Campsite near Menton 
We’re on the border of Italy, the Principality of Monaco and the County of Nice, a city of art and history just 50 km from Les Pinèdes. A garden paradise, Menton is also an incomparable showcase for the architecture that has shaped this secret Riviera, where everyone can stroll in the wake of famous names. Perfumes, colors and tranquility have made Menton, in the words of geographer Elisée Reclus, “the pearl of France”. You’ll notice that three alleyways are named after pirates who once sailed the Mediterranean: Lampedusa, Capodana and Acqasoma. Legend has it that they were responsible for the town’s foundation.
Menton, city of lemons
Menton
Every year in February, Menton hosts the Lemon Festival.
Another legend attributes the creation of the town of Menton to Eve, who, driven out of Paradise with Adam, took a lemon with her which, after a long journey, she chose to bury in the Bay of Gravan, where the climate and landscape reminded her of her lost Paradise. This was the birthplace of Menton.
At one time, the town’s livelihood was largely based on citrus growing, but unfortunately this production has gradually disappeared. Today, Menton’s lemons benefit from a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) and local residents are encouraged to replant the trees typical of the region: orange, lemon and other citrus trees.
Every year in February, citrus takes center stage! For over 2 weeks, you can enjoy citrus corsos, some of which take place at night, with live bands, admire the citrus pattern exhibition in the Biovès gardens (by day and/or night with the Jardins de lumières) and visit the Salon de l’Artisanat and the Festival des Orchidées, with their unforgettable scents.
Menton, a city of culture
For art and culture lovers, Menton has a lot to offer. Classified as a Ville d’Art et d’Histoire since 1991, along with Nice and Grasse, the pediment of the town hall reads “Atrium civitas”, which means City of the Arts.
You can visit the Monastère de l’Annonciade, the Basilique Saint-Michel Archange, the Halles, the Musée Jean Cocteau, the Bastion, the Salle des Mariages (painted by Jean Cocteau in 1958), the Palais de l’Europe and the Odyssée, as well as the old castle and the old town.
Menton’s famous gardens
For garden lovers, Menton is home to a number of exceptional gardens, with their diversity of species and the presence of rare plants. The panorama alone is worth the detour.
Don’t miss: La Serre de la Madone; Fontana Rosa, a 1920s Valencian garden; Villa Maria Serena and its magnificent palm grove garden; the Val Rahmeh tropical garden and the Palais de Carnolès with its 140-variety citrus garden.
