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253 crews to tackle Alpine stages in Monte Carlo Historic Rally

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
28/01/2026

Over 250 vintage car enthusiasts from 28 nations will navigate some of Europe’s most challenging mountain passes when the Monte Carlo Historic Rally begins on Thursday 29th January.

The rally running until 7th February, marks a significant shift from tradition with 18 timed stages on traffic-free roads, a move designed to enhance safety all while preserving the event’s authentic character.

The earliest competitors leave John O’Groats in the Scottish Highlands on 29th January, facing the longest journey south. The remaining entries depart on 1st February from Bad Homburg in Germany, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Reims in France, and Turin in Italy. All routes converge on Valence in southeastern France, where the first arrivals are expected at the Esplanade du Champ de Mars from 12:30pm on Monday 2nd February.

Then, the competition properly begins on Tuesday 3rd February with three tests run twice: Col Gaudissart to Bouvante (7.5km), Léoncel to Oriol-en-Royans (11.3km), and Col de Tourniol to Barbières (10.4km).

Ardèche mountains to put drivers to the test

On 4th February, the route ventures into the Ardèche département, featuring two new stages: Saint-Pierreville to Issamoulenc (10.8km) and Lachamp-Raphaël to Burzet (15.4km).

Competitors will then stop at Antraigues-sur-Volane, where the Jouanny family garage has become a Monte Carlo Rally institution over recent decades. The day concludes with two further stages before crews return to Valence at 17:36pm.

On 5th February, the itinerary takes to the Vercors and Diois massifs with three stages, including the climb to Col de Menée at 1,457 metres and the Col de Carabès (1,261m), which marks the border between the Hautes-Alpes and Drôme départements.

Following on 6th February, three more Alpine tests await via the Col de Pennes (1,040m) and Col des Garcinets (1,185m) before crews descend towards Monaco, entering parc fermé at 16:30pm.

Night finale

The rally concludes with a dramatic overnight stage departing Monaco at 21:00pm on Friday 6th February. Competitors face two of the event’s most iconic tests: La Bollène-Vésubie to Col de Turini (15km) and La Cabanette to Col de Braus (13.7km). Cars are expected back at Monaco’s Port Hercule from 00:25am on February 7th.

A gala prize-giving is scheduled for the evening on Saturday at the Sporting Monte-Carlo’s Salle des Étoiles.

Now with an expanded eligibility window covering any car that competed in the Monte Carlo Rally between 1911 and 1986, the Monte Carlo Historic Rally has attracted cars spanning seven decades. Organisers have also introduced three different target average speeds for the event, with competitors classified according to which speed category they choose.

Additionally, C.E approved helmets are now mandatory on all closed road sections promoting tighter safety standards

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Main photo credit: Automobile Club de Monaco 

Monaco’s Ice Party returns to Port Hercule

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
28/01/2026

Teenagers in Monaco can look forward to an unforgettable evening on ice as the Ice Party returns to Port Hercule’s ice rink on February 7th. 

Organised by la Mairie de Monaco, the event, running from 7pm to 11:30pm, offers young kids between 12 and 17 a chance to enjoy four and a half hours of skating to the beat of the music.

Entry is restricted to students enrolled at Monaco schools or young residents of the principality, with proof of identity or a school record presented at the entrance. It is to be noted that organisers maintain the right to refuse admission.

Tickets cost €20, and include not only access to the rink, but also a happy meal: a hot dog, chips, a brookie desert, and a soft drink or water, ensuring young skaters are properly fuelled for the energetic evening on ice.

For bookings and additional details, residents can contact organisers on +377 93 15 06 09

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life

Monaco celebrates Saint Dévote with Pontifical Mass and traditional procession

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
28/01/2026

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène attended a pontifical mass at Monaco Cathedral on January 27th for the celebrations of Saint Dévote.

The service was presided over by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, with Mayor Georges Marsan, members of the municipal council, and representatives from Monaco’s twin towns of Lucciana in Corsica and Dolceacqua in Italy in attendance.

The procession leaving Monaco’s Cathedral, photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Government Communications Department

Following the mass, a traditional procession carried the saint’s relics through the streets of Monaco Ville.

A large crowd of residents followed the procession as it made its way towards the Prince’s Palace.

The procession arriving at the Prince’s Palace, photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Government Communications Department

The Prince and Princess watched from the palace balcony as the procession passed below, before the relics were carried towards the side of the Rock overseeing the port for the blessing of the sea, a centuries-old tradition.

During the blessing of the sea, photo credit:photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Government Communications Department

After the procession, Mayor Georges Marsan hosted a reception at the town hall, bringing together officials and delegates from the twin towns to mark the occasion.

The two-day celebration had begun on Monday evening with the symbolic burning of a boat on Port Hercule, re-enacting the saint’s arrival by sea.

The festivities concluded with a candlelit spiritual concert at the Cathedral, featuring the Choir of Sartène, the Choir of the Papal Chapel of Assisi, and the Children’s Choir of the Rainier III Academy.

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Main photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Government Communications Department

 

Monaco chef tackles Mediterranean’s lion fish crisis through art and cuisine

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
24/01/2026

Marius restaurant’s Didier Rubiolo hosted an unusual dinner event on Thursday January 22nd that combined dining with environmental activism. The focus: lionfish, a rapidly spreading invasive species that’s wreaking havoc on Mediterranean ecosystems.

Native to the Indo-Pacific region, the lion fish has no natural predators in Mediterranean waters. Its voracious appetite for juvenile fish and invertebrates is disrupting local food chains and threatening fishing communities across the region.

Rubiolo’s solution is quite simple: if you can’t beat them, eat them. The chef has developed recipes showcasing the fish’s white, flaky flesh, which he describes as similar to grouper or snapper. “Small steps can produce great changes,” he said.

The January 22nd event at Marius combined a tasting menu with an art auction featuring works by Greek artist Dimos Flessas. The exhibition, presented by environmental organisation Elafonisos Eco, used abstraction and symbolism to highlight the lionfish threat. Proceeds from the auction will support Mediterranean restoration projects.

“Although often perceived as a threat, the lionfish is in fact innocent,” noted Flessas. “It is our actions that created this imbalance. Through art, I aim to awaken awareness and responsibility rather than assign blame.”

Photo from the exhibition, credit: Monaco LifeHowever, this isn’t Rubiolo’s first conservation effort. In 2008, at the request of Prince Albert II, he helped establish an agreement to stop selling bluefin tuna in Monaco, working alongside the World Wildlife Fund and local retailers. That campaign contributed to a global recovery and today bluefin tuna is no longer considered overfished or endangered.

“Monaco is a small country that does big things,” Rubiolo said.

The approach showcases how restaurants might play a role in managing invasive species, turning an ecological problem into a culinary opportunity.

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life

Security measures for Saint Dévote celebration set in place

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
23/01/2026

Monaco has set in place a series of security and traffic arrangements for Monday’s annual Saint Dévote celebrations on January 26th. 

From 5:30pm, security checkpoints with bag and container inspections will be set up at two key locations. The first is on place Saint Dévote for those attending the procession and the Salute of the Blessed Sacrament. The second is at the northern section of Quai Albert 1er for spectators of the traditional boat burning ceremony.

Travel disruptions

Train passengers should note that pedestrian access through the Saint Dévote valley will close at 5:30pm, along with the Saint Dévote stairs. Travellers are advised to use the Saint Dévote gallery to reach or leave the station via Rue Grimaldi.

Between 6:15pm and 7pm, Route de la Piscine will be closed between Avenue JF Kennedy and the Jules Social landing stage.

From 6:45pm to 7:45pm, temporary traffic disruptions will affect Boulevard Albert 1er, Avenue JF Kennedy, and Avenue d’Ostende to allow the event to proceed smoothly.

Public transport

Bus services (lines 1,2,3, and 6) and ZOU lines 600 and 80 will experience disruptions during the road closures. Public car parks will display diversion information at their access points.

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Photo credit: Eric Mathon / Palais princier

 

Monte Carlo Rally: road closures and parking restrictions

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
23/01/2026

Major road closures and parking restrictions will affect Monaco during the Monte Carlo Rally on Saturday January 24th as the principality hosts a special stage around Monaco’s F1 circuit.

Several key routes will close between 3pm and 11.30pm. The closures affect Quai des États-Unis from the restricted access zone to its junction with Route de la Piscine, Route de la Piscine itself, and Avenue J.F. Kennedy between Boulevard Louis II and Quai des États-Unis, though residents, parking subscribers, and ticket holders for the concert at Auditorium Rainier III retain access. The lower section of Rue Grimaldi and both the Rocher Antoine I and Rocher Albert I tunnels will also close.

Boulevard Albert I will be accessible via its service road until 4.45pm, then close completely until 11.30pm. Traffic will run in the opposite direction on Rue Suffren Reymond and Rue Princesse Florestine while Rue Imberty becomes one-way and Rue Notari operates as two-way.

Parking arrangements

The Chiron and Quai Antoine I car parks will be closed on January 24th. With the International Circus Festival also taking place that evening, authorities recommend planning journeys in advance.

Rally spectators are advised to use the Salines car park with 1,700 spaces and a 16-minute walk to the harbour, or alternatively the Gare car park via Boulevard du Jardin Exotique, or the Colle and Wurtemberg car parks via Boulevard Rainier III. The harbour can be reached using the Sainte-Dévote underground gallery, the footbridge lift near Théâtre des Variétés, or the temporary footbridge near the CFM.

Extended parking restrictions

Boulevard Albert I will be closed to parking between numbers 19 and 27 until  February 9th, between numbers 9 and 11 until 13 June, and entirely from 6am on January 23rd until 6am on January 25th. Access to Quai Antoine I is banned until 6pm on January 25th, Route de la Piscine until 6am on January 25th, and Quai Rainier III and Esplanade des Pêcheurs until 6am on February 8th.

The Jules Soccal jetty and Quai des États-Unis will close from 6am on January 24th until 6am on January 26th. Quai Rainier I is unavailable from 11pm on January 23rd until 6am on January 25th, and Avenue de la Quarantaine from 11pm on January 21st until midnight on January 25th. Rue Princesse Antoinette, Rue Baron Sainte-Suzanne, Rue Princesse Florestine (numbers 8-12), Rue Grimaldi, Rue Louis Notari, Rue Suffren-Reymond, and Avenue J.F. Kennedy all have restrictions from 6am on January 24th until 6am on January 25th.

Public transport and pedestrian access

Urban buses will be diverted on Saturday with details at cam.mc. The ZOU line 600 maintains its usual route towards Nice but diverts via Avenue Prince Pierre to the Monte-Carlo Tourisme stop in the opposite direction.

Pedestrians cannot access the Jules Soccal jetty, the south and north harbour basins, or cross between Boulevard Albert 1 and Quai Albert 1 between 3pm and 11.30pm and January 24th.

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life