Menton Lemon Festival: experiencing it and getting there
Every February, Menton celebrates its golden fruit with the Lemon Festival: monumental citrus sculptures, parades and gardens adorned with oranges and lemons. A one-of-a-kind winter event. Here is how to experience it fully — and reach Menton without the parking constraint.
A citrus carnival unlike any other
The Lemon Festival showcases monumental structures entirely covered in citrus fruit, on a theme renewed each year. It is the only event of its kind in the world, heir to a long Mentonnaise tradition tied to lemon growing.
Between the patterns of the Biovès gardens and the float parades, the town turns into a spectacular fleeting stage set, much photographed and popular with families and international visitors alike.
February in Menton: parades and the Biovès gardens
The event is held in February, often around carnival time, over several weeks. The Biovès gardens host the citrus display, while the parades bring the seafront to life. It is a burst of colour and sunshine in the middle of winter.
Parking in Menton during the festival
On parade days and at weekends, Menton's centre and seafront are very busy, and parking near the gardens becomes difficult. Some streets may be closed to traffic for the parades.
A private chauffeur drops you as close as possible to the permitted access points and picks you up after the show, with no circling for a space and no long walk in the cold.
Getting there by private chauffeur
Menton lies east of the Principality of Monaco, at the far end of the Côte d'Azur. From Nice, Monaco or Cannes, a chauffeur takes you straight there and adjusts the timing to the parades, to avoid the peak crowds at the entrance to town.
Combining with Monaco and the Riviera
The day extends naturally towards nearby Monaco, or towards Riviera villages such as Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. A chauffeur who knows the area builds a smooth itinerary between the festival and its surroundings.