Monaco in the wedding fever

After the British now Monegasques: On 2 July marry Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock. The Principality is expecting a rush of visitors, and we tell you where it is the best prospect

Once a curving dark sedan in a convoy with a quartet of Carabiniers motorcycle through the narrow streets of Monaco-Ville, Monegasque, everyone knows that Prince Albert II's in the car. Only tourists craning their necks then, for locals is the scenario so common that they are barely interested in yet.

Few Royals are so present and popular as Prince Albert II of 2005, after the death of his father Rainier, the government took over a 4.5 kilometer-long coastline, as well as the fate of its 34 000 inhabitants, of whom not even a quarter Monegasques are. Time he opened an exhibition, at times he inspected a construction site, or he applauded the winner of a tennis tournament. It may happen that he and his fiancee Charlene Wittstock, the future princess of Monaco, all relaxed on the lovely terrace restaurant "Vistamar" in the luxurious hotel "Hermitage" is sitting on the grilled sea bream and sea views to enjoy. Or that he left the royal box during the intermission of the Opéra Garnier, to drink a glass of champagne at the bar.

The Grimaldi ruled the principality for more than seven centuries. The name "Monte Carlo" got it by Charles Honoré Grimaldi, as Charles III. Entered into the history books and from 1856 to 1889 was in power. The city-state at that time was extremely poor, because nothing could be recovered from its rocky soil. To save his kingdom into the modern age, Charles III ordered. The financier François Blanc to Monaco. Monsieur Blanc was invented in Germany, the spa and venues of Baden-Baden and Bad Homburg, and then he should build in the Principality of the most beautiful casino in Europe. He got a gorgeous piece of land and a 50-year concession for operating the casino for free.

The statement went on: Francois Blanc made from the Parisian architect Charles Garnier, a magnificent Belle Époque palace building, which instantly became a magnet of European high society. Royalty, aristocrats, intellectuals and artists were enthusiastic in stucco with gold and lush halls and gambled away their assets in style. Monaco's financial ascent had begun.

In order to facilitate the arduous travel to the Principality, François Blanc, was negotiating with the French authorities and railway companies to build a coastal road and a railway line along the French Riviera, which he co-financed from the revenues of the casino. At that time the train stopped under the Casino Terraces, today he runs into an avant-garde, underground terminal above the pretty Chapelle Sainte Devote, where Charlene Wittstock to resign on the day of their wedding befitting her bridal bouquet in front of the patron saint of the Principality is. In order for the Monegasque and about 170 000 visitors expected this and all other scenes can watch the wedding ceremony up close, can set up multiple screens in the Prince Albert city-state, where every blink and every kiss will be broadcast live.

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It starts at the Prince's Palace. The palace, a curious mixture of styles from medieval castle and Renaissance castle stands on the so-called Rocher, a rocky outcrop, towering over the rest of the city like a peninsula into the Mediterranean. The views from the windows go to the Port Hercule, where white luxury yachts and the occasional cruise ship moored to a gigantic lie. In the streets behind the wide promenade that extends the old district of La Condamine, who works with cafes, small shops and pizzerias like a small Italian town. Monaco lives here, especially, and if you sit on a café terrace and listen to the conversations at the next table, you will hear the local dialect which is taught in schools. Behind La Condamine - and even that is visible from the Prince's Palace well - pulls up in a forest of apartment blocks up the hill. The apartments, of which 20 000 square meter price in € begins and quickly climbed to 40 000 and more, are highly coveted. For one who owns or has rented only allowed to transfer his residence here and paid no income tax more.
Before the Prince's Palace is the labyrinthine old town of Monaco. Directly opposite the royal residence is the barracks of the Compagnie du Carabiniers Prince, So the Monegasque army that guarded around the clock to the palace. The base is decorated with stucco and painted in delicate pink, white shutters are opened, and obviously had the principality before Grace Kelly a penchant for Hollywood. In the Rue Basse, a narrow cobblestone street with pastel-colored facades, is lined with souvenir shops and ice cream parlors, but already a few steps further, in the Rue Princess Marie de Lorraine, the hype is over. Here there are only isolated jewelry and antiques shops. In the shop window by Isabell Kristensen elegant bridal and evening wear can be seen. Opposite is the distinguished Pensionnat des Dames de St. Maur. Here were her sister, Princess Caroline and Stephanie go to school, little Albert had once cut across the lovely Place de la Visitation in the boys' school.
At the Place de la Visitation also contains the magnificent Palace of Government and the Museum of the Chapelle de la Visitation, with works by Jusepe de Ribera, Peter Paul Rubens and Jan Vermeer. Most interesting, however, may be a small shop at the head end of the square: the Chocolaterie de Monaco is one of the favorite stores of Prince Albert. It is known, and therefore there are always many noble-loving tourists to be found. As the most popular souvenirs of the candy box is in the rose design, which was specially created to commemorate the previous royal wedding. We remember: Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly were married in April 1956 in the simple Cathédrale de Monaco, which sits at the end of the Avenue de Saint-Martin. In the immediate neighborhood are which - apart from the Prince's Palace - Monaco's finest homes: graceful Belle Epoque villas with open views over the Saint Martin gardens across the Mediterranean.