Briançon in the Cottian Alps

22 January 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Benj05/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Benj05/cc-by-sa-3.0

Briançon a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. At an altitude of 1,326 metres (4,350 feet) it is the highest city in France, based on the French definition as a community containing more than 2,000 inhabitants. Briançon’s most recent population estimate is 12,00. Briançon is built on a plateau centred on the confluence of the Durance and the Guisane rivers. Briançon is the base and lowest altitude station of the large Serre Chevalier ski resort. Most of the town’s accommodation is used exclusively in winter, the population tripling during that period.   read more…

The Nice Côte d’Azur Opera House

29 December 2017 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera, Opera Houses, Theaters, Libraries Reading Time:  6 minutes

© flickr.com - debs-eye/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – debs-eye/cc-by-2.0

The Opéra de Nice is the principal opera venue in Nice on the French Riviera. It offers three types of performances: operas, ballets and classical concerts ; and houses the Ballet Nice Méditerranée and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice. The “petit théâtre en bois” (wooden theatre) was first created in 1776 by Marquess Alli-Maccarani. Sold in 1787 to a group of gentry, it reopened in 1790 under the name “Théâtre Royal”. In 1826, the city of Nice, encouraged by King Charles Félix, bought it from its owners and had it demolished and rebuilt. It was inaugurated in 1828 with Giovanni Pacini‘s Il Barone di Bolsheim. In 1856, a great ball was organized in the honour of King Victor Emmanuel II.   read more…

Theme Week Monaco – Monte Carlo

31 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  6 minutes

Monte Carlo and Port Hercule © Martinp1/cc-by-sa-3.0

Monte Carlo and Port Hercule © Martinp1/cc-by-sa-3.0

Monte Carlo officially refers to an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally the name also refers to a larger district, the Monte Carlo Quarter (corresponding to the former municipality of Monte Carlo), which besides Monte Carlo also includes the wards of La Rousse/Saint Roman, Larvotto/Bas Moulins, and Saint Michel. The permanent population of the ward of Monte Carlo is about 3,500, while that of the quarter is about 15,000. Monaco has four traditional quarters. From west to east they are: Fontvieille (the newest), Monaco-Ville (the oldest), La Condamine, and Monte Carlo.   read more…

Theme Week Monaco – Fontvieille

30 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  6 minutes

Port of Fontvieille © Georges Jansoone/cc-by-3.0

Port of Fontvieille © Georges Jansoone/cc-by-3.0

Fontvieille is the southernmost ward in the Principality of Monaco. It was developed by an Italian architect, Manfredi Nicoletti, between the 1970s and the 1990s. In contrast to the other city districts Monaco-Ville, Monte Carlo and La Condamine, Fontvieille was constructed, after Italian engineer Gianfranco Gilardini’s design, almost entirely on artificially reclaimed land and thus represents one of the younger parts of the principality. In order to combat the chronic land shortage in the extremely densely populated principality, the work was begun in 1966 to create new land in the Mediterranean Sea southwest of le rocher. In 1981, the then Crown Prince Albert (since April 6, 2005 Albert II, Prince of Monaco) laid the cornerstone for the new city quarter. The existence of Fontvieille, and its many public works projects, relates substantially to former Prince of Monaco, Prince Rainier III‘s reputation as the Builder Prince.   read more…

Theme Week Monaco – Larvotto

29 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  4 minutes

Larvotto Beach © V&A Dudush/cc-by-3.0

Larvotto Beach © V&A Dudush/cc-by-3.0

Larvotto is the easternmost Ward in the Principality of Monaco. Larvotto is southeast of Monte Carlo and La Rousse. It borders Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France, to the northeast.   read more…

Theme Week Monaco – Monaco City

28 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  6 minutes

Monaco City © Antonu/cc-by-sa-3.0

Monaco City © Antonu/cc-by-sa-3.0

Monaco City (French: Monaco-Ville) is the southcentral Ward in the Principality of Monaco. Located on a headland that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco City is nicknamed The Rock (French: Le Rocher). The name “Monaco City” is misleading, Monaco City is a historical and statistical district, not a city. Monaco City is one of the four traditional quarters (French: quartiers) of Monaco, the others are La Condamine, Monte Carlo, and Fontvieille.   read more…

Theme Week Monaco – La Condamine

27 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  6 minutes

La Condamine and Port Hercule © Diego Delso/cc-by-sa-4.0

La Condamine and Port Hercule © Diego Delso/cc-by-sa-4.0

La Condamine is the central Ward in Monaco. The city district is located around Port Hercule (Port de Monaco) and is surrounded itself by the districts of Monaco-Ville, Fontvieille, Jardin Exotique, Les Moneghetti, Ravin de Sainte-Dévote and Monte-Carlo. Condamine dates from the Middle Ages, and means cultivable land.   read more…

Theme Week Monaco

26 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks Reading Time:  10 minutes

© flickr.com - Aurelie et Herve/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – Aurelie et Herve/cc-by-2.0

Monaco is a sovereign city-state and microstate, located on the French Riviera. France borders the country on three sides while the other side borders the Mediterranean Sea. Monaco has an area of 2.02 km2 (0.78 sq mi) and a population of about 37,800; it is the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world. The highest point in the country is a narrow pathway named Chemin des Révoires on the slopes of Mont Agel, in the Les Révoires Ward. Monaco’s most populous Quartier is Monte Carlo and the most populous Ward is Larvotto/Bas Moulins. Through land reclamation, Monaco’s land mass has expanded by twenty percent. Monaco is known as a playground for the rich and famous. In 2014, it was noted about 30% of the population was made up of millionaires. Monaco’s mild climate, scenery, and gambling facilities have contributed to the principality’s status as a tourist destination and recreation center for the rich. In more recent years, Monaco has become a major banking center and has sought to diversify its economy into services and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries. Monaco is not formally a part of the European Union (EU), but it participates in certain EU policies, including customs and border controls. Through its relationship with France, Monaco uses the euro as its sole currency (prior to this it used the Monégasque franc). Monaco joined the Council of Europe in 2004. It is a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).   read more…

InterContinental Carlton Cannes

24 October 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera, Hotels Reading Time:  6 minutes

© Banja Mulder/cc-by-3.0

© Banja Mulder/cc-by-3.0

The InterContinental Carlton Cannes is a 343-room luxury hotel built in 1911, located at 58 La Croisette in Cannes on the French Riviera and listed by the Government of France as a National Historic Building. During the Cannes Film Festival it is the most prestigious place to stay and the undisputed headquarters of motion picture industry deal-making. In April 2011, the prestigious hotel was sold by the investment bank Morgan Stanley to the Lebanese businessman Toufic Aboukhater, who owns several other iconic InterContinental hotels. Aboukhater sold the Carlton at the end of 2011 to Katara Hospitality, a Qatari investor.   read more…

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