Monaco Grand Prix
NH Hotel - Nice
- Fri May 23rd to Mon May 26th
- Tour #8051L
- Breakfast daily
- NH Hotel Nice
- Track transfers on Sat/Sun
- GPT tour gift package
- Hospitality desk
- On-site GPT representative
- Taxes/Service included
- Tour and race itinerary
- Restaurant guide
- 3 nights for $1,895.00
In the world of major sporting events, nothing can compare to the sheer elegance, glamour and excitement that is Formula One`s most prestigous race - the Grand Prix of Monaco. Monaco is unique in being the only remaining street course on the Formula One schedule. It allows you to experience the race cars at close range with engines screaming, brakes glowing, and tires smoking as the drivers demonstrate their skills. As one of the world`s greatest sporting events, the Monaco Grand Prix is a weekend you will be telling your friends about for years to come.
All prices are quoted in U.S. dollar
History
Monaco Grand PrixThe Monaco Grand Prix is a Formula One race held annually in the Principality of Monaco. Like many European races, the Monaco Grand Prix predates the organized World Championships; the principality's first Grand Prix race was organized in 1929 by Antony Noghes, a well-to-do cigarette manufacturer and a resident of Monte Carlo, under the auspices of Prince Louis II through the establishment of the "Automobile Club de Monaco" of which Noghes was the founding president.
The inaugural race was won by William Grover-Williams (a.k.a. "Williams") driving a Bugatti painted in what would become the famous British racing green color. The Monaco Grand Prix counted toward the European Championship from 1936 to 1939 (although the race was cancelled in 1938).
As a street race held on the Circuit de Monaco, which consists of the actual city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine, the race has many elevation shifts, tight corners, and a narrow course that make it perhaps the most demanding and the most dangerous track still in use in Formula One racing. In many ways, the Monaco course is an anachronism unsuitable for the race category because the narrow streets make it near-impossible to overtake on the track. However, its history and the spectacle of the event are likely to guarantee the event's future for some time yet.
The Monaco Grand Prix was one of the inaugural races in the Formula One championship in 1950. However, there was no race in 1951, and in 1952 the Monaco Grand Prix took place as a sports car event which was not included within the Formula One championship. Since 1955, the Monaco Grand Prix has taken place each year and has been raced as part of the Formula One championship.
Monaco
MonacoThe Principality of Monaco is a city state and the second-smallest country in the world (after the Vatican City), located between the Mediterranean Sea and France along the French Riviera or Côte d'Azur (The Blue Coast). Consisting mostly of the old city of Monaco and later built-up areas, it is also the most densely populated independent country in the world. It is one of the European microstates.
History of Monaco
Monaco derives its name from the nearby Greek colony, Monoikos, founded in the 6th century BC by the Phoceans. According to an ancient myth, Hercules passed through the Monaco area. A temple was constructed there by Phoceans, the temple of Hercules Monoikos
Monaco has been ruled by the House of Grimaldi since 1297, when François Grimaldi (aka: Malizia) seized the fortress protecting the famous rock while dressed up as a Franciscan monk (monaco in Italian); the only exception to this was from 1793 to 1814, when Monaco was under French control. Designated as a protectorate of Sardinia from 1815 until 1860 by the Congress of Vienna, Monaco's sovereignty was recognized by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861.
The Prince of Monaco was an absolute ruler until a constitution was promulgated in 1911. In July 1918, a treaty was signed providing for limited French protection over Monaco. The treaty, written into the Treaty of Versailles, established that Monegasque policy would be aligned with French political, military, and economic interests.
Prince Rainier III acceded to the throne following the death of his grandfather, Prince Louis II, in 1949. A new constitution, proclaimed in 1962, abolished capital punishment, provided for female suffrage, and established a Supreme Court to guarantee fundamental liberties. In 1993, Monaco became an official member of the United Nations with full voting rights.
In 2002, a new treaty between France and Monaco clarifies that if there are no heirs to carry on the dynasty, the Principality will remain an independent nation rather than revert to the French. Monaco's military defense, however, is still the responsibility of France.
Prince Albert, Marquis of Baux took over the royal duties on 31 March 2005 because his father Prince Rainier III was too ill to exercise his royal functions. On 6 April 2005 Prince Rainier died and Prince Albert succeeded him as Albert II of Monaco. Prince Albert II of Monaco formally became the ruler of Monaco on July 12, 2005 in a celebration that began with a solemn Mass at the cathedral where his father, Rainier III, was buried three months before after a reign of 56 years. His accession to the throne is a two-step event with another ceremony expected to draw heads of state planned for November 19, 2005.
Politics of Monaco
Monaco has been governed as a constitutional monarchy since 1911, with the Prince as head of state. The executive branch consists of a Minister of State (the head of government), who presides over a four-member Council of Government (the cabinet). The Minister of State is a French citizen appointed by the Prince from among candidates proposed by the French Government. Under the 1962 constitution, the Prince shares his power with the unicameral National Council (parliament). The 24 members of this legislative body are elected from lists by universal suffrage for 5-year terms.
The principality's local affairs are directed by the Communal Council, which consists of 15 elected members and is presided over by the Mayor.
Geography of Monaco
The Principality of Monaco is the second-smallest independent state in the world, after Vatican City. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, 18 kilometers east of Nice and near the Italian border, and is surrounded on three sides by France. It consists of a narrow strip along the coast at the bottom of the foothills of the Alps and its highest point is "Le Rocher" at 140 m.
Monaco is divided into seven sections or quarters (quartiers): Monaco-Ville, the capital, the old city on a rocky promontory extending into the Mediterranean; La Condamine, the section along the port; Monte Carlo, the principal residential and resort area with the casino; Fontvieille, a newly constructed area reclaimed from the sea; Moneghetti, on the western border with Cap d`Ail; Larvotto - Tenao includes the beach area to the east of the principality. Saint Roman is the easternmost tip, bordering the Tenao.
The principality is noted for its beautiful natural scenery and mild, sunny climate. The average minimum temperature in January and February is 8 °C (47 °F); in July and August the average maximum temperature is 26 °C (78 °F).
Economy of Monaco
One of Monaco's main sources of income is tourism; each year many are attracted to its casino and pleasant climate. In 2001, a major new construction project extended the pier used by cruise ships in the main harbor. The Principality has successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries.
The state has no income tax for individuals. The state retains monopolies in numerous sectors, including tobacco and the postal service. The telephone network used to be owned by the state. Now Monaco Telecom is 49% owned by Cable and Wireless, 45% by the state and 6% by Compagnie Monégasque de Banque, but is still a monopoly. Living standards are high, roughly comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan areas.
The lack of personal income tax has led to a considerable number of wealthy "tax refugee" residents from European countries, who earn the majority of their income from activity outside Monaco; celebrities like Formula One drivers attract most of the attention but the majority of them are business people.
In 2000 a report by French parliamentarians Arnaud Montebourg and Vincent Peillon alleged that Monaco has lax policies with respect to money laundering, including within its famed casino, and that the government of Monaco puts political pressure on the judiciary so that alleged crimes are not properly investigated. In response, the government of Monaco ordered reports to OECD and FATF. These reports revealed most of these allegations to be untrue.
Monaco is not a member of the European Union, but is very closely linked to it via a customs union with France and as such its currency is the same as France's: the euro. Monaco has acquired the right to mint euro coins with Monegasque designs on their national side.
Demographics of Monaco
Monaco has the distinction of being the most densely-populated country in the world. It has the largest police force and police presence in the world, both per capita and per area.
Monaco's population is unusual in that the native Monegasques are a minority in their own country. The largest proportion of residents are French nationals (47%), while Monegasque and Italian nationals represent 16% each, and the remaining 21% belong to one of the other 125 nationalities that make up Monaco's international population.
French is the only official language, but English, Italian, and the local Monegasque language (a descendant of Genoese) are also spoken. The literacy rate is 99%. Roman Catholicism is the official religion, with freedom of other religions guaranteed by the constitution.
Note: Although Macau is more densely populated, by virtue of the fact that Macau is not a sovereign state, Monaco is the most densely populated sovereign state in the world.
Things to do
Place du CasinoOpposite the casino are magnificent flowerbeds and carefully tended lawns interspersed with ponds in which reeds and water lilies grow. The gardens slope gently upwards in the direction of the shopping street of the town, forming a perspective admired by visitors from all over the world.
The back of the Casino, facing the sea, is bordered by sunny terraces. A striking multicolored geometrical work by Vasarely decorates the roof of the Convention Center and Auditorium.
Fort Antoine Theater
This early XVIII century fortress, built on the northeastern tip of the Rock, is now used as a marvelous outdoor theater with a capacity of some 350 spectators in tiered seating built in a semi-circle. In this enchanting setting, high quality performances are given during the summer season
Monte-Carlo Casino
Charles Garnier, the architect of the opera house in Paris, built the Casino in 1878.
The “atrium”, paved in marble, is surrounded by 28 Ionic columns in onyx. It leads into the auditorium of the opera, called the “Salle Garnier”, which is decorated in red and gold, with a profusion of bas-reliefs, frescoes and sculptures. Here, for more than a century, outstanding international performances of opera, ballet and concerts have been staged.
The “gaming rooms” comprise a succession of numerous rooms featuring stained glass windows, admirable decorations and sculptures, allegorical paintings and bronze lamps.
Oceanographic Museum & Aquarium
Inaugurated in 1910 by its founder, Prince Albert I, this exceptional museum of marine sciences is a monumental architectural masterpiece with a grandiose façade rising majestically above the sea to a height of 279 feet. It took 11 years to build, using 100,000 tons of stone from La Turbie.
The impressive rooms of the Museum, open to the public on two floors, contain remarkable collections of marine fauna gathered by Prince Albert, numerous specimens of sea creatures (stuffed or in skeleton form, including the skeleton of a 66 foot whale), models of Prince Albert’s laboratory ships, and craftware made from the sea’s natural products. Part of the first floor is dedicated to the oceanographic works of Prince Albert 1,“Career of a Navigator”.
In the basement, the visitor can enjoy the spectacular delights of the world-famous aquarium with its extraordinary show of marine flora and fauna. With 4,000 species of fish and over 200 families of invertebrates, the aquarium is now an authority on the presentation of the Mediterranean and tropical marine ecosystem. Its latest creation, the “Shark Lagoon”, unveils in a giant tank the diversity and extraordinary colors of the coral reef and its inhabitants.
On the ground floor, exhibitions and varied film projections are regularly presented in the sumptuous décor of the “Conférence room”.
Finally on the top floor, it is possible to have lunch in the restaurant "La Terrasse" admiring a magnificent panorama of the Principality of Monaco and the Italian Riviera. A museum shop is also available.
Exotic Garden
Boulevard du Jardin-Exotique
One of Monaco’s finest tourist attractions, this “magic garden” containing several thousand “succulent” plant varieties, was opened in 1933 and is daringly landscaped on the rock-face. The plants flourish superbly thus testifying to Monaco’s microclimate and are admired by visitors from all over the world.
Strolling along the foot-bridges high above the cliff, with a splendid view over the Principality and eastwards along the coast, the visitor cannot fail to be impressed by the diversity of the forms (in some cases surrealistic!) of the subtropical flora, made up of highly unusual exotic essences.
Observatory Caves
200 feet below the exotic gardens themselves, visitors can discover the immense chambers of the prehistoric Observatory Caves, whose stalagmites, stalactites and limestone concretions are admirably illuminated.
Fontvieille Park
This magnificent park covers an area of nearly 4 hectares and contains a multitude of green plants and shrubs from all over the world, planted around a charming little fresh-water pond inhabited by ducks and swans.
Princess Grace Rose Garden
On a nearby slope to the Fontvieille Park is the Princess Grace Rose Garden, inaugurated on June 18, 1984 by the Sovereign Prince and His family. It is a quiet spot fragrant with the scent of some 4,000 rose trees, more than 150 varieties, some of which are the work of leading European and American specialists.
Japanese Garden
This enchanting garden, designed by the landscape-architect Yasuo Beppu, covers 23,000 square feet right next to the Mediterranean Sea and has been blessed by a Shinto High Priest. The site is an authentic work of art that unites stone, water and vegetation in the most marvelous harmony.
The pine and olive trees are pruned in the pure tradition of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Waterfalls and ponds, decorated with symbolically-shaped islands, add to the serenity of the surroundings and are admired by visitors as they walk through the garden.
The natural stones were carefully chosen according to their shape, color and size.
The bamboo fences, Tea House, stone lanterns, tiles and wooden gates were all made in Japan. This exceptional garden situated at the foot of the sea-front high-rise buildings has a very special atmosphere, which is accentuated by the use of water sprays on the azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias.
Zoological Terraces
Opened in 1954 by H.S.H Prince Rainier III and built on the south face of the Rock of Monaco overlooking the Port of Fontvieille, some 250 animals from fifty different species (exotic birds, black panther, white tiger, hippopotamus, lemurs…) are housed there in exemplary conditions.
Exhibition of H.S.H. The Prince of Monaco's Private Collection of Classic Cars
The visitor will be able to admire some one hundred vintage and veteran motorcars made by some of Europe’s most prestigious firms. From the 1903 De Dion Bouton to the 1986 Lamborghini Countach, as well as the 1929 Bugatti, the Croisière Jaune Citroem Torepdo and the 1952 Rolls Royce, each of these glittering automobiles is perfectly maintained and they tell the story of XX century motoring history.
