Not to miss

Monaco Ville

Monaco Ville sits atop a rocky outcrop overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and is home to the state's most alluring sights. It's connected to the port area of La Condamine by the steep Rampe Major, a red-brick pedestrian ramp built in the 16th-century to connect the palace and port.

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo is one of the tiny principality's five main areas. It's situated north of the port and, with Monaco Ville, constitutes that part of the principality that visitors associate most closely with the Monaco of their dreams. Monte Carlo is, above all, famous for its casino and grand prix.

In the 1850s, Monaco was the poorest state in Europe. Its luck changed with the opening of Monte Carlo Casino - Europe's first - in 1865. The rather dull-sounding Plateau des Spélugues on which it stood was renamed Monte Carlo (a translation of 'Mont Charles' after Charles III), and within months it ranked as one of Europe's most glamorous playgrounds.

Jardin Exotique

Who would've thought cacti could be so much fun? With 7000 varieties of cacti and succulents, the Jardin Exotique is paradise for prickle-lovers. If 7000 cacti is about 6998 too many, the garden is still worth a visit for its spectacular views. Admission includes entry to the Musée d'Anthropologie Préhistorique and a half-hour tour of the Observatory Caves.

Musée National de Monaco

This ain't your usual collection of dusty rocks and stuffed animals: the Musée National de Monaco is dedicated to dollies and their frightfully spooky siblings, automata. The museum has everything from a dancing Josephine Baker robot to the Ken and Barbie owned by Princess Caroline and a gigantic 18th-century nativity scene packed full of little locals. Put your hair in pigtails and get on down.

Monte Carlo Casino

If it weren't for the casino, Monaco would be just another little town on the Côte d'Azur, somewhere for Parisian public servants to take their secretaries for a dirty weekend. Instead, Monaco is a fairy tale land built on luck, where the glitterati advertise the fact that they've got so much they're throwing it away. You may not have two euros to rub together, but you can soak up the atmosphere and use the toilets for free, provided you can disguise yourself as a high roller with money to burn. However, if you want to penetrate the inner sanctums, you'll need a considerable wallop in your wallet. It's almost worth it just to view the over-the-top baroque splendour of the casino's architecture.