It is common, when you live in a region of the world for a while, that certain geographical indications such as the names of streets and neighborhoods become so obvious that you stop thinking about them or even refer to them.
On the occasion of an update of our catalog of houses and apartments for sale, it suddenly became clear that the name of certain districts but also their specificity, their beauty and their difference can escape those who do not have not yet had the chance and the opportunity to visit our beautiful city of Menton.
So here is a short summary of the neighborhoods that make our little town so charming and colourful:
At the western end of the Baie du Soleil, adorned with the Carnoles Palace – former summer residence of the Princes of Monaco, and currently the city's fine arts museum, the Madonne district is located at the south-eastern most part of the town. On its eastern flank opens the Borrigo valley and further north of it the Val des Castagnins.
The (covered) estuary of the Borrigo (one of the five torrents of Menton) marks the entrance to the town centre. Established along its main artery (avenue de Verdun / avenue de Sospel) and crowned by the Jardins Bioves and the Casino district, it also extends east to the entrance to the pedestrian shopping area, the covered market and the Old Town (Vieille Ville).
Going up the Bioves Gardens leads to the Careï Valley, where one would find the main transport hubs (train, buses) and a daily open-air market.
The hill on the east side of the valley, brings together the districts of Ciappes and the St Michel plateau and beyong another valley, with another of the Mentonese torrents, the Fossan.
In its southern part, the foothills of the Fossan valley lead to the hill of the Old Town of Menton. With its narrow streets where it is good to get lost, under the gaze of St Michael the Archangel, its stairs and shaded squares offer an air of Dolce Vita. The forecourt of the basilica also offers a bird's eye view of the old port and the bay of Sablettes.
At the top of the hill is the cemetery of the Old Castle, from where the boulevard de Garavan starts, which itself ends at the Franco-Italian border and which offers a breathtaking view, to the south, of the bay of the same name. Its northern part includes the perched districts of La Colle, Le Baousset and Colombieres.
The Garavan district includes many prestigious properties such as Val Rahmeh, nowadays the Botanical garden of the city, the olive grove of Pian as well as the new port of Menton and its private sandy beaches and its shops.
Source: Maire de Menton | Click here to download a pdf copy
