If provisional reports are anything to go by, Monaco’s popular tourist attractions, exhibitions and sports venues may well have pulled in record numbers of visitors this summer.
The summer isn’t quite over yet, but there seems to be plenty of reasons to rejoice a successful season amongst those running the cultural and tourist attractions in Monaco as, according to a report from Monaco Matin, “certain cultural establishments” within the Principality have already achieved record numbers of visitors.
The Prince’s Car Collection
The Prince’s Car Collection is one such beneficiary, having almost completed its first summer in its new location.
The summer has been deemed a huge success, according to statements made by the collection’s director, Valérie Closier, who told the local paper that the attraction had welcomed “very good figures” far above those seen at the museum’s previous location in Fontvieille.
“We had a lot of people in July and August,” she revealed. “We had a peak of 2,400 people around two weeks ago. We oscillate between 2,000 and 2,400 every day. We have a lot of cruise passengers – Dutch, English, Spanish and even tourists from Eastern countries. There are also French people, but very few from the Mediterranean basin.”
Palais Princier de Monaco
After reopening in early April, the Palace Apartments also saw an uptick in visitors as this year, with the Prince Rainier III centenary anniversary exhibition being cited as a big reason for renewed interest in the historic property. July alone saw 15% more visitors than in previous years, according to the Monaco Matin.
The crowds will no doubt continue into the autumn; the new Picasso exhibit is sure to be a huge draw as well. The recently restored 16th century frescoes within the Palace too are proving to be vastly popular with visitors new and old.
Grimaldi Forum
The ongoing Monet exhibition, Monet en Pleine Lumière, has been well-received by the art-loving community in the Principality and from further afield, exceeding the already high visitor expectations and cementing the status of the Grimaldi Forum as a hot spot for major cultural and art events.
According to the Monaco Matin, the only other show of this size and scope to have drawn more people was the 2007 Grace Kelly retrospective, which saw 135,000 people pass through the doors of the venue. Final visitor figures for the Monet exhibit will likely be published in the autumn.
Oceanographic Museum
Not to be outdone, the Oceanographic Museum has stated that upward of 176,000 guests passed through its doors between 1st July and 21st August.
Though slightly down on last year, the numbers are still impressive and give the museum reason to be content. Given the wet forecasts of the final week of the summer holidays, many families will be heading for this much-appreciated destination in the coming days so these figures will likely rise further still… Summer isn’t over yet!
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Featured photo by Monaco Life