Tende in France

22 April 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  6 minutes

© panoramio.com - villlamania/cc-by-3.0

© panoramio.com – villlamania/cc-by-3.0

Tende is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Tende is located within Mercantour National Park in the French Alps. The mountainous commune is bordered by Italy to the north, with the boundary determined by the watershed line between the two countries. This line of mountain tops contains more than 20 summits exceeding 2,000 meters (6,600 feet).   read more…

Theme Week Italian Riviera

9 May 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

Vernazza © Charles van Dijk/cc-by-3.0

Vernazza © Charles van Dijk/cc-by-3.0

The Italian Riviera, or Ligurian Riviera, is the narrow coastal strip in Italy which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines. Longitudinally it extends from the border with France and the French Riviera (or Côte d’Azur) near Ventimiglia (a former customs post) eastwards to Capo Corvo (also known as Punta Bianca) which marks the eastern end of the Gulf of La Spezia and is close to the regional border between Liguria and Tuscany. The Italian Riviera thus includes nearly all of the coastline of Liguria. Historically the “Riviera” extended further to the west, through what is now French territory as far as Marseille.   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…

Theme Week French Riviera – Antibes, Cap d’Antibes, Juan-les-Pins, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Cap Ferrat

8 May 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  10 minutes

Antibes and Cap d’Antibes

Antibes Panorama © Frits Hoogesteger

Antibes Panorama © Frits Hoogesteger

Antibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d’Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes. The Sophia-Antipolis technology park is northeast of Antibes. Sport is an important part of the local culture; the town hosts the National Training Centre for basketball. On 25 May 1999 the town was the first in the départment to sign the State Environment Charter, which pledges to actively conserve the natural environment. There are 48 beaches along the 25 km of coastline that surround Antibes and Juan les Pins. The city of Antibes hosts seveal museums and sights.   read more…

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