Hitchcock's film To Catch a Thief was filmed in the luxurious salons of the Monte Carlo Casino ”, episodes of the film novel about Agent 007 and the painting “Coco”, dedicated to Madame Chanel. This legendary institution attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists to Monaco every year. While some admire the decoration of the palace and works of art, others lower huge amounts of money here and hit the jackpots.

• Video review
• The history of Monte Carlo casino
• Monte Carlo today
• What visitors need to know
• How to get to Monaco

Video review

The history of Monte Carlo Casino

House Grimaldi , which still rules in Monaco, in the middle of the century before last, was on the verge of ruin. The wife of Prince Florestan I, the French actress Maria Carolina Gibert, proposed a solution to the problem. She advised to adopt the experience of European resorts on the waters - to attract foreign investors and build a casino. According to another version, the idea belongs to journalists Albert Aubert and Leon Langlois.

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Overview

At the end of 1856, the son of the princess Charles III founded a gambling house in the Condamine quarter. But the history of "Monte Carlo" will begin later. The first institution, called Villa Bellevu, did not generate income due to undeveloped infrastructure.

A few years after an unsuccessful attempt to organize a gambling business on her own, Marie Carolina Gibert, widowed by that time, turned to Francois Blanc for help. This financier became famous for his talented casino management in Homburg, Germany. After some hesitation, he set about organizing a gambling business in Monaco.

The casino opened in 1863 under managed by the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM).
Now this company controls the entire tourism and hotel business of the principality. In the 19th century, Francois Blanc received monopoly rights to organize gambling, thanks to which he quickly became one of the richest people in Europe.

With the advent of a gambling house in Monaco, the principality's financial problems were resolved. In 1868, the railway from Nice to Genoa passed through Monte Carlo. This contributed to the influx of players. In 1869 alone, the gambling establishment was visited by an incredible number of guests at that time - 170,000 people!

The bishop of the principality and the future Pope Leo XIII became an investor in the Monte Carlo casino. Now in his mansion next door is the luxury hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo.

Modern "Monte Carlo" is not at all that uncomplicated the building that originally housed the gambling house. The restructuring took place in 1878-1879. The renovation was led by French architect Charles Garnier, who had previously designed the Opera House in Paris. Subsequently, the building was completed several times to increase the area of ​​​​the interior, and already in 1999 it was completely reconstructed.

"Monte Carlo" today

Casino "Monte Carlo" in Monaco it is an exquisite architectural ensemble. The vaults of the Atrium are supported by 28 stone columns with marble plastering. From the foyer you can go to the opera house, where Fyodor Chaliapin once sang and Russian ballet stars performed. The left side of the Atrium adjoins the gambling halls:

• Europe Salon. Here visitors are offered a large number of board games. From the Europa hall you can go to the restaurants Le Salon Rose, the former boudoir, and Le Train Bleu.
• Hall of the Americas. Previously, fans of American roulette, blackjack and craps gathered in the Hall of Two Americas. Now the room is equipped with slot machines.
• White Hall. It is aimed at VIP-visitors - owners of Privé Monte-Carlo, My Monte-Carlo Gold and Platinum loyalty cards. Decorated with portraits of women of the Belle Epoque. In this room you can admire the painting by Paul Gervais "Florentine Graces" and other works of art. The players have table games at their disposal: punto banco, blackjack, Texas hold'em, roulette.
• Renaissance Hall. Equipped with slot machines that look unusual in luxurious interiors.
• Two Halls of Tuze. These private halls, which host important casino events, are also open to tourists. The rooms are notable for their decor: they were designed by the architect Jules Touzet, who worked on the facade of the main entrance of Monte Carlo.
• Madsen Room. Artistic compositions are exhibited indoors, and the terrace offers a bewitching view of the azure horizon. This room was originally used by VIP players, but is now used for major Principality events and gala evenings.

Tables for playing roulette and poker in ancient halls with luxurious decoration, side by side with slot machines. The institution has one of the largest collections of slot machines in Europe - about a thousand units. The minimum bet is €0.01.

Other Monte Carlo casinos

On the territory of the tiny administrative area (the area of ​​Monte Carlo is only 0.29 sq. km, and the entire principality - 2.02 sq. km) there are 4 large gambling establishments. In addition to the famous "Monte Carlo", here you can visit:

What visitors need to know 928

В первой половине дня до 14:00 большинство залов старинного здания открыты для посещения туристами. Вход платный, цена входного билета для взрослого составляет 17 евро. Экскурсия с гидом по игровым салонам стоит в два раза больше.

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Regular mode gambling halls start working from two o'clock in the afternoon. From now on, visitors are allowed to enter with passports. Entrance is open to those over 18 years old.

A dress code is in place: T-shirts and short-sleeve shirts, faded and torn jeans, sportswear and beachwear are prohibited. The casino is allowed in casual clothing, but the visitor must look neat. After 19:00, men must wear a jacket (which can be provided upon request by the establishment), and women must wear an evening dress.

A visitor in military uniform will not be allowed into the gambling halls. They say that this is connected with the history that happened even before the revolution in Russia. One Russian captain lost the entire ship's treasury, and when he sailed on a military vessel, he fired a cannon.

Ordinary guests can only enter the Renaissance hall with slot machines for free. Those who plan to play card games in the Europa salon must pay 17 euros, and more for entry to private rooms. Most gambling halls are free of charge for My Monte-Carlo loyalty card holders.

Monegasque citizens are not allowed to play. In return, local residents are exempted from paying income tax. This decision was made by Charles II in 1869, when gambling and tourism revenues accounted for a large part of the Principality's budget.

Loyalty cards at the Monte Carlo casino

The My Monte-Carlo loyalty program provides additional opportunities and exclusive benefits when visiting all gambling establishments in Monaco. New members of the program are assigned Membre status, to receive a Silver card you need to collect 5,000 points, Gold - 22,500 points, Platinum - 175,000 points.

How to get to Monaco

Monte-Carlo is not only the name of a famous gambling establishment, but also the administrative region of the dwarf state of Monaco. But the region and the principality itself are so small that you can only get there from neighboring France. The nearest and most convenient airports for tourists are Nice and Paris.

Next you need to use ground transportation. You can get from Nice to Monaco by train or bus. Trains depart from Nice Ville and Nice-Riquier stations, buses depart directly from the airport terminal. The most convenient way to get from Paris is by train. TGV trains depart from Gare de Lyon (Paris Gare De Lyon) several times a day. Travel time is six and a half hours, the ticket price is 140-200 euros.

You can rent a car and drive to Monaco on your own. From Paris you need to move through Lyon and Cannes. Travel time is about 10 hours. The journey from Nice on the A8 autobahn will take only about 35 minutes.

Only cars with stickers of Monaco or Alpes-Maritimes region are allowed to drive through the Monaco-Ville section. Therefore, you need to inform the car sharing employee about your intention to go to Monaco when renting a car.

The tiny state on the Cote d'Azur has been attracting wealthy people for more than 150 years who want to combine gambling entertainment with relaxation in one of the best European resorts. During this time, the luxurious Monte Carlo casino building has become a kind of symbol of the principality and its visit guarantees vivid impressions even for those who are not interested in slot machines and roulette.