Menton

Menton sits in a bowl of mountains right against the Italian border, sheltered from the north, and the microclimate lets citrus and subtropical plants grow that fail elsewhere on the coast; several botanical gardens exploit it, including the Val Rahmeh and the Serre de la Madone. The Fete du Citron, running since the 1930s, builds huge figures and floats covered in lemons and oranges, using well over a hundred tonnes of fruit across two weeks in February. The old town rises in ochre tiers to a cemetery with a view, and Jean Cocteau decorated the wedding hall and has a museum on the seafront.

What you actually see

• The lemon festival - large sculptures built from citrus fruit each February.
• The botanical gardens - subtropical collections in a sheltered microclimate.
• The ochre old town - tiered facades climbing to the cemetery terrace.
• The Cocteau rooms - the decorated wedding hall and seafront museum.

When to go

February for the Fete du Citron, which is the town's defining event and fills accommodation. Otherwise April to October, with gardens best in spring.

Honest expectations

Festival crowds are heavy and grandstand seats are ticketed and sell out. Outside February the town is quiet and older in feel than the rest of the Riviera. Gardens keep limited opening days.

Nearby

The Italian border is a short walk east; Monaco lies west.