Alessia Demetz on The Monaco I Love
When I decided to make Monaco my home, I knew that I wanted to add value to the principality. That’s part of what motivated me to start ADM Club: the desire to contribute to Monaco’s cultural heritage. It's a place of many layers. The Monaco you experience changes, based on who you are and how you live. For those that crave glitz and glamour, or cultivated events and social circles there’s plenty to be found. But my Monaco is quieter. Here, I don’t have to try to be anyone except myself.
The standout detail in Monaco is its scale. A city-state of just two square kilometres, perfectly built. As an architect, it’s the older buildings that draw my attention. One of my favourites is the Monte-Carlo casino, designed by the nineteenth-century Parisian architect Gobineau de la Bretonnerie. It’s lavish — like something out of a fairytale — and is fronted by Casino Square, where the annual Red Cross gala takes place. Then there’s the Hôtel de Paris, located in the same square. The building is an 1864 Belle Époque palace; very, very beautiful and such a hallmark of Monégasque glamour. The Opéra Garnier Monte-Carlo is extraordinary too, designed in the late nineteenth century by Charles Garnier. I adore the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, which sits at the top of the hill, with views over the whole city. It’s truly iconic. Sometimes I drive up to the palace in the evenings and just breathe in the power of the principality.
The place where I can be quiet is The Monte-Carlo Golf Club. I took golf lessons here every day for years, turning up whatever the weather; rain, wind or snow. The club, where I’m now a member, is set in the hills above Monaco with extraordinary views over the Mediterranean Sea, Italy, France and Monaco. I can relax here and sink into the calm of my next swing.
My favourite view is coming home, when I drive back into the city from Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. There’s a hotel at the top of the hill above Monaco — The Maybourne Riviera. From there you can see the whole city spread out beneath you, with all its lights, beauty and elegance. I have a ritual whenever I’m driving home: I always make sure I pass the Monte-Carlo casino and Hotel de Paris, even if it makes my route longer. When I see those buildings, it’s like a homecoming embrace.
The most beautiful garden in Monaco is the Princess Grace Rose Garden, in Fontvieille Park. The rose garden was planted as a memorial to Grace Kelly in the 1980s. The gates are monogrammed with her initials. There are thousands and thousands of roses there — more than three hundred varieties — right in the heart of the city. The best time to visit is in May, when the roses are in full bloom. I can sit there for hours at a time, absorbing the soul of the place. I also love the Princess Grace Japanese Garden for its Zen design; it’s right by my home, so I wake to the sight of peace every morning.
Something we might not know about Monaco is how committed the principality is to the arts and culture. There’s always an opera, ballet or concert showing at the Opéra Garnier Monte-Carlo. I particularly enjoy ballet. I can never pin down my favourite style — traditional French productions, classical sets garlanded with flowers, and most recently, a modern ballet called To the Point(e). One of its parts, Autodance, with choreography by Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar, was exceptionally graceful.
The Monaco Open Air Cinema is also amazing; it takes place on the Rock overlooking the sea, and shows films each night through the summer. The line-up is usually the latest blockbusters but my favourite evenings are when they show a classic Old Hollywood film. I suppose it's all about living on the edge of the Mediterranean — that feeling of being held close by Monaco, and its storied history manifested in the architecture, but also being close to the infinity of the sea. Maybe that's why I'm drawn to Fort Antoine — a place which is especially magical on summer evenings, when the old fort comes alive with theatre, music, and a wonderful atmosphere under the stars. The panorama reaches as far as the harbour, and the Yacht Club de Monaco, which as a woman who loves the water, is a place very dear to me. Their flagship is a 15-metre sailing boat named Tuiga. She was designed and built in 1909, then restored at the behest of Prince Albert II in 1989. The Yacht Club has an amazing framework called ‘La Belle Classe’; they have ‘La Belle Classe Tradition’ for owners of classic or period yachts, ‘La Belle Classe Superyachts’, and ‘La Belle Classe by the Yacht Club de Monaco’, which brings together owners who share the same values in the yachting world.
Friends from further afield often ask when is the best time to visit. So if I can only recommend one… I’ve got a passion for classic cars so I enjoy the biennial Historic Grand Prix too — the Automobile Club organises the springtime event, which sees vintage and collectors cars parade through the streets of Monte-Carlo before competing on the track.
As for the best food, it's usually served at home, at an intimate dinner party catered by a private chef. But if I am dining out, Monaco has some excellent restaurants. At the Hôtel de Paris, I love the three Michelin-starred Louis XV-Alain Ducasse, as well as the Michelin-starred Le Grill. The Café de Paris Monte-Carlo is also fabulous and has just been renovated. I could eat lunch at the Automobile Club every day too — the food is excellent and I love the atmosphere. There’s a magnetic allure to the privacy and chicness the club offers. Everyone’s always dressed so well: the men wear a tie; the ladies wear jewels. It’s a slightly older crowd but I love the values that the club stands for. They call me by my name; they take my jacket; there’s valet service. Lunch is a whole experience; there’s no music or loud voices, and everyone acts with full etiquette. When you walk in, it’s like entering a portal to past society — everything about the environment is high-class, traditional and elegant.
My favourite activity is the ballet lesson I take three times a week — I find the relationship behind the final art form and the training engaging. Ballet is both body and brain. It’s all about control and balance. It leaves me exhausted, but it teaches me the discipline to keep going even after I think I’ve got no more to give. I also adore sailing; so much so that I trained for my captain’s licence. Sailing never fails to make me happy, whether I’m alone on the water, or joining a classic yacht regatta with the crew of Tuiga.
The best quick escape is Cap Ferrat. There are lovely walks along the seafront and I like to take my book and spend the afternoon reading. From my home, I can see La Pausa, Coco Chanel’s summer villa in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. She bought the land in the late 1920s, and commissioned the architect Robert Streitz to model La Pausa on the twelfth-century abbey in Aubazine where she spent her childhood. It has extraordinary views over the Cote d’Azur. Other times, I sail to Saint Tropez — synonymous with the legendary French starlet, Brigitte Bardot — for supper. There’s something about the atmosphere there that I love — the easy, unselfconscious flair.
The place I could lose half a day to without realising how much time has passed is the Larvotto — a really special beach. You can walk along the seafront, which has been developed with lots of smart restaurants, or you can take a higher path above. I prefer the upper route — it’s quieter. It's where I go when I want to think over things, to feel the Mediterranean light, and feel inspired.
"If Monaco was a precious gem, it would be a yellow diamond — precious, with a splinter of sun running through it".