A French Riviera walking holiday with a refreshing citrus zeal!
Menton, on the French Riviera is a colourful seaside town, refined and unpretentious when compared to its fellow Riviera towns. Far less glitz and glamour but with a delightful helping of small squares with tables shaded by huge palm trees and buzzing with activity for most of the year.
Up until 1861, Menton was a part of Monaco and the Italian border is just 5 miles away, giving Menton a rich cultural and architectural heritage with the likes of the Saint Michel Basilica and the 17th century chapel of the Black Penitents, the 17th century Bastion (now the Jean-Cocteau museum) and the Carnolès Palace dating back to the 18th century (now a fine art museum). Menton was also the seaside destination of choice for Nietzsche, Queen Victoria and Nabokov, to name a few, and such prestigious visitors saw the rise of casinos and villas with breathtaking architecture and décor.
A self-guided French Riviera walking tour is the zest of life!
Menton is also known for a certain citrus fruit, one that we all frequently use in our savoury and sweet dishes and is also a natural remedy for the liver. Can you guess which fruit it is? That’s right, the lemon!
The pleasant climate of the Côte d’Azur is an ideal breeding ground for the lemon. The heat of the sun and the surrounding mountains protecting the crops from frost provide the prefect conditions. The people of Menton have been growing lemons since the 15th century, but it was during the 18th century that Menton became famous for its lemon. There are many different varieties such as the Villafranca, the Santa Theresa or Euréka and each has its own distinctive flavour.
An unusual and unique festival on your walking holiday in the French Riviera
Every year, the town of Menton hosts “la Fête du Citron”, quite literally, The Lemon Festival. This year, the festivities begin on February 15th through to March 3rd. Two weeks of colourful floats, dancers, musicians, exhibitions, daytime and nocturnal parades taking place throughout the entire town centre. It’s a huge party and everyone is invited, with thousands of visitors from around the world arriving in the French Riviera to join in the celebrations. Why not come along?
