Menton is a charming town on the French Riviera known for its small but beautiful beaches, blossoming gardens, and Italian-influenced architecture. Yes, Menton is directly on the Italy border and only became French in 1860.
It blends fresh French cuisine with Ligurian pastel-coloured patchwork townhouses. With markets selling fresh lavender and lemons, it smells as dreamy as it looks!
There are plenty of things to do in Menton, France so it’s perfect for a longer summer retreat on the Côte d’Azur. But this hilly, medieval town is not so big and overwhelming that you couldn’t explore the highlights over a weekend break.
This Menton travel guide covers my favourite things to do including culinary treats, day trips and the most photogenic spots.
Things To Do in Menton, France
1. Stroll Around the Old Town
Whether visiting Menton for one day or one week, spend most of that time walking along the delightful streets of Old Town. Narrow, tall buildings cast shade on the cobblestone alleyways. You’ll walk past green window shutters, lemon-yellow walls, and low-hanging wrought-iron street lamps.
There’s no need to track Google Maps while you explore Menton because it’s not a huge city. But here are some top spots to check out in the Old Town:
- Rue de la Conception: This street has pretty stairs next to an art gallery. Menton has a few art galleries, so it’s a great place to visit if you like picking up paintings when you travel.
- Rue de Bréa: The part of the street next to Huilerie St Michel is particularly pretty, but the rest is too.
- Rue Saint-Michel: This is the main tourist shopping street close to most of the top Menton tourist attractions. Most of the shops sell lemon and lavender-themed gifts but there are also cafés, boulangeries, and ice cream shops.
- Marché des Halles: Dating back to 1898, this market is mostly full of fishmongers. But you’ll also find fresh produce, cheese, flowers, and desserts as well as an espresso bar.
2. Climb the Basilique Saint-Michel Archangel’s Yellow Stairs
One of the best things to do in Menton is to climb (and photograph) these iconic, geometric stairs. Also known as Les Rampes Saint-Michel or les escaliers, they were built in 1753 so people could reach Saint Michael Archangel Basilica from the shore.
The basilica is also worth visiting. It’s a lavish, 17th-century baroque Catholic church with an 18th-century bell tower. It still has the original organ and even a lemon-yellow facade. Entrance is free but note that it has limited opening times.
Saint Michael Archangel Basilica is open Monday – Saturday from 3 pm to 5 pm. On Saturdays, 10 am to 12 pm is an extra opening time. The church is closed to visitors on Sundays.
3. Taste Menton’s Famous Lemons
Menton in France is world-renowned for its lemons, but why? The story dates back to the Bible, where the unnamed ‘forbidden fruit’ is not assumed to be an apple, but a lemon.
Eve is said to have stolen a lemon after she and Adam were exiled from the Garden of Eden. Eventually, they stumbled upon the Bay of Garavan and planted the citrus fruit here where it would have enough sunshine to thrive.
Menton takes its biblical lemon legend very seriously. They even host a lemon festival (Fête du citron) for two weeks every February.
One of the top Menton things to do is taste as many lemon-flavoured treats as you can! Lemon tarts – like those from Maison Gannac – are always a winner.
4. Eat at Fleur de Sel Restaurant
Crêpes and galettes are perfect for a light lunch. They are served with sweet or savoury toppings and are a real crowd-pleaser if you can find a great spot. I might be biased as my boyfriend Manu’s dad owns it, but Fleur de Sel Restaurant is the best creperie in Menton. Stop by and taste it out for yourself. Don’t forget to say hello!
5. Admire the Best City Views
There are so many beautiful Menton Instagram spots in Old Town. In my opinion, the best view of the city is from the pier next to Plage des Sablettes. With the town and beach in front and the boats docked in the harbour to the west, it’s the perfect place to be at sunset.
6. Check out the Beautiful Beaches
Menton has lots of lovely little beaches dotted along the coastline. The sand is softer than you’ll find on beaches to the west and the waters are calm enough for swimming.
Plage des Sablettes is a top choice because it is completely open to the public and is walkable from Old Town. This beach is often known as ‘Plage des Sablettes Ouest’, as Plage des Sablettes Est is almost entirely private beach clubs. The cheapest parasol and sunbed you’ll find here is around €17 per day, while some clubs charge around €35.
7. Take a Day Trip from Menton
The French Riviera’s train lines make it easy to take a day trip from Menton-Garavan Station. My favourite day trip from Menton is to Èze, a picturesque town covered in succulents and sandy-coloured buildings.
It’s only a 25-minute train ride from Menton. Once you arrive, take the local bus (N.600) from Cap Roux to the hilly Old Town, or walk if you’re feeling adventurous. Both options take around one hour.
Here are some other day trip from Menton options:
- Antibes: 70-minute train ride
- Monaco: 20-minute train ride
- Nice: 40-minute train ride
- Villefranche-sur-Mer: 40-minute train ride
You could also make the most of staying in a border town by visiting Italy for a day. Direct trains from Menton to the charming Ventimiglia take less than 15 minutes. Change here and carry on east along the Italian coast via a 30-minute Italian train ride to the coastal city of Sanremo.
8. Stroll in Jardin Botanique Val Rahmeh-Menton
Les Colombières Villa and Garden, Fontana Rosa Garden… Visiting gardens is one of the top things to do in Menton! Jardin Botanique Val Rahmeh-Menton is the one I recommend if you are only in town for a couple of days.
It dates back to 1875 when the local De Monléon built the estate. British army officer Lord Percy Radcliffe bought the property in 1905 and named it after his wife, Rahmeh, which translates to ‘tranquility’ in Arabic-Persian.
Jardin Botanique Val Rahmeh-Menton has been a museum and botanical garden since 1966 and today has over 1,700 plant species! It’s known for its majestic exotic trees and ponds.
Full-price entrance fees are €8 for a guided tour. Opening times are 9:30 am – 6 pm Wednesday to Monday. The garden is closed on Tuesdays.
9. Visit the Inventor of Rugby’s Grave
Nobility flocked to the French Riviera after doctor James Henry Bennett published his book Winter and Spring on the Shores of the Mediterranean (1861). One of those seeking the sun’s healing rays was William Webb Ellis, the person credited with inventing rugby.
He died in Menton in 1872 and is buried in Cimetière du Vieux Châte. It’s a surprisingly beautiful place with carved stone mausoleums and shady fruit trees. Its location on a hill means it has a gorgeous vista over the town and beaches.
Tips for Visiting Menton
How To Get There
Since Menton is only a 40-minute train journey from Nice-Ville Station, flying into Nice is the most direct route for most people visiting the area. It’s super easy to reach Menton from Nice without renting a car. You won’t need one during your trip unless you want to check out more remote areas like Mercantour National Park.
Menton is a popular day trip from Nice, but I’d say it’s well worth planning at least 2 days in Menton, if not longer. It’s perfect for a slow, leisurely stay rather than a whirlwind trip.
Musée Jean Cocteau is Still Closed
Jean Cocteau was an early 20th-century French artist. Many of his art pieces were displayed in the Jean Cocteau Museum, a brutalist building on the waterfront that opened in 2018. Unfortunately, a storm flooded the museum in 2018 and there’s no word on when or if it will reopen (as of writing in August 2024).
When researching the museum, you’ll be redirected to The Bastion, a small turreted building further along the coast. It’s a cute pastel-yellow structure and houses a small number of the works from the original building. However, many visitors don’t think the collection is worth the entrance fee (currently €5) as it is very small. It might be one to skip if you’re short on time when visiting Menton.
Things To Do in Menton, France
With 316 days of sunshine a year, and this Menton travel guide, what more convincing do you need to visit the ‘Pearl of France’? It offers the best of both the French and Italian rivieras and plenty of things to do in Menton, France that make it a prime Mediterranean destination.
