Monaco-Ville lanes and the Saint-Martin gardens

Behind the palace, Monaco-Ville is a handful of narrow, car-free lanes — Rue Basse, Rue Comte Félix Gastaldi — in cream, ochre and pale pink, with green shutters, flower boxes and archways that open suddenly onto the sea. They are quiet early and very busy from late morning, when the tour groups arrive.

At the southern edge stands the white stone cathedral where Princess Grace and Prince Rainier are buried, facing a small square; just beyond it, the Jardins Saint-Martin run along the top of the cliff — winding paths under pines, agaves and succulents, small belvederes and benches, and nothing below but the sea. The gardens are free, and their shade makes them work even in summer, when the lanes and the palace square bake.