Travel Guide to pastel-colored Menton and its amazing Lemon Festival, France
- Related post: Nice Carnival
In this post:
- I: Daytime Sculptures Exhibition in the Jardin Biovès
- II: Golden Fruit Carnival Parade (Night time parade)
Menton’s Lemon Festival (Fête du Citron)
… I had planned a 4-day trip to the French Riviera specifically to see the Nice Carnival and the Menton Lemon Festival. My schedule went like this:
Day 1 (Thursday): Took the TGV train from Lyon to Menton via Nice. Checked into the hotel. Had a walk around town, around the beach, back to the town and had dinner at La Régence and then watched the night parade. Stayed overnight in Menton.
Day 2 (Friday): Saw the Menton Lemon Festival ‘sculptures’ during the day, walked around the town and to the beach and pier, walked up the steps into the old town (where the colourful, pastel houses are), bought myself a freshly squeezed lemonade and had it on the beach… Stayed overnight in Menton.
Day 3 (Saturday): Took a daytrip to Monte Carlo, Monaco (my second time there). Went back to my hotel in Menton to grab my luggage before heading to Nice. Checked into Nice hotel. Watched Nice‘s Night Light Parade.
Day 4 (Sunday): This was my 4th trip to Nice so I was mainly there just to see the Carnival. Looked at the floats and performers a few hours before the parade was due to start, walked around the beachfront, passed the #ILoveNice sign, walked through the old town, queued up for the parade and got up and close with the performers, found my seat and waited for the show to start! Watched the amazing Carnival Parade and then went back to my hotel to get my luggage before taking the TGV back to Lyon…
I first came across the Menton Festival on my instagram feed in February 2015. This was around the time I had just moved to Lyon. I saw someone’s post purely by accident and from the moment I saw it it was love at first sight! Plus, I had never even heard of this town before and noone I knew had been there… I am not like the average person who likes to do what everybody else is doing. I’m the opposite and prefer to go where people haven’t been! It feels more special to me that way (it’s also one reason I still haven’t been to Venice after all these years.. because I already know it’s overpriced and overcrowded and I might get disappointed with such high expectations).
I told myself I HAD to go to Menton and 2 years later I finally made it there! Of course I was totally not disappointed by Menton and its cute little Lemon Festival. It is one of the most unique things I’ve ever seen and given the colour, the fun and whimsical aspect and the out-of-this-world creativity it was just right up my alley. It was so so cool and I would seriously go every year if I could! 🙂 Menton is definitely one of the most underrated towns I’ve ever visited.
History of the Menton Lemon Festival
The Menton Lemon Festival is the second most popular event in the French Riviera, after the Nice Carnival.
The festival dates back to 1896 when the town wanted to create a festival or carnival to liven up the city during the winter. However, back then oranges and lemons were not part of the story. The carnival was similar to the Nice Carnival with giant heads, and confetti throwing and flower throwing. Fast forward to 1928 and Menton, with its Mediterranean climate is the largest producer of citrus fruits in the whole of Europe. While the citrus industry was booming, the wealthy or royal winter tourists who used to visit were decreasing in numbers. The owner of the Hotel Menton Riviera (which still exists today) came up with the brilliant idea to host a free flower and citrus fruits show in the gardens of his hotel. It was such a huge success that the following year the municipality took over from organising the event and moved it to public areas all over town. The show soon ‘mixed’ with the carnival and people began using oranges and lemons on their floats and in the parades.
The Lemon Festival was officially born around 1933-1935 . In 1936 the Jardin Biovès (the biggest garden centrally located in town) was the new location for the festival and it has been held there ever since. Every year the festival has been getting bigger and better and the sculptures have been getting more and more elaborate.
The sculptures are created with 1) a base frame, 2) chicken wire type ‘walls’, and 3) oranges and lemons strapped to the frame with elastic bands looped between the chicken wire and the fruit. The fruit are not harmed at all and are sold off at a bargain price after the festival is over. These days, most of them are not from Menton anymore though and are imported from Spain where they are much cheaper.
Each year, the festival and all the sculptures are centered around a theme such as Disney, Alice in Wonderland, Around the world in 80 days, China, etc. When I saw the festival the theme was Broadway musicals which I loved, as I love musicals! This year the theme is Bollywood and I can’t wait to see what these creative people come up with! 🙂
Facts and Figures of the Menton Lemon Festival
- 750,000+ elastic bands used for attaching the fruit
- 240,000 spectators on average each year
- 140,000 kg of citrus fruit for the gardens and floats
- 20,000+ hours of work by crews, primarily municipal
- Up to 18,000 kg of fruit for the most magnificent designs
- 15,000 kg of steel
- 10,000 kg of additional fruit to replace any damaged fruit
- Between 6000-8000 m of woven box hedge
- 400 staff (warehouse workers, cashiers, security staff)
- 200 artists (dancers, musicians)
- 45 kg of oranges or 30 kg lemons are needed to cover 1m²
- 20 days of festival
- 13 decorated displays in the gardens
- 12 people in charge of changing any fruit which has deteriorated each day
- 10 floats
Daytime Lemons/Oranges Sculptures Exhibition
(ie Exhibition of Citrus Patterns/Exposition des motifs d’agrumes)
As I mentioned above, the theme was Broadway Musicals. These were:
- An American in Paris
- Annie
- Beauty and The Beast
- Cabaret
- Cats
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- The Lion King
- Mary Poppins
- Les Misérables
- Moulin Rouge
- My Fair Lady
- The Phantom of the Opera
- Singing in the Rain
- West Side Story
- Wicked
- The Wizard of Oz
Some only featured in the parade, and not in the exhibition.
It was hard to pick a favourite but my favourite was The Hunchback of Notre Dame, ie Esmeralda perched on top of the Notre Dame Cathedral. The Hunchback was nowhere to be seen haha. I also liked the rotating ones such as Mary Poppins and The Wizard of Oz. The Beauty and the Beast one was also incredible, and was in perfect time for the blockbuster live-action Disney movie that would be coming out soon after…
Night Time Carnival Parade (Corso Nocturne)
As I decided I wouldn’t see the night time carnival parade in Nice I decided to see it in Menton. Also, I got standing tickets instead of sitting. I actually preferred this in the end. Why? Menton is much smaller and its carnival parade is also much smaller. Standing means you get to move and follow the floats and mingle with the performers. It was so much fun! Also, at night it is utterly freezing. I was wearing a wool coat and many layers underneath and originally a beanie too, so it’s good to be able to move around. I couldn’t believe these Brazilian dancers and the skimpy outfits they were wearing in these single digit temps! Craziness!
It was really different to the Nice Festival as the theme wasn’t just oranges and lemons or just Broadway musicals but there were a whole heap of different floats (many from other countries) and costumes. Some smaller replicas of sculptures on display in the exhibition also did the rounds. I was really on a high when I saw this. The atmosphere was electric (and the music was pumping) and because all the floats were so different it was a real surprise each time a new one came along. It was such good value for money I’d gladly do it again.
GO
Nicknamed the ‘Pearl of France’, Menton (pronounced Mon-ton) is located in the south-eastern corner of France. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and the department of Alpes-Maritimes. It is only approximately 3km/2 miles from the border of Italy.
Why should we visit Menton?
Here are my Top 5 reasons to visit Menton and its Lemon Festival:
- It is the ONLY place in the world where you can see amazing, giant sculptures made of oranges and lemons! and you’ll be able to smell (and salivate over?) and taste all the different kinds of citrus fruits you can imagine! and sample delicious homemade real lemonade!
- You’ll get to see the most amazing floats and costumes in the parades
- You’ll be able to see a town that infused with both French and Italian history and culture
- You’ll get to see the prettiest pastel coloured houses I’ve ever seen (in Menton old town)
- You’ll be able to admire the sparking Mediterranean Sea as well as the nearby mountains
…and it’s only a hop, skip and a jump away (19km/12 miles) from Nice! 🙂
How to get to Menton
Getting to Menton by car
As with my advice for Nice, driving to Menton is not a problem but parking may be so ask your hotel or host where the nearest parking is and the prices.
Getting to Menton by taxi
A taxi from Nice airport to Menton will cost in the vicinity of 100€. A taxi from the centre of Nice will cost around 75€, depending on the time of day and traffic.
You could also try pre-booking a shuttle bus but I’ve never used this service.
Getting to Menton by bus
A bus is a very cheap way of getting to Menton. Monday-Saturday during the day the buses run approximately every 15 minutes, 20 minutes for Sundays and public holidays. Bus 100 runs between Nice and Menton, passing by Villefranche, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Eze ,Cap d’Ail, Monte Carlo (Monaco) and Roquebrune (in that order). It takes much longer than the train (below) though.
Ticket prices are: 1 ticket – €1.50 (valid for 74 minutes including connections), 1 Day Pass – €5.00 ( valid for unlimited travel on all Lignes d’Azur lines for a 24-hour period after it is first stamped), 10 trip tickets – €10.00.
Getting to Menton by train
Although Menton is a small town, it’s located on the same train line as Nice which makes it easy to reach.
Note that there are two train stations in Nice: Nice Ville and Nice Riquier. Trains leave from Nice Riquier station which is a bit further away. If you’re booking it yourself online make sure you choose the right station. Adult tickets from Nice Ville cost 5.50€ and from Nice Riquier cost 4.80€ one way.
Once you are in town it’s easy to walk everywhere. Keep in mind that in the old town there are lots of stairs though.
When should we visit Menton?
I’ve only been to Menton once but have been to the Côte d’Azur (French Riviera) many times. There really isn’t a bad time to come and it’s pretty sunny all year round. Of course if you want to come for the Lemon Festival you can only come when it’s on, during 2 weeks in February (see below). I should mention the Mistral though, which is a very strong, cold and dry wind. It can blow at any time of year but is most likely between November-April. I experienced it in Marseille one April and trust me you do not want to be outside when it’s blowing! It does not last long though, normally only 1-3 days.
The Schedule of the Menton Lemon Festival
The dates every year are exactly the same as those of the Nice Carnival, 17 February – 4 March, 2018.
The 2018 Menton Lemon Festival programme is as follows:
Note : Saturday 17 February – Gardens/Exhibition opens to the public at 2pm
- 17 February – 4 March, 2018 (every day) at 10.00am to 6.00pm except Sundays (which are 9.00am to 7.00pm) and Thursdays (10.00am to 7.00pm): Citrus Sculpture Exhibition (daytime)
- Saturday 17 February at 11.00 am: opening of the 85th Fête du Citron®
- Saturday 17 February at 2.00 pm: opening of the Citrus Sculpture Exhibition
- Saturday 17 February, 8.30 pm: Les Jardins de Lumières (The Gardens of Lights)
- Sunday 18 February, 2.30 pm: Golden Fruit Parade
- Thursday 22 February, 9.00 pm: The night-time parade, (followed by fireworks)
- Friday 23 February, 8.30 pm: Les Jardins de Lumières (The Gardens of Lights)
- Saturday 24 February, 3.30 pm: Holi Party*
- Sunday 25 February, 2.30 pm: Golden Fruit Parade
- Thursday 1 March, 9.00 pm: The night-time parade, (followed by fireworks)
- Friday 2 March, 8.30 pm: Les Jardins de Lumières (The Gardens of Lights)
- Sunday 4 March, 2.30 pm: Golden Fruit Parade
*Holi Party on the Esplanade Francis Palmero (Saturday 24 February from 3.30 pm). Come and experience a whirlwind of colour to the sounds of Bollywood for a moment of pure Indian-style exuberance! The music and dancing at this huge open-air ‘party’ will be led by a DJ.
There are no events on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
If you’re short of time or cash, I would recommend just seeing the Exhibition of the oranges/lemons sculptures. Afterall, that is the most amazing things you’ll ever see and this is the only place on earth with such a thing! However if you have more time seeing a second or third event is a real treat/bonus!
It’s kind of a bit confusing but you have to look at all the events and decide what you’ll see and if you’re also going to the Nice Carnival you’ll have to fit it all in too in a few days.
How long should we spend in Menton?
For the average person you’ll probably only need 1 hour to see the citrus fruits sculptures exhibition but I spent more than 3 hours there. That’s how much I enjoyed it! Admiring the incredible work, photographing it, tasting lemons and chatting to and listening to some of the workers talking about the ‘behind-the-scenes’… Most people would just do 1 loop or lap of all the displays but I actually did 2! Like I said, I totally fell in love with this cute town and this amazing festival 🙂
Menton is a small town so if you’re only coming for the Lemon Festival a daytrip will do. But something I’ve noticed about France (after having visited over 100 cities) is that no matter how small the town is, there are always plenty of things to see and do! I stayed 2 nights and barely even scratched the surface… So I would say to come for a minimum of 2 days and 1 night if you really want to see the town as well as the festival.
How much does it cost to see the Menton Lemon Festival?
Well that depends what part of the festival you want to see! 🙂
Adults on the day /Adults online /Reduced rates (Children aged 6-14)
Free for children under 6 and disabled people.
- Golden Fruit Parade or Night-Time Parade (Seated tickets), reservation required. 25 € / 25 € / 10 €
- Golden Fruit Parade or Night-Time Parade (Standing tickets/promenoir). 12 € / 10 € / 6 €
- Citrus sculpture exhibition (Exhibition of citrus patterns in Biovès Garden). 12 € / 10 € / 6 €
- Gardens of Lights night-time (Citrus sculpture exhibition with lights and animations in Jardin Biovès). 13 € / 13 € / 8 €
- Deal n°1 – Golden fruit parade or night-time parade (Seated tickets) + Citrus sculpture exhibition. 32 € / 30 € / 15 €
- Deal n°2 – Golden fruit parade or night-time parade (Standing tickets/promenoir) + Citrus sculpture exhibition ( during the day). 20 € / 17 € / 10 €
I got Deal n°2 which allowed me to see both the Citrus sculpture exhibition (day) and the night-time parade (standing) for 17€.
STAY
I left it a bit late to book my accommodation for the Lemon Festival so there wasn’t much choice left but I managed to secure 2 nights at the Hotel Chambord which was a great little 3-star hotel right next to Jardin Biovès where the sculptures are displayed. I wanted a room overlooking the garden/sculptures but of course these were all booked out already. However, I wasn’t too disappointed when I got this lovely view off my balcony instead 🙂
Book the Chambord hotel
You could also try booking an Airbnb.
Want to try it? Get 25-30 euros off your first Airbnb rental when you use my coupon code!
If you’ve really left it till the last minute (less than a month out) and can’t get any accommodation at all in Menton (which is a real possibility) then just look in Nice where there are plenty of choices. However, that’ll probably mean you cannot see any of the nighttime events in Menton as you won’t be able to get back to Nice so late unless you take a taxi…
SEE
The Orchid Festival
From 17th february to 4th march 2018
Address: Palais de l’Europe, 8 Avenue Boyer, 06506 Menton, France
Telephone: +33 (0)4 92 41 76 76
Hours:
On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays: from 10am to 6pm, Thursdays and Fridays: 10am to 7pm, Sundays: 9.am to 7pm. NB: Saturday 17th February 2018 the opening hour is at 2 pm
Admission: Free
Basilique Saint-Michel-Archange (the basilica in the old town)
Address: Parvis Saint-Michel, 06500 Menton, France
Telephone: +33 (0)4 93 35 81 63
- Open 10am-12pm and 3-5pm except weekends and public holidays
- Toussaint/All Saints Day till 15 December: 4-6pm on weekdays only
- In July and August, open 10am-12pm and 4-6pm except weekends and public holidays
Admission: Free
Site: http://paroissedementon.fr//21/5/2/basilique-saint-michel-archange.html
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Jean Cocteau Museum
Address: 2 Quai de Monleon, 06500 Menton, France
Telephone: +33 (0)4 89 81 52 50
Hours: (same for the Bastion museum)
Every day from 10.00am to 6.00pm except Tuesdays, 1 January, 1 May, 1 November and 25 December.
Admission: Adult – 8 € / Students, teachers, large families and seniors over 65 – 6 € / Tourism and hotel workers, Groups of 10 or more – 4€ / Under 18 years, unemployed – Free
Site: https://www.museecocteaumenton.fr
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Jardin Botanique Exotique (Botanical Gardens)
Address: Avenue Saint-Jacques, 06500 Menton, France
Telephone: +33 (0)4 93 35 86 72
Hours:
- 9.30am – 12.30pm, 2.00 – 5.00pm 1 October – 31 March
- 9.30am – 12.30pm, 2.00 – 6.00pm 1 April – 30 September
- Closed Tuesdays, 1 May and 25 December
Admission: Adult 7 € / Concession 5 € / Free – see staff for conditions
Site: https://www.menton.fr/Jardin-Val-Rahmeh.html
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Marché des Halles de Menton (Fresh Fruit and Veg market)
Address: 5 Quai de Monleon, 06500 Menton, France
Telephone: N/A
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 8am-1pm
Admission: Free
Site: https://www.tourisme-menton.fr/La-rue-pietonne-et-les-marches.html
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Casino Barrière de Menton
Address: bis, 2 Avenue Félix Faure, 06500 Menton, France
Telephone: +33 (0)4 92 10 16 16
Hours: Every day 10am-3am, (up till 4am on Friday and Saturday nights)
Admission: Free
Site: https://www.casinosbarriere.com/en/menton.html
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FESTIVAL TIPS
I would highly recommend buying the tickets online which will save you time and maybe some money too. Please do not bring in large bags, suitcases, tripods, etc or animals as they won’t be allowed in. Book your accommodation a minimum of 2 months in advance.
EAT
La Régence
I must admit I was attracted to this restaurant for its funny and cute pictures of lemons dressed up on their windows. However, when I ate there I realised the food was actually pretty good too and it was reasonably easy for me to get a table too which was strange given the night parade was about to start soon…
Cuisine: Southern French/Mediterranean/North African
Address: 23 Rue Partouneaux, 06500 Menton, France
Telephone: +33 (0)9 64 04 63 72
Site: There is no website or Facebook page
Lemonade
You must try a home-made lemonade while you are in Menton of course! I can’t remember where I bought it from but there are lots of places selling it.
SHOP
What should you buy in Menton? Do you even need to ask? Lemon products of course! Inside the exhibition area there are a few stalls selling lots of goodies such as the ones above. In the gift shops in the shopping area there are also lots of stores selling similar products. You’ll just have to walk around and you’ll stumble upon lots of lemon products!
PHOTO TIPS
The Sculptures Exhibition in Jardin Biovès can get quite crowded at times. It won’t be too crowded to look at it, but it will feel too crowded to photograph it. That’s why I ended up spending 3 hours there! Because I had to wait a long time for people to move out of the way. It took me forever to get a shot of the Notre Dame sculpture without any people in it. The areas not related to the festival are not that crowded though, even the beach and the old town which I had a great time wandering around in (and practically had all to myself!). Sunrise would be a great time to shoot as the beach is facing eastwards. I couldn’t get up that early but sunset was also a nice time to shoot. Keep in mind that the beach is full of pebbles (not sand) is way too cold to swim in (in February) though!!
Tell me: What would you like to see most if you went there? If you have any further questions please send me an email, Thanks! 🙂
