Monaco Spélugues

Spélugues is the historic heart of Monte-Carlo and one of Monaco's most recognisable districts, set on a plateau above the Mediterranean. Its name comes from the caves that once marked the rocky headland, and today the area is best known for the Casino de Monte-Carlo, Place du Casino and the grand Hôtel de Paris.

In the mid-19th century, Prince Charles III chose the then-arid Spélugues plateau for a gambling house that would help fund the principality. The casino opened in 1863 and the Hôtel de Paris followed a year later; in 1866 the plateau was renamed Monte-Carlo in the prince's honour. Belle Époque facades, the Salle Garnier opera house and carefully kept gardens still define the district's architecture.

The compact centre is made for walking, from the casino square and its terraces to luxury boutiques, the Café de Paris and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo. A short distance away are Port Hercule with its yachts, the Larvotto beach, and Monaco-Ville, the old town on the Rock with the Prince's Palace and Oceanographic Museum.

Spélugues is also central to Monaco's international calendar. Sections of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix circuit run through the area each May, and the district hosts high-profile hotels, restaurants and business visitors throughout the year, supported by nearby venues such as the Grimaldi Forum.

For leisure and business travellers alike, Spélugues offers a concentrated mix of heritage, luxury, entertainment and Riviera glamour within one of the world's smallest and most secure states.