Art collector Séverin Wunderman donated some 1500 Cocteau works to Menton in 2005 on the condition that the town build a dedicated Cocteau museum. And what a museum Menton built: this futuristic, low-rise building is a wonderful space to make sense of Cocteau’s eclectic work. Its collection includes drawings, ceramics, paintings and cinematographic work, with exhibits rotating annually. Admission includes the Cocteau-designed Musée du Bastion.
© EQRoy/Shutterstock
Musée Jean Cocteau Collection Séverin Wunderman
Top choice in Menton
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions
12.7 MILES
Getting lost among the dark, narrow, winding alleyways of Nice’s old town is a highlight. The layout has barely changed since the 1700s, and it’s now…
13.5 MILES
The most famous stretch of seafront in Nice – if not France – is this vast paved promenade, which gets its name from the English expat patrons who paid…
2.35 MILES
The only building French architect Le Corbusier (1887–1965) ever built for himself is this rather simple – but very clever – beach hut on Cap Martin…
4.57 MILES
Peeping inside Monte Carlo’s legendary marble-and-gold casino is a Monaco essential. The building, open to visitors every morning, including the exclusive…
Musée Océanographique de Monaco
5.04 MILES
Stuck dramatically to the edge of a cliff since 1910, the world-renowned Musée Océanographique de Monaco, founded by Prince Albert I (1848–1922), is a…
19.93 MILES
An ailing Henri Matisse moved to Vence in 1943 to be cared for by his former nurse and model, Monique Bourgeois, who'd since become a Dominican nun. She…
12.52 MILES
For the best views over Nice’s red-tiled rooftops, climb the winding staircases up to this wooded outcrop on the eastern edge of the old town. It’s been…
13.5 MILES
Originally built as a holiday home for Prince Victor d’Essling (the grandson of one of Napoléon's favourite generals, Maréchal Massena), this lavish belle…
Nearby Menton attractions
0.14 MILES
Cocteau loved Menton. It was following a stroll along the seaside that he got the idea of turning a disused 17th-century bastion (1636) on the seafront…
0.15 MILES
In 1957 Jean Cocteau decorated the marriage registry office inside Menton’s town hall from floor to ceiling, covering the walls with swirly drawings, and…
3. Basilique St-Michel Archange
0.17 MILES
From place du Cap a ramp leads to southern France's grandest Baroque church, the 17th-century Italianate Basilique St-Michel Archange. Its olive green and…
4. Cimetière du Vieux Château
0.23 MILES
For great views of the old town and the port, meander all the way up through the historic quarter to this hilltop cemetery. It's something of a pilgrimage…
5. Jardin Botanique Exotique du Val Rahmeh
0.76 MILES
Laid out in 1905 for Lord Radcliffe, governor of Malta, the terraces of the Val Rahmeh overflow with exotic fruit-tree collections, including the only…
6. Jardin de la Serre de la Madone
1.49 MILES
Beautiful if slightly unkempt, this garden was designed by American botanist Lawrence Johnston. He planted dozens of rare plants picked up from his…
2.35 MILES
The only building French architect Le Corbusier (1887–1965) ever built for himself is this rather simple – but very clever – beach hut on Cap Martin…
2.36 MILES
Irish modernist architect Eileen Gray designed this tour de force of a Mediterranean villa, complete with highly inventive furniture and fixtures, in the…