Menton Hotels

Menton is the The Lemon Festival Capital of the World, located very close to the border of France and Italy and in many ways is more Italian than French. It has its own microclimate, generally milder than the rest of the French Riviera, and became in the late Nineteenth Century a place where Northern Europeans with TB came to either regain their health or to die. As a result its cemetery is filled with the graves of notable Englishmen, Germans, Russians. The old town is largely pedestrianised which adds to the charm of this sedate resort. To the east of Monaco, the pastel-shaded, palm-lined seaside town of Menton is within walking distance of the Italian border. Bordered by lush gardens and lemon groves, Menton has a pretty pebbled beach and a charming old town. Overall, it's a lot less touristed (and, hence, generally less expensive) than other spots on the Cote d'Azur. And it's warmer. Thanks to the surrounding hills, which trap the warm air from the Mediterranean within the town, Menton is said to have the highest temperatures on the coast; it's not unheard of for it to be snowing in Ventimiglia a few kilometres away while the sun's shining in Menton. Menton's mild subtropical microclimate makes it ripe for cultivating lemons, which take centre stage during the town's exuberant annual Fête des Citrons (Lemon Festival).