Hot air balloon race: unique competitions to be held in Monaco and other news

Another busy week in Monaco is coming to an end. It was busy with cultural events, new constructions and strategic planning for the future. So find out what was going on and stay updated.

Hot air balloon race: unique competitions to be held in Monaco

This is a major event in the Principality! Organised by the Club of Aeronauts of Monaco, the Coupe Prince Albert II will be an opportunity to showcase an exceptional sporting discipline through a brand new event.The first international pursuit race of… ECOLOGICAL HOT AIR BALOONS!

Between 1 February and 30 April (the exact date will be announced a few days beforehand, on the advice of the official meteorologist), six countries divided into ten crews will compete. This is a one-day competition, with an estimated flight time of between 3 and 6 hours, from the point of departure to the final destination. They will all set off from a number of the Principality’s most prestigious locations… before crossing the Italian Alps. The aim? To catch up with the balloon in Monaco’s colours that takes off first, from the Princely Palace.

This New Monaco Est Ramp aimed to relieve traffic congestion

After three years of work, the new “Monaco Est” exit slip road from the A8 motorway in the Nice-Italy direction officially came into service on Wednesday 10 January at 6 am.

Every day, around 50,000 people travel to Monaco and the surrounding municipalities. The aim of this new junction (junction 58) is to provide an additional access route to the Principality of Monaco and the towns to the east of the city.

What’s Happening to the Fontvieille Shopping Centre project?

Several years ago, ambitious plans to reinvent the Fontvieille Shopping centre were first announced. The initial project included major commercial, urban and ecological plans. But plans change, and now the project has been described as more of a makeover than a major renovation. The world keeps changing and so does the way we do our shopping. Online shopping and budget concerns have altered the ambitious initial plans for the Fontvieille Shopping Centre.

Princess Grace Irish Library: 40th Anniversary Program of Events

A jewel of culture in the Principality, the Princess Grace Irish Library recently unveiled a cultural program celebrating its fortieth anniversary: “A retrospective of the life of Princess Grace, her Irish origins and her passion for Irish culture”.

Inaugurated in 1984, two years after Princess Grace passed away, the library houses a superb collection of rare books and Irish-American musical scores that the Princess had collected throughout her life. The library now has an online catalog which includes Princess Grace’s personal collection of more than five hundred Irish books and a thousand rare Irish-American musical scores.

This year, the library will be celebrating Prince Rainier’s contribution to the promotion of Irish culture and literature through the creation of the library in tribute to the affection his wife had for Ireland. The celebrations will be based on a triangular link between three countries: Ireland, the United States and Monaco, all so dear to the heart of Princess Grace.