Good place to visit to see the change of guards. Spacious area, many cafes around, can sit and wait or have a drink.
Just fun to watch the guards in front of the palace. Palace itself looked very nice and good maintained. Nice view from this hill on the smaller harbor of Monaco and the AS Monaco stadium. Also nice to see all the canons placed at the walls.
It is about 30 mins walk up the hill. But the views from various photo points is beautiful. The square at the top though quite big is not as great as one would expect from a Prince's palace. However the old own adjacent to it is worth visiting. There are narrow streets with little souvenir shops and restaurants.Do remember to walk around the square as the views from all sides are amazing.
Not much in Monaco is free. This is a beautiful place to take pictures and admire the views of Monaco. The guard walking around is also a good attraction. There are many cafes and restaurants which are affordable and allow you to enjoy the weather and people watch.
The square is bordered by the Prince's Palace and the Old Town. It has fantastic views of Monte Carlo in both directions, and is the viewing place of the Guard Changing that happens at every day. The Old Town is made of neat but narrow laneways with shops and cafes - comfortable walking shoes a must! It is a very beautiful place and a must-visit for any trip to the area.
This happens each day at 11:55am. A 5 minute orchestrated change of the guard. Each hour on the hour, one Guard at the main gate also changes.
Put on a good walking shoes and slowly walk up as it can be a challenge to some! As you walk, the view is so breath taking! You can see all the yachts n big speed boats from up the hill. The place is very crowded so if you are with friends, best to go in 2s or 3s n have a meeting place. Dont miss on the alley walks as they have lots to offer. Visiting the museum is a must so you can the history of the place. We took a tour next to the oceanographic museum which took us around Monte Carlo, passing the casino, market place and places of interest. Monte Carlo is not a cheap place to visit but worth it..!
The palace itself was of course beautiful and we lucked out and got there right as the changing of the guard happened. That event was a little lackluster but the view of Monte Carlo is absolutely worth the trip up there. There's also plenty of souvenir shopping up there too!
We visited here in October 2013. We walked up the hill from the harbour, through the gardens at the top and around the buildings located on the hill, which is a charming setting, ending up in the piaza where the palace is. We watched the changing of the guards and then did a tour of the palace which it was worth doing. The audio guide is spoken by the current Prince. No photos were allowed so we purchased a book from a shop in the piazza.
I liked the quaint, charming feel of the palace and the old town combined with the cathedral and the garden area. Everything here reminds one of Grace Kelly including the cathedral, garden sculptures & mementos being sold. Just to get to the palace it is a very steep hike up from the road below, but it's really worth it.