The alleys and streets of Monaco’s meager 200 hectares hide many an unknown gem. A stroll along the cobbled lanes reveals these little known pieces of art to those you care to look beyond the obvious.

Rising from the cliff face by the deep blue ocean, the towering white Musée Océanographique de Monaco, is a magnificent aquatic museum set in a baroque building. Inaugurated by Monaco’s Prince Albert I, the museum has been devoted to ocean research since 1910 and has more than 4000 species of fish. Whale skeletons, maps and model ships all hold a position of pride here; the views from the deck meanwhile are spellbinding.

Surprising as it may seem, Monaco is second only to Vienna when it comes to number of public gardens and parks. The gardens often specialize in a single variety of plants and were set up in the early 1800s. The Casino Garden that adorns the lovely Monte Carlo district is one of the prettiest, St. Martin Gardens, meanwhile, built in 1816 to provide work to famine struck people of the principality, are the oldest. The Japanese Garden, the Exotic Garden, and the Fontivieille Park are some other gems tucked away in the corners of the city. If the city doesn’t allure you enough, you can always derive to the perfume capital of France, Grasse, in the hills.