Jardin Exotique de Monaco (Exotic Garden of Monaco), Monte-Carlo

Jardin Exotique de Monaco (Exotic Garden of Monaco), Monte-Carlo (must see)

The Exotic Garden of Monaco (Jardin Exotique de Monaco), situated on a cliffside in Monaco, is a botanical garden spanning approximately 15,000 square meters. This unique garden boasts a diverse collection of around a thousand cacti and other succulent plants characterized by water-storing stems or hypertrophic leaves. These plants, originally hailing from semi-arid regions across the planet, continue to flourish with abundant flower displays. Notably, South African succulents like Aloe and Crassula bloom during the winter months (January to February), while cacti, native to the Americas, grace the garden with their blossoms during the spring and summer.

The garden's mature trees, lining its pathways, offer a glimpse into the collection's history, serving as the foundation for the garden's creation. Opened to the public in February 1933, and further enriched in the 1960s with the addition of a botanical center and a specialized tree nursery, this garden ranks among the most popular tourist attractions in the Principality of Monaco.

Back in 1912, Albert I, Prince of Monaco, acquired a piece of land in Les Moneghetti. He entrusted Louis Notari, Monaco's Chief Engineer, with the task of constructing a new garden featuring footbridges. During the construction process in 1916, an unexpected discovery was made: a grotto beneath the site. Despite this, the garden was completed in 1933. The inaugural director of the garden from 1933 to 1969 was Louis Vatrican, a Monegasque agronomist, who expanded the collection by introducing African succulents alongside the existing South American flora. After his retirement in 1969, Marcel Kroenlein succeeded him.

The grotto was made accessible to the public in 1950 but can only be explored with the assistance of specialized guides. Remarkably, the cave has yielded evidence of prehistoric human habitation, and within the Exotic Garden, a Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology, established by Prince Albert I in 1902, proudly exhibits many of these ancient relics.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Monte-Carlo. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Jardin Exotique de Monaco (Exotic Garden of Monaco) on Map

Sight Name: Jardin Exotique de Monaco (Exotic Garden of Monaco)
Sight Location: Monte-Carlo, Monaco (See walking tours in Monte-Carlo)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark

Walking Tours in Monte-Carlo, Monaco

Create Your Own Walk in Monte-Carlo

Create Your Own Walk in Monte-Carlo

Creating your own self-guided walk in Monte-Carlo is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Historical Buildings Walk

Historical Buildings Walk

Monaco – the world’s second smallest state – is also one of the world’s richest. The latter fact definitely shows in the historic buildings – famous casinos, opera house, hotels and opulent palaces – found in the central ward Monte-Carlo, displaying a range of architectural styles quite wide for a small country like this.

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles
Monte-Carlo Introduction Walking Tour

Monte-Carlo Introduction Walking Tour

Situated on a prominent escarpment at the base of the Maritime Alps washed by the Mediterranean Sea, the district of Monte Carlo is an administrative center of the tiny Principality of Monaco.

The latter owes its name to the nearby 6th-century BC Greek colony, seemingly linked to the Greek hero Hercules who visited the area and built here a temple – a sole structure, back then – which came...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles