{"id":10222,"date":"2024-03-07T09:15:21","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T08:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/provencelovers.fr\/visiter-cimetiere-vieux-chateau-menton\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T21:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T19:30:08","slug":"visit-cemetery-vieux-chateau-menton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/provencelovers.fr\/en\/visit-cemetery-vieux-chateau-menton\/","title":{"rendered":"Vieux-Ch\u00e2teau cemetery (Menton): visit + photos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Spending a few days in Menton<\/strong>? Get up high and visit one of our favorites: the Vieux-Ch\u00e2teau Cemetery<\/strong>. Ideally located above the old town, this marine cemetery is built on a belvedere overlooking the Mediterranean Sea<\/strong>. Overlooking the old port and Garavan Bay, it offers extraordinary panoramic views… Don’t wait any longer to discover it!<\/p>\n\n

Here are some useful tips<\/strong> for planning your visit to the Vieux-Ch\u00e2teau Cemetery in Menton.<\/p>\n\n

\"Discover<\/figure>\n\n
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This guide is completely independent<\/strong>, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

Is a visit to Menton Cemetery worthwhile?<\/h2>\n\n

Yes, the Vieux-Ch\u00e2teau Cemetery is well worth a visit. We were delighted to walk around it! Its paths wind between the tombs, interspersed with cypress groves, and open out onto the Mediterranean. Wherever you look, the view is spectacular<\/strong>: Garavan Bay to the left, the open sea ahead, and Cap-Martin to the right. <\/p>\n\n

The architecture of the tombs reflects the history of the region and its inhabitants. Their layout reflects the mix of cultures<\/strong> on the C\u00f4te d’Azur.In our opinion, this is one of the best activities in Menton<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

\"Allées<\/figure>\n\n

What you can see<\/h2>\n\n

A marine cemetery<\/h3>\n\n
\"view<\/figure>\n\n

Although the Cimeti\u00e8re du Vieux-Ch\u00e2teau is not in the immediate vicinity of the sea, it is nonetheless a marine cemetery. Paul Val\u00e9ry<\/strong> ‘s verses engraved at the entrance to the necropolis bear witness to this. Taken from his poem Le cimeti\u00e8re marin<\/em>, they seem to evoke the exact configuration of the Menton cemetery.<\/p>\n\n

A superb panorama of Garavan Bay<\/h3>\n\n
\"Garavan<\/figure>\n\n

To the left of the promontory on which the cemetery is built, lie the turquoise waters of Garavan Bay. The Plage des Sablettes<\/strong>, the Stade Rondeli<\/strong>, the Port de Menton-Garavan<\/strong> and, beyond, the Italian Riviera<\/strong> are clearly visible. Not forgetting the foothills of the Alps that slope down to the sea.<\/p>\n\n

Italian-style tombs<\/h3>\n\n
\"Italian-style<\/figure>\n\n

As you approach the cemetery’s tip, it takes on an Italian feel: the architecture, the colors of the stones, the sounds of the engraved names… Yet these are often the burial places of Menton’s oldest families<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

A Russian Orthodox chapel<\/h3>\n\n
\"Orthodox<\/figure>\n\n

By the end of the 19th century, Menton had a large Russian community. Wealthy Russians come for the climate, in the hope of curing lung diseases. Not all are lucky enough to recover, and a Russian plot is set up in the cemetery where they buy concessions in perpetuity. We loved the Russian Depositary Chapel and its golden dome<\/strong>, which coexists with the bell tower of the Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel.<\/p>\n\n

The tomb of a Polish princess<\/h3>\n\n
\"tomb<\/figure>\n\n

This is one of France’s best-known tombs, that of Polish princess<\/strong> Janina Jelowickich Lewandowska. Suffering from tuberculosis, she died at the age of 27. The statue depicts a young woman emerging from her coffin. It overlooks the bay and waterfront magnificently. It is the work of Italian sculptor Donato Barcaglio.<\/p>\n\n

The first peaks of the Alps<\/h3>\n\n
\"View<\/figure>\n\n

On the land side, on the heights of Menton, the foothills of the Alps<\/strong> begin. The road in front of the Vieux-Ch\u00e2teau Cemetery intrigued us. It seems to descend straight from the peaks to reach the entrance gate and the aisles of the first tombs.<\/p>\n\n

The bell tower of the Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel<\/h3>\n\n
\"view<\/figure>\n\n

At the end of the cemetery, you couldn’t be closer to the baroque silhouette of the Basilica<\/a>‘<\/strong>s bell tower. You’d think you could touch it! One anecdote really appealed to us. Indeed, the campanile is very dear to the hearts of the people of Menton, who see it as the symbol of their town. Some even claim that they get sick with grief if they don’t see him for more than 15 days!<\/p>\n\n

A splendid view of Cap-Martin<\/h3>\n\n
\"view<\/figure>\n\n

To the right of the cemetery are the more recent buildings of the town of Menton. Beyond, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin<\/strong> is clearly visible, with the start of the Cape Peninsula on the left. In the far right, the bluish silhouettes of T\u00eate-de-Chien<\/strong> and Mont Agel <\/strong>can be seen towering above \n Monaco<\/a>\n<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

The roofs of the old town<\/h3>\n\n
\"view<\/figure>\n\n

From the cemetery’s ramparts, you can overlook the entire old town, with its characteristic terracotta-tiled<\/strong> roofs. The houses seem to cluster around the Basilica of Saint-Michel and its campanile. We particularly liked this charming, authentic landscape, with a small stretch of Plage des Sablettes <\/strong>(one of Menton’s most beautiful<\/a>) and the boats in the old port<\/strong>. A real postcard<\/strong> landscape.<\/p>\n\n

The Vieux-Ch\u00e2teau Cemetery in Menton: access<\/h2>\n\n

Where is the cemetery?<\/h3>\n\n