Monte Carlo: My Day in James Bond's Playground

We tendered in right under the palace and the first thing I heard was the scream of a V12 Ferrari doing a fly-by on the tunnel straight. The harbor was wall-to-wall floating palaces – mega-yachts the size of apartment buildings, some with their own helicopters perched on the back deck. Monaco lives up to its reputation as the land of the "Four G's" – Grimaldi monarchy, Grand Prix, Glamour, and gaming – and you feel every one of them the moment you step ashore. This is the world's second smallest country, but it packs more wealth per square meter than anywhere else on earth.

Monte Carlo itself was officially named on June 1, 1866 by decree of Prince Charles III – the principality honored him by naming this district after him (Charles III lived 1818-1889). But the story behind why this place exists is even more fascinating: after the 1848 crisis when Monaco lost significant territory and revenue, the Grimaldi family needed a new income source. The solution? Casino gaming. The first casino opened on December 14, 1856 in a villa called Villa Bellevue, but it was a modest operation. Everything changed in 1863 when François Blanc – the master casino operator – took over the business and formed the Société des Bains de Mer with 15 million francs in capital. That was serious money in those days, and Blanc transformed this rocky outcrop into Europe's playground for the wealthy.

We walked the full Grand Prix circuit – all 3.34 kilometers of it, the shortest track in Formula 1. Since 1929, this has been one of the most prestigious and dangerous races in the world, and walking the tight corners and narrow chicanes on foot makes you realize how insane it is to drive this at 200 mph. Casino Square, the most recognizable section, felt surreal – I kept imagining the roar of engines echoing off the Belle Époque buildings. Every street corner has a plaque marking where some famous driver took a legendary turn. It's public roads the other 364 days a year, but for one weekend in May, it's the pinnacle of motorsport.

The Casino de Monte-Carlo deserves every bit of its legend. The original building was transformed in 1878-79 by Charles Garnier – the same architect who designed the Paris Opera – into the gilded masterpiece you see today. What blew my mind was learning that the Opera House inside was built in just six months, from May 1878 to January 1879, and that the legendary Sarah Bernhardt starred on opening night, January 25, 1879. Standing in that entrance atrium with its chandeliers and marble columns, you're looking at the same extravagance that made Belle Époque royalty gasp. You need your passport to get in, and there's a strict dress code (no sneakers, gentlemen need jackets after 8pm), but honestly, just being there is worth the hassle. Here's the wild part: the casino became so profitable that Prince Charles III was able to abolish all taxation on Monaco citizens – a tradition that continues to this day. And there's a delicious irony: citizens of Monaco themselves are forbidden from gaming in the casino, a rule Princess Caroline established. The casino is for visitors only. We didn't gamble much – just soaked up the atmosphere and watched the high-rollers work the baccarat tables like it was their office.

The economic boom this gaming palace created was staggering. In just thirty years, the number of hotels in Monaco grew from two to forty-eight. The whole district transformed from a sleepy principality into the world capital of glamour. Monaco-Ville, the old town perched on the rock, is where you find the Royal Palace and St Nicholas Cathedral, the final resting place of Prince Rainier III and his beloved Grace Kelly, the Hollywood star who became Princess Grace when she married him in 1956. Their love story still echoes through this place – you can tour parts of the palace when the family isn't in residence, and the guards in their crisp white uniforms change shifts like clockwork. The three main districts – Monaco-Ville, Fontvieille, and La Condamine – are all walkable, though the hills will test your calves. Larvotto Beach was packed with beautiful people, and the whole scene felt like a movie set where everyone's playing the role of "fabulously wealthy." The pros: nowhere else on earth feels this extravagantly, unapologetically glamorous. The cons: the wealth can feel performative, but if you lean into the spectacle, it's unforgettable.