Monte-Carlo Inspiration Automne/Fall2026

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A Principality still cut off When the Société des Bains de Mer launched the Casino de Monte‑Carlo, Monaco was still difficult to access. A steep road connected the Principality to La Turbie; Nice or Menton were reached by stagecoach. The sea offered an alternative route, sometimes faster but often uncertain. From 1856, a steamship service was established, notably with the Palmaria, followed by the Charles III. However, this mode of transport remained unsatisfactory. François Blanc very quickly realised that only the railway could bring to Monaco the visitors needed for the development of the Société des Bains de Mer. In 1866, he ceded 6,000 sqm of land so that the Paris‑Lyon‑Méditerranée company could build a station. Negotiations were lengthy, plans changed, tunnels collapsed. But the founder of the Société des Bains de Mer remained persistent. Following the opening of an initial station in Monaco in 1868, the Monte‑Carlo station was established in 1869 at the foot of the Casino. On 6 December, the first passenger train arrived at Monte‑Carlo station. The impact was instantaneous: visitors flocked in. François Blanc had succeeded in his wager. The train transported more than mere passengers: it brought a society to the Rock, marked the seasons, and shaped a new art of holidaying. Connected to Europe’s capitals, Monte Carlo became one of the great stages for Mediterranean luxury. Monte‑Carlo station, situated on what is now the site of the Fairmont Monte‑Carlo, was decommissioned on 10 December 1964. ■ A train station and a lift at the foot of Casino de Monte-Carlo

Heritage Patrimoine

© Photo archive Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer

En 1937, les bagagistes s’emploient à ne pas laisser le quai encombré. In 1937, porters work to keep the platform clear.

Insolite En 1889, l’ascenseur permettant l’accès entre la gare de Monte-Carlo et les terrasses du Casino était payant. Le prix du confort ? 25 centimes l’aller simple, 35 centimes l’aller-retour. Unusual fact In 1889, the lift connecting Monte‑Carlo station to the Casino terraces was not free. Was the price of comfort worth it? Twenty-five centimes one way, thirty-five centimes for a return journey.

De la gare aux terrasses du Casino À Monte-Carlo, l’arrivée n’a jamais été un simple déplacement. Elle participe déjà à l’expérience. Après l’ouverture de la gare, les voyageurs découvrent un parcours pensé comme une ascension vers le Casino : un escalier de larges marches parmi les fleurs mène aux jardins, puis à la place du Casino.

From the station to the Casino terraces In Monte‑Carlo, arriving has never simply been about getting from A to B; it’s always been part of the experience. After the station opened, travelers found a route designed as a climb towards the Casino: a broad, flower-lined staircase led up to the gardens, then onward to Casino Square.

On 24 December 1889, a lift was opened, offering direct access to the terraces. From the 1950s onwards, the railway line was relocated further north and was diverted underground. The station closed in the mid-1960s, while the new tunnel freed up valued urban land for development. However, in Monte‑Carlo’s collective memory, the train has preserved its original aura: that of a journey commencing even before reaching the Casino, at the exact moment when one alighted from the train at the station, promising an exceptional stay.

Le 24 décembre 1889, un ascenseur est inauguré et permet d’atteindre directement les terrasses. À partir des années 1950, le tracé ferroviaire est déplacé vers le nord et devient souterrain. La gare ferme en 1964, tandis que la mise en tunnel libère des mètres carrés devenus précieux pour le développement urbain. Mais dans la mémoire de Monte-Carlo, le train garde son éclat d’origine : celui d’un voyage qui commence avant même l’entrée au Casino, dans ce moment précis où l’on descendait en gare avec la promesse d’un séjour hors du commun.

© Photo archive Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer

En 1930, un large quai sépare les deux voies de chemin de fer. In 1930, a wide platform separates the two railway tracks.