Menton

Menton is the easternmost French town on the Riviera, about 30 km from Nice and a short walk from the Italian border at Ventimiglia. Known as the Pearl of France for its mild microclimate, it is famous for lemons, gardens and a well-preserved old town. The TER Zou from Nice-Ville takes about 40 minutes and costs EUR 7.70 full fare or EUR 5.40 with a Zou card (~$9 / ~$6), with roughly 65 services a day each way. Bus 100 is slower at around 1 hour 15 minutes but follows the coast. Menton station is about 10 minutes on foot from the seafront. A natural itinerary starts at the Marché des Halles, the covered market, for pastries, cheese and local produce, then climbs through the old town along the stepped Parvis Saint-Michel to the Basilique Saint-Michel Archange, with its Baroque façade and views over the bay and the Promenade du Soleil. Nearby is the cemetery of the Vieux Château, which overlooks the coast. The town has several notable gardens, including the Jardin Val Rahmeh, a botanical garden with subtropical plants, and the Serre de la Madone. The Musée Jean Cocteau Séverin Wunderman on the seafront holds a large collection of the artist's work, and the Salle des Mariages in the town hall is decorated by Cocteau. Lunch can be taken at harbourside restaurants on the Quai Napoléon III or in the old town, where lemon desserts and Niçoise-Ligurian dishes are common. The afternoon is for the pebble beach and the seafront promenade. February and March are the best-known period because of the Fête du Citron, the Lemon Festival, with large fruit sculptures and parades, though tickets and hotels fill early. April to October is pleasant for gardens and swimming. A full day allows an unhurried loop of the market, old town, one garden and the beach before an evening train back to Nice.