A Dozen Delights in Monaco, Monaco, Monaco

Monaco is the second smallest principality in the world (the Vatican is the first). Covering only 1.5 square miles it is more like a large city than a small country. As the second most densely populated area in the world it has had to find ingenious ways of accommodating all the people who have decided to live there. A haven for the rich and famous it is also a fascinating place to visit. The rock of Monaco may look solid as you approach but in fact it is a honeycomb of tunnels and car parks. As strict residential qualifications apply and its wealthy occupants and visitors have to be looked after thousands of workers commute in and out of the principality every day. Escalators and lifts whisk visitors up to the top of the rock the home of its capital - Monaco-Ville. From here a panorama of harbours, hotels and high-rise residences unfolds. The traditional quarters of Monaco are Monaco-Ville, La Condamine, Monte Carlo and Fontvieille. The latter was reclaimed from the sea during the 1970s.

Visitors emerge from their underground parking outside the famous Oceanographic Museum. This museum was founded by Prince Albert I in 1910. Before he succeeded his father as Prince of Monaco Albert had been engrossed in scientific research and the Museum is part of the Oceanographic Institute which also included an establishment in Paris to teach this science. The museum features an aquarium, a natural history section and also hosts a wide variety of temporary exhibitions. Outside is the famous yellow submarine of Jacques Cousteau although this is sometimes displaced to make way for exhibits relevant to a current exhibition. This museum is housed in a splendid building best appreciated from a terrace in the St Martin Gardens next door. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).