Gambling Capital of Europe

Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. Image by David Serrano from Pixabay.

Before Las Vegas, the Principality of Monaco was considered the gambling capital of the world. It’s a city looking over the sea, with Spain on the right and Italy on the left.

It can be said with certainty that one of the major reasons why Monaco is so famous and why it is so rich is because of Monte Carlo Casino. Monte Carlo Casino is considered one of the main symbols of Monaco.

The idea to open a casino was suggested by Princess Caroline, spouse of Prince Florestan, in 1863. Supposedly this idea was a solution to prevent the bankruptcy of the Grimaldi family. The architect who built the Monte Carlo Casino was Charles Garnier.

There are actually four casinos in the Principality:
1. Casino de Monte Carlo
2. Sun Casino
3. Casino Café de Paris
4. Monte Carlo Bay Casino

The Casino de Monte Caro is mostly famous for its wide range of slot machines and table games and lavishly done interior. Even now when people pick online over land-based these venues are usually filled to capacity.

The fact that Monte Carlo Casino was used as a set to make some of the most popular movies in the world speaks volumes about how famous this casino is. Some of the movies where the casino makes an appearance are: Never say Never
Again, Golden Eye, Ocean’s Twelve, and Madagascar 3.

An interesting fact is that the biggest winner in the history of Monaco’s casino is an unknown Italian gambler. In 1964, He won $1,092,000.

Extraordinary Cuisine in Monaco

Although the biggest reason for the popularity of Monaco is its casinos, that’s not the only reason. Another reason why Monaco is famous is its exquisite cuisine.
The cuisine of Monaco represents a mix of French and Italian cuisine with a lot of influence on Mediterranean cuisine as well.

The national dish of Monaco is Barbagiuan. This dish consists of baked or fried puff pastry that is filled with ricotta, garlic, Swiss chard, and herbs. The second unique dish is Fougasse which is sweet bread covered with anise, nuts, and raisins.

Finally, we have Brandamincium. This is basically a salted cod sew. The salt cod is cooked in a creamy sauce with onion and garlic. It’s usually served with various local vegetables. The creamy sauce and the texture of the dish will lure you into wanting more.

The Beauty of Prince’s Palace

It can be said with certainty that the most famous building in Monaco is Prince’s Palace. The interesting fact about this palace is that it has been the home of the Grimaldi family for over 700 years which is truly astonishing.

The Palace is open to visitors from April to October, every day between 10 AM to 5:30 PM. In July and August, it’s open from 10 AM to 6:30 PM. If you want to you can see the changing of the guard every day at 11:55 AM.

If you’re not a big lover of the tour of the rooms, it’s advised to at least see the exterior of the palace. But if you’re interested in taking a tour of the interior of the palace be sure to check for current ticket prices.

About Monaco

In 1993 the Principality of Monaco secured its place in the United Nations and got full voting rights. On top of that in 2002, a treaty was made between France and the Principality of Monaco that even if there was no royal hair to the Grimaldi dynasty Monaco would still remain an independent nation.

Although there’s a lot of wealth and it’s pretty clear that Monaco will never be on the top of the list of all private wealth added together, it’s still mesmerizing. Probably the biggest reason that Monaco has attracted rich people from all around the world is due to the removal of the income tax in 1869. Generally, avoiding taxes by moving to Monaco is not that difficult. However, if you commit any offense you will be immediately kicked out of the country without any legal recourse.

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