(From top): A view of the Prince’s Palace; the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Palace; a view of one of Monaco’s harbours; the famed Monte Carlo Casino

It is perhaps the tiniest country in the world ? barely 4km in length and less than a kilometre wide. Its two harbours are jam-packed with the sleekest, most awesome yachts imaginable and truly rich visitors stay either at sea or any of its plush 11-star hotels.

We had just driven in from Cannes where the highpoint of the day was finding the walkway where Sharon Stone, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise had etched their names.

The next morning we were in Monaco, the postage-stamp sized country with its excessive wealth and accessories to go ? yachts and super-sophisticated shopping malls. And, hey, why were people shouting? “Here she is, Here she is.” As we stood gawking in the Place De Casino, Charlize Theron came stepping along prettily and gracefully hopped inside a humongous Mercedes that stretched all the way down the street.

It doesn’t take long to figure out that people go to Monaco mainly to gape at the sheer affluence. This is a playground for the rich and famous ? and there’s no other like it. What do you do here? Spend the day walking around looking at all the fancy cars and the designer fashion.

Monaco is associated with Princess Grace and Prince Rainier (whose son Albert is now the country’s monarch) the grand Casino, and playboys driving fancy cars with spectacularly beautiful women sitting besides them. But it’s also a thriving port city with great architecture and a wonderful atmosphere plus, of course, the Mediterranean sun. You can, for instance, go to the lovely beaches and walk up to its dolomite cliffs and take in great views all around.

We started out with the south-western half of Monaco, which is the oldest part of the city and wonderfully picturesque. This is the district called Monaco-Ville and it’s next to the port district of Fontvielle.

The well-preserved towers of the ruined 13th century Monaco-Ville fortress are impressive.It seemed far away when we started out but we discovered that the highway carved out of the side of the plateau took our car to the top without difficulty. From there the pedestrian walkway was only a moderate climb. As we climbed, we had a clear view of Port de Monaco and could see yachts sailing in and out.

The most important sight in Monaco-Ville is the Prince’s Palace, which is both the royal residence and a museum. I reckon it’s the most beautiful palace in Europe. Like the rest of Monaco, the Palace grounds are spick-and-span and extremely pretty. We timed it right and got to the palace (11.45am) in time to see the Changing of the Guard ceremony that is every bit as impressive as the one at Buckingham Palace in London. Incidentally, the Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco since the 13th century.

The Palace only occupies a small part of the Ville. There’s also the Monaco Cathedral, built in the 13th century on the site of an earlier church. The church stands near the cliff’s edge facing Fontvielle to the south, and the church square contains some of the Ville’s finest restaurants.

Then, there’s the even more impressive Monaco Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium, once the stamping ground of oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. Built a century ago, it is both an extraordinary museum of the aquatic sciences and an architectural masterpiece, constructed above and into the cliffside. There’s also a wax museum and a couple of chapels. The Ville’s centre is made of narrow cobblestone streets with many of the usual tourist accoutrements ? hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops. Also, there’s a walkway that follows most of the Ville’s exterior, which has breathtaking views.

The port of Fontvielle is the southernmost of Monaco’s districts. We rested at the rose garden planted at Fontvielle Park in honour of Princess Grace (Grace Kelly, the famous Hollywood star who married Prince Rainier), whose memory is treated with great reverence. Fontvielle is also home to the Chemin des Sculptures, an open-air sculpture trail across the town.

At Moneghetti, in the hills overlooking Fontvielle, we found plenty of attractions ? most notably the Exotic Garden and Observatory Caves. The Exotic Garden has a vast collection of plants from all over the world, with the Mediterranean serving as a perfect backdrop. Moneghetti also has the Museum of Pre-historic Anthropology.

We spent a long time at the world-famous Monte Carlo Casino. The Casino is an extraordinary work of architecture, elaborately and jaw-droppingly decorated, so one does not have to be a gambler to enjoy it. There are several nearby shopping malls aimed at well-heeled customers.

In front, the Place de Casino was a small but pretty park with perfectly sculpted bushes and exquisite fountains. And as we stepped out from the park, we spotted Charlize. From there we walked across to see the city’s most famous statue, Invitation ? but it was a bit of an anti-climax after seeing the movie star.

Monte Carlo’s other main attraction is La Condamine, the country’s major port. All around there are great vantage points where you can take in the city’s beautiful landscape. La Condamine is also great if you have a few spare million Euros and are in the market for a yacht. We saw the harbour at night when it was a fairyland with hundreds of twinkling lights.

Near the shore, a short distance from the casino, is the Japanese Garden. This garden is an oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of the shoreline and the skyscrapers. The koi pond, waterfalls, rocks and bridges are extraordinarily peaceful amidst all this wealth.

Monte Carlo has several major roads that run along the cliff face above the Garden and Casino. We were in good shape after hiking in Ardennes so it was no problem climbing across Boulevard des Moulins to Boulevard Princess Charlotte and Boulevard de Jardin Exotique.

Once we reached the high ground we found more beautiful churches. Especially the Church of Saint Charles just above the Boulevard des Moulins. Further west, the Church of Sainte-D?vote was also splendid.

Monte Carlo is famous for the annual Grand Prix, usually held in mid-to-late May. We came across shops loaded with racing souvenirs and saw Formula 1 cars on display in Monte Carlo. Monaco, may be a playground for the rich and famous, but it’s worth a visit even for ordinary mortals.

Photographs by the author, Simon Ghosh and Donna Ghosh

Handy hints

How to reach:

• The Principality of Monaco is an independent state, which is easily accessible by all of its land borders. Monaco is linked to France and other European nations by a network of highways.

• All international trains stop at the station in Monaco-Monte-Carlo — the Ligure, which links Marseille and Milan; the “Train Bleu”, which links Paris and Ventimiglia; the TGV (high-speed train) between Nice and Paris — or have at least a connecting train from the Principality.

• The Nice-Côte-d’Azur International Airport, 22km from Monaco, links the Principality to the world’s major cities.

• If you prefer a scenic drive, take the low or middle coastal roads (known as the Basse and Moyenne Corniche).

Where to Stay:

• All types of hotels are available in Monaco. However, most are costly.