaldi Royal Family and those roses named after Princes, Princesses and celebrities. There is are modern interactive terminals on each rose variety so you can find out more about them.

Home to chamois, ibex and mouflons in the mountains, red deer, roe deer and wild boars in the forests, and black grouse, golden eagle and the bearded vulture. There are around 30 wolves in the park. In the valleys you will find gorges and waterfalls, grassy plains and dales.

There are some remains of historical human habitation, and villages are also dotted throughout the Park. The Lac d'Allos is a highlight - a beautiful blue glacial lake that is Europe's largest natural high altitude lake at 2226 metres.

There are plenty of trails to explore, both in summer and winter. Several ski resorts are open during the winter. Other activities include mountain biking, rock climbing, horse riding and whitewater sports. There are information points in Tende, St Martine Vesubie & Valberg (open year round), and other tourist information points open seasonally.