Theme Week Monaco

Monday, 26 December 2016 - 12:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, French Riviera, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks
Reading Time:  6 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).

Monaco exhibits a wide range of architecture, but the principality’s signature style, particularly in Monte-Carlo, is that of the Belle Epoque. It finds its most florid expression in the 1878-9 Casino and Grand Concert Hall created by Charles Garnier and Jules Dutrou. Decorative elements including turrets, balconies, pinnacles, multi-coloured ceramics and caryatids and borrowed and blended to create a picturesque fantasy of pleasure and luxury, and an alluring expression of how Monaco sought, and still seeks, to portray itself. This capriccio of French, Italian and Spanish elements was incorporated into hacienda villas and apartments. Following major development in the 1970s, Prince Rainier III banned high rise development in the principality. However his successor, Prince Albert II, overturned this Sovereign Order. In recent years the accelerating demolition of Monaco’s architectural heritage, including its single-family villas, has created dismay. The principality currently has no heritage protection legislation.

Saint Nicholas Cathedral © Linedwell/cc-by-sa-4.0 Saint Nicholas Cathedral© Berthold Wernerld Werner/cc-by-sa-3.0 Palace guard © Michaelphillipr/cc-by-sa-3.0 Monte Carlo Casino © Mat Strange/cc-by-3.0 © flickr.com - Aurelie et Herve/cc-by-2.0
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Saint Nicholas Cathedral© Berthold Wernerld Werner/cc-by-sa-3.0
Since 1929, the Monaco Grand Prix has been held annually in the streets of Monaco. It is widely considered to be one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world. The erection of the Circuit de Monaco takes six weeks to complete and the removal after the race takes another three weeks. The circuit is incredibly narrow and tight and its tunnel, tight corners and many elevation changes make it perhaps the most demanding Formula One track. Driver Nelson Piquet compared driving the circuit to “riding a bicycle around your living room”.

Monaco has an opera house, a symphony orchestra and a classical ballet company. The Principality of Monaco hosts major international events such as: International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo, Top Marques Monaco, and Monte-Carlo Television Festival. Monaco has a national museum of contemporary visual art at the New National Museum of Monaco. The country also has numerous works of public art, statues, and memorials.

The Monegasque cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine. In addition to fish and meat dishes, the Italian cuisine is widespread. Monegasque dishes are mostly prepared with olives, tomatoes and onions. A typical appetizer is Barbajuan. This is a special kind of fried small ravioli. There are locally different recipes for the filling, the monegassic original comes in contrast to the Barbajuan from, for example, Menton without rice. For Christmas there is very often a Christmas bread (Pain de Noël), on which walnuts in the shape of a cross are arranged around an olive branch.

Here you can find the complete Overview of all Theme Weeks.

Read more on Monaco, VisitMonaco.com – Monaco, Top Marques Monaco, Wikivoyage Monaco and Wikipedia Monaco. Learn more about the use of photos. To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organizations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.






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