Chemin des Révoires: The Highest Point in Monaco (162 m)

Peak 1 of The Peak Project — Monaco

The highest point in Monaco is Chemin des Révoires, a residential footpath in the Les Révoires district, roughly 162 metres above sea level. It is not a mountain. It is not signposted. It sits between apartment blocks on the slopes of Mont Agel, and the actual high point is close enough to the French border that most people who "climb" it end up standing in France by accident.

I went there in [MONTH YEAR] to start The Peak Project, and this is the honest version.

Where exactly is the highest point in Monaco?

This is the part nobody answers properly, so here it is.

Chemin des Révoires is a pathway and road in the Les Révoires quarter, in the north-west corner of the country above the Jardin Exotique. The high point is a spot on that path where it meets the French border. There is no summit marker, no plaque, no cairn and no viewpoint. You will be standing on tarmac between residential buildings.

Because the border runs right along there, it is very easy to walk a few metres past the high point and be in France without noticing. If your phone suddenly welcomes you to a different country, you have gone too far.

Mont Agel, the mountain whose slopes Monaco's high point sits on, tops out at 1,148 m. That summit is in France. So Monaco does not have a mountain. It has the bottom of somebody else's mountain.

How tall is Chemin des Révoires, actually?

Depends who you ask, which is genuinely funny for a 162-metre hill in a country you can walk across in 25 minutes.

• 162 m is the figure most commonly cited, including on the Chemin des Révoires Wikipedia entry

• 161 m appears on Wikipedia's own Mont Agel page, contradicting the above

• 163 m and 164.4 m circulate on various highpointing sites

• At least one travel site lists 170 m

The spread is about nine metres, which on a 162-metre hill is a 5% disagreement. Nobody has resolved it because nobody has needed to. 162 m is the number I'd use, since it has the most independent sources behind it and matches the official listings.

How to get to the highest point in Monaco

By car. This is what I did. From central Monaco it is a short drive up through the switchbacks, under ten minutes, and you can park on the street near the top. There is no dedicated car park for it because it is not a tourist site, it is somebody's road.

Worth knowing: Monaco's parking garages are a genuine labyrinth. Getting out of ours took longer than the peak did.

On foot. You can walk it from the Jardin Exotique area, roughly 15 to 20 minutes uphill on steps and steep pavement. From Monaco-Monte-Carlo station, bus line 2 to the Hector Otto stop leaves you about eight minutes' walk away.

A warning if you're walking: the road up is narrow and curving with no real pavement in places. We had a dog with us and decided walking it wasn't worth the risk, so we drove. If you are on foot with kids or a dog, take the stair route from the Jardin Exotique rather than the road.

Is it worth visiting?

As a summit, no. It is a road with a number attached to it.

As part of a day in Monaco, yes, but only because everything else in Monaco is the reason to go. The country is about 2 km across. You can walk from one side to the other in 25 minutes. It is the second smallest country in the world, around 30% of residents are millionaires, and the Casino de Monte-Carlo is genuinely one of the most extravagant interiors I have ever walked into.

On the casino, since people always ask: entry to the slot machine rooms is free. Access to the gaming tables cost €17 when I visited, and that €17 is redeemable against play, so it is closer to a deposit than a ticket. You cannot bring a dog in, which is how I ended up outside with Bella while Juan Pablo went in.

The peak was the reason we came. It was not the reason the day was good.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest point in Monaco? Chemin des Révoires, a footpath and road in the Les Révoires district, at approximately 162 metres above sea level.

What is the highest mountain in Monaco? Monaco has no mountain of its own. Its highest point lies on the lower slopes of Mont Agel, a 1,148 m mountain in the Maritime Alps whose summit is in France.

How long does it take to climb the highest point in Monaco? Under ten minutes by car from central Monaco. On foot from the Jardin Exotique it is a 15 to 20 minute uphill walk. There is no climbing involved.

Is there a sign or marker at the highest point of Monaco? No. The high point is unmarked and sits between residential buildings. You will need GPS or a mapping app to be confident you are on the right spot.

Do you need a permit or a guide? No. It is a public road, free to access, open all year.

What should you wear? Whatever you would wear to walk around a city. I did it in a t-shirt. No boots, no gear, no preparation.

Can you walk to the highest point in Monaco? Yes, but use the steps from the Jardin Exotique rather than the road, which is narrow and has poor pedestrian space in sections.

Is the highest point of Monaco in France? The high point itself is in Monaco, but it sits directly on the border. Walk a short distance further and you are in France. Many visitors cross without realising.

Peak 1 of The Peak Project: climbing the highest point in every country in Europe.