Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Thoughabitrougharoundtheedges,theMentonbeachisajoy.Aninvitingpromen-
ade lines the beach, and seaside cafés serve light meals and salads (much cheaper than in
Nice). A snooze or stroll here is a lovely Riviera experience. From the promenade, a ped-
estrian street leads through town. Small squares are alive with jazz bands playing crowd-
pleasers under palm trees.
Stepping into the old town—which blankets a hill capped by a fascinating
cemetery—you're immersed in a pastel-painted, yet dark and tangled Old World scene
with (strangely) almost no commerce. A few elegant restaurants dig in at the base of
the towering, centuries-old apartment flats. The richly decorated Baroque St. Michael's
Church (midway up the hill, Mon-Fri 10:00-12:00 & 15:00-17:15, closed to visitors Sat-
Sun) is a reminder that, until 1860, Menton was a thriving part of the larger state of
Monaco. Climbing past sun-grabbing flower boxes and people who don't get out much
anymore, thesteep stepped lanes finally deposit youattheornate gate ofagrandcemetery
that fills the old castle walls. Explore the cemetery, which is the final resting place of
many aristocratic Russians (buried here in the early 1900s) and offers breathtaking Medi-
terranean views.
Getting to Menton:
While trains serve Menton regularly, the station is a 15-minute
walk from the action. Buses are more convenient, as they drop visitors right on the beach
promenade(#100,4-5/hourMon-Sat,3-4/hourSun,1.25hoursfromNice,40minutespast
Monaco, €1). To return to Monaco or Nice, catch bus #100 on Avenue Thiers, just off Av-
enue de Verdun.
Antibes has a down-to-earth, easygoing ambience that's rare in this area. Its old town is
a maze of narrow streets and red-tile roofs rising above the blue Med, protected by twin
medieval towers and wrapped in extensive ramparts. Visitors making the short trip from
Nice can browse Europe's biggest yacht harbor, snooze on a sandy beach, loiter through
anenjoyableoldtown,andhikealongasea-swepttrail.Thetown'sculturalclaimtofame,
the Picasso Museum, shows off its great collection in a fine old building.
Though much smaller than Nice, Antibes has a history that dates back just as far.
Both towns were founded by Greek traders in the fifth century
B.C.
To the Greeks, Antibes
was “Antipolis”—the town
(polis)
opposite
(anti)
Nice. For the next several centuries,
Antibes remained in the shadow of its neighbor. By the turn of the 20th century, the
town was a military base—so the rich and famous partied elsewhere. But when the army
checked out after World War I, Antibes was “discovered” and enjoyed a particularly roar-
