Monaco

Here's my favorite fact about Monaco, the tiny nation tucked along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea: It has more people in its Philharmonic orchestra (100) than in its army (80). Thank you, Rick Steves, for that.

Monaco is unique. It is carved out of the hills that drop dramatically into the ocean. Land is at a premium in the entire region, but when the entire country is three-quarters of a square mile, well, it can get crowded. Monaco has done some projects involving landfill, but still real estate is mighty, mighty expensive. There's no income tax here, so some of the rich and famous have a residence here.

The photo here shows the main region of Monaco; to the west (on the other side of the royal palace and other attractions) is the rest of the country. Monte Carlo is the name of one of those regions; it's not a separate city. That's where Monaco's famous casino is, where people go to "break the bank at Monte Carlo." By the way, you need to be well-dressed and pay an admission fee just to get in the door of the casino.

Monaco's big sporting event is the Grand Prix, held in May. The course was set up during our visit, and you can imagine what it does to the country - makes a crowded country even more cramped.

A visit is something like going to Disneyland - it's almost like someone made it up. But Monaco is very real, and certainly worth a stop. Here's a look around by the experts:



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