The Best Menton Photo Spots (Walking Map Included!)

There are so many incredible photo spots in Menton that you definitely don’t want to miss. I’ve put together my favorites from our last trip there including how to get to each one. This city right on the French-Italian border is so beautiful I’m sure you’ll have your own list of Menton photo spots by the time you leave!

With over 316 days of sunshine per year, there really isn’t a bad time to head to Menton. The climate there makes it perfect for growing lemon trees (which is why it’s home to the Lemon Festival each year!)

If you want to avoid tourists, you can visit in the winter to get the same views with almost no crowd at all. However, you won’t be able to go swimming.

Also, if you follow the photo spots in order, it will walk you through all the main spots of the city and all the best places and things to do in Menton. Enjoy your walk through gorgeous Menton!

Here’s the first part of the walk (all the stops are covered individually in this post as well, so you can decide to skip any if you aren’t interested):

Here’s the second part of the walk (all the destinations wouldn’t fit on one Google Maps Itinerary):

The whole walk is about an hour, but it will take at least 3-4 hours with stops and taking pictures! Much longer if you stop for a meal or picnic on the way.

1. Plage des Sablettes From the Pier

The first perfect photo stop is the first look at one of the most beautiful views in Europe! Don’t worry, there’s even more of it at stop #2!

This view gives us a taste of Italy, while still on the French side of the border.

2. Rock Outcropping at End of Pier

This is the shot you’ve most likely already seen on Instagram, and for good reason! I couldn’t wait to get to see this iconic view of the French Riviera for myself.

3. Basilique Saint-Michel-Archangel

After the first two stops, start heading up to the Basilique Saint-Michel-Archangel. The incredible spires you could see from the first two stops are actually from these churches. It’s all up-hill from here, so make sure to bring a lot of water.

4. Traverse du Vieux Chateau

From the churches, you start heading up even higher through the winding streets of Menton on your way to the cemeteries (which have some of the best views of the whole city!). There are plenty of places to stop and take pictures of little street corners and narrow streets, which feel a lot more Italian than French.

Also, if you like the look of these buildings, you absolutely cannot miss a day trip to Eze Village! It’s not far from Menton and I promise you’ll love it.

5. Cemetery #1: Cimitiere du Vieux Chateau

As you’ll see during your trip to Menton, the city has a theme: the dead get the best views in town. I have never seen a cemetery with such incredible views before. Make sure to be respectful of the grave sights as you walk through the different levels.

We found a small spot without a grave where we took a picture, but make sure to never step on the graves.

6. Viewpoint Next to Cemetery #1

This area has a bit of seating where you can enjoy the views from before you start your hike to the second cemetery.

7. Cemetery #2: Cimitiere du Trabuquet

See the theme here? This cemetery has even better views than the last! If you are tired and don’t want to walk to the top, then you can skip to #9 on this list. Getting to the top of the cemetery was beautiful, but the views are similar if you aren’t feeling up to it.

If you’re like me and just need to live closer to beautiful places like this, you should definitely look into getting a long-stay visa to France. Getting the visa was actually the easy part, the hard part was opening a bank account and actually finding an apartment.

8. Short Hike Above Cemetery #2: Chemin de Colle Superieure

If you chose to climb to the very top of the cemetery, then you’ll definitely want to go just a bit further to see even more views. At the top of the cemetery, there is a big green door which is unlocked. From there you can get out to Chemin de Colle Superieure and start heading up even higher.

As soon as it levels out, feel free to turn back around and head back down the Chemin. If you like going down stairs better, go through the cemetery, if not, then keep heading down the Chemin which is just a flat road.

9. Shopping Street: Rue Saint-Michel

After hiking to the highest point of Menton, the perfect place to go next is Rue Saint-Michel to look for some gelato and great photo ops. We started the walk from La Cure Gourmande and walked until we hit the port. There are tons of places to shop, gelato shops and a few restaurants.

10. Esplanade Francis Palmero

From the end of the shopping street, you can head towards the Esplanade Francis Palmero. You’ll see kids playing on a playground with some of the most beautiful views in the world and you’ll hear Italian and French spoken around you.

11. Plage de Fossan

From the Plage du Fossan, you can get an incredible shot of the Promenade du Soleil.

12. Jardin Bioves

If you’re lucky enough to be in Menton during the Fete du Citron (the Lemon Festival) in February, then this is one of the best photo spots of them all!

It costs about 12 euro per person to get in during the festival, where they set up giant displays made out of oranges, lemons, and grapefruit.

Even if you don’t want to buy tickets to the festival, you could still get a view of it by walking along the sides of the garden.

13. La Coupole Pizza Restaurant (BONUS)

The last stop before heading back to the train station to go back to Nice (or if you’re staying in Menton, back to your accommodation) is this super cute pizza place. This is only a bonus one, but since I love pizza and it was on the way to the train station, why not?! The “pizza” sign lights up every few seconds.

Of course, there are hundreds of more photo opportunities in Menton, France, but I have to leave some for you to discover for yourself as you walk through the city!

Here are a few more you can check out in Menton if you have time:

• Jardin Serre de la Madone
• Jean Cocteau Museum (Bastion)

Let me know in the comments if you found one that I should add.

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