Geographical location
According to COUNTRYAAH, the Principality of Monaco is located in Western Europe between the French city of Nice in the west and the French-Italian border, which is only 10 kilometers away.
The 203 hectare city-state is located on the French Mediterranean coast and is the second smallest state in the world after the Vatican. With over 18,200 inhabitants per square kilometer, Monaco has by far the highest population density of any country in the world.
For comparison, the Federal Republic of Germany has around 225 inhabitants / km², Austria around 100 inhabitants / km².
The length of the narrow coast of Monaco is around four kilometers. Monaco is surrounded by the French municipalities of Cap-d’Ail, La Turbie, Beausolei and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. The entire area of the state lies on the edge of the Maritime Alps.
The Prince’s Palace is around 62 meters high, while the highest point in the Monegasque national territory is 164.4 meters in the Jardin Exotique district. The highest point in the Monaco area is the 1148 meter high Mont Agel.
Monaco is not far from the international airport Nice Côte d ́Azur, which can be reached from Frankfurt with a flight time of 1 hour and 40 minutes. The onward journey to Monaco (around 30 kilometers) can be made by bus, train, taxi, rental car or, extravagantly, by helicopter.
- Abbreviation Finder: Check to see national geography, brief history, society description, domestic politics, economy overview, and a list of widely used acronyms about Monaco.
Climate in Monaco
The principality’s location directly on the coast gives Monaco a typically mild Mediterranean climate. So the summers are as expected dry and warm, the winters remain mild but rather humid. The summer climate is mainly determined by the Azores high. In winter, rainy winds from the west are typical. Monaco’s well-protected location by the Maritime Alps is a great advantage because extreme weather conditions rarely occur.
The temperatures in summer are usually not unbearably high, the thermometer rarely shows more than 30 ° C. In the months of July and August, the average maximum daily temperature is between 24 and 26 ° C. In winter there are sometimes temperatures below zero ° C, but snow is rather the exception in Monaco. The average daily temperature in January and February is 8 ° C.
Even in the dark winter month of December, an average of 136 hours of sunshine are counted. In addition, there are only six rainy days in December. Most rainy days are in March, October and November. The fewest rainy days (2 to 3) are in the summer months of July and August.
When to go to Monaco
If you want to go on a beach holiday in Monaco or the surrounding Côte d’Azur, the months June to September are the best time to travel. In the summer months it doesn’t get too hot, the days are long and sunny, and the weather is consistently pleasant. There is also hardly any rain, which is why the summer around Monaco promises a very special holiday experience.
Also in spring in April and May reaches pleasant temperatures and convinces with many hours of sunshine and little rainfall. However, in spring it is still too cold for a beach holiday, and the sea only becomes really suitable for bathing from June. October and November are only recommended to a limited extent as a travel time, as it can sometimes be uncomfortable due to heavy rainfall.
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 12 ° C | 13 ° C | 14 ° C | 16 ° C | 19 ° C | 23 ° C | 26 ° C | 26 ° C | 24 ° C | 20 ° C | 16 ° C | 13 ° C |
| Night temperature | 8 ° C | 8 ° C | 10 ° C | 12 ° C | 15 ° C | 19 ° C | 21 ° C | 22 ° C | 19 ° C | 16 ° C | 12 ° C | 9 ° C |
| Water temperature | 13 ° C | 13 ° C | 13 ° C | 15 ° C | 18 ° C | 22 ° C | 23 ° C | 24 ° C | 22 ° C | 20 ° C | 17 ° C | 15 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 83 | 76 | 71 | 62 | 49 | 37 | 16 | 31 | 54 | 108 | 104 | 78 |
| Rainy days | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Hours of sunshine | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| Sunrise | 8:00 | 7:30 | 6:45 | 6:50 | 6:05 | 5:50 | 6:00 | 6:35 | 7:10 | 7:45 | 7:25 | 7:55 |
| Sunset | 17:20 | 18:00 | 18:35 | 20:10 | 20:50 | 21:15 | 21:10 | 20:35 | 19:40 | 18:45 | 17:05 | 16:55 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature is 16.4 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is August (23.7 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 10.2 ° C. The maximum water temperature is 24 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. The months of May, June, July, August, September, October and November have a water temperature of at least 17 ° C. Bathing is then possible to a limited extent. The months of June, July, August and September have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 768 mm on 62 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. There is no rainy season, i.e. months with more than 175 mm of precipitation. Snowfall is generally not expected in any month.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, July is the sunniest month with an average of 11 hours of sunshine per day. The average annual sunshine is 7.4 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Cities nearby
The following major towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Nice.
Highlights and attractions
The tourist center of Monaco is the Place du Casino. This is where the famous Hôtel de Paris, the Casino of Monte Carlo and the Opera are located. All facilities impress with their historical architecture and are absolutely worth seeing. Another attraction is the Prince’s Palace, which is located on the Prince’s Rock in the old town of Monaco. In the marinas of Monaco you can marvel at spectacular, sinfully expensive private yachts.
Famous places on the Côte d’Azur are often only a stone’s throw away and are therefore worthwhile for day trips from Monaco. Saint-Tropez, Antibes, Nice, Menton and Cannes can be easily reached by rental car and – like Monaco – have become a hotspot for the rich and famous for a reason. Especially Nice’s castle hill, the beautiful old town and the kilometer-long promenade are more than worth a detour.
