On the tip of Cap Martin, the Cap Moderne site brings together two manifestos of twentieth century architecture. Villa E-1027, designed and built between 1926 and 1929 by Eileen Gray with Jean Badovici, is an experiment in a minimal house thought through down to its furniture, each piece answering a daily gesture. A few steps away, Le Corbusier's Cabanon, a timber cell reduced to essentials, answers the villa whose walls the architect had covered with murals.
The site is managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux and can be walked only with a guide, in small groups, among pines and rocks above the sea. Routes exist in French and in English, in a short version centred on the villa or a longer one covering the whole site, and formats for adult groups are provided. Access is on foot from the surroundings of the Cap-Martin Roquebrune station.
Other experiences in Port de Menton (Garavan)
An organic citrus orchard on the heights above Garavan, where the Menton IGP lemon grows alongside some thirty species. The estate opens either as a guided walk or as a fully private format.
Culture & HeritageFontana Rosa, the Novelists' GardenA ceramic garden created by the novelist Vicente Blasco Ibanez, listed as a historic monument and owned by the city of Menton. It can only be visited with a guide, in a small group.
Culture & HeritageLes Colombieres, Ferdinand Bac's Mediterranean GardenA villa and garden listed as a historic monument, composed by Ferdinand Bac on the heights of Garavan. It can only be seen with a guide, in a very small group.
Shopping & CraftsmanshipMaison Herbin, Jam Making in Copper PansAn artisan jam workshop in Menton's old town, devoted to local citrus and holding the Living Heritage Company label. The workshop can be seen while the fruit is cooking.