Taxi Nice — Menton-Garavan

Menton-Garavan refers to the eastern quarter of Menton, closest to the Italian border, a peaceful haven home to some of the Côte d'Azur's most precious cultural and botanical treasures. It is here, in the Old Port bastion, that the Jean Cocteau Museum — Séverin Wunderman Collection houses the world's largest collection of the multi-talented artist's work: drawings, ceramics, tapestries and films. The Wedding Hall of the Town Hall, entirely decorated by Cocteau in 1957, is a masterpiece in itself. But Garavan is above all famous for its exceptional gardens, the legacy of 19th-century British winter visitors who took advantage of France's mildest microclimate to acclimatise tropical plants. The Serre de la Madone Garden, created by Lawrence Johnston (also creator of Hidcote Manor in England), is a terraced botanical garden cascading down the hillside with rare plant collections from around the world. The Val Rahmeh Exotic Botanical Garden harbours subtropical species unique in continental Europe. Every February-March, the Lemon Festival transforms Menton into a dazzling spectacle with citrus-decorated floats and illuminated gardens. The Garavan quarter, with its Belle Époque villas hidden in lush vegetation, stepped alleys and sea views, is a world apart on the Riviera.