Details

Allow us to take you a few miles behind the French border and introduce you to the idyllic coastal resort of Menton. Every year an event, just as vast as the formula-1-Race in neighbouring Monaco and only rivalled by the carnival in nice, captures the lovely town on the sea: The “Fete de Citron”, the festival of lemons, running this year from 12th February – 3th March.
Menton usually has some 30,000 inhabitants but at the beginning of March, ten times as many people roam the streets of Menton. In the evening, after months of preparation, the “parade of the golden fruit” with it’s the many floats made up of oranges and lemons travels down the splendid “promenade de soleil” towards the Mediterranean Sea and the whole town turns into one big party. Folk groups perform dances and make music, samba dancers swing their hips and the orchestras announce the onset of the festival with many a trumpets and fanfares. The party, which is about to begin, can take it up with any carnival in the world.
Legend has it, that when Adam and Eve were chased out of paradise, Eve took a lemon from the divine garden and planted it on the very spot, where now lies Menton. Quoting from this old saga, the town officials used this story to reinvent their carnival back in 1930. The carnival, celebrating it’s 75th anniversary this year, is also a chance for the local farmers to display their local produce. What makes the festival so unique is the fact that all floats are made up of oranges and lemons. Using rubber bands, some 130-150 tons of fruit are being tied to some steel construction, following a motto, which changes every year. After exploring themes relating to Asterix and Obelix, the motto for this year will be: “Invitation to the islands of this world”. Alongside the festival, there are celebrations to commemorate the international orchid festival and a craft fair in the Palais de l’Europe, displaying arts and crafts from the area around Menton. The Bioves-Gardens have unique pieces of art on display, all made up of tropical fruits and which sometimes mange to exceed the beauty of the floats.
This wonderful and unique event is in easy reach from neighbouring Liguria. The drive from Sanremo, along a beautiful and well built autostrada del Fiori, takes less than one hour and tickets for seats on the stands, can be booked in advance. Why not celebrate a different carnival like the Fete de Citron with all it’s vibrant colours and scents the mild climate of this region has to offer. Terra Italia will of course assist you with your planning.