Add a bit of zest to your life…
citrus lemon palace @ menton by raymond chenon, on Flickr
When: February & March every year. February 16th to March 6th 2013.
Where: Menton, France.
citrus lemon palace @ menton by raymond chenon, on Flickr
Every year for three weeks from the middle of February, the quiet, elegant town of Menton on the French Riviera literally bursts with zest and colour for the “Fete du Citron” carnival, also known as Lemon Festival. Thousands of lemons (and oranges) are used to build huge citrusy constructions.
Fruity floats depicting everything from horses, dinosaurs, elephants and Buddhas parade down the Promenade du Soleil for Sunday’s Parade of Golden Fruit and the Thursday evening Moonlit Parade. There are even buildings made out of the fruit in the Jardins Biovès and the Gardens of Light host a spectacular sound and light show every Tuesday and Friday evening.
The festival started in the 1930s as a few carts loaded with orange and lemon trees and has turned into a sprawling citrus carnival attracting more than 200,000 people from across the world and using nearly 150,000 tonnes of fruit!
More on the Official Lemon Festival website.
Have you been to the Menton Lemon Festival yourself? If so, please tell us all about it! You can share your pics and videos on our facebook page too! Or if you just want to say hi, or leave a comment for any other reason, we’d love to hear from you.
Food & Drink
Food is s blend of French and Italian cuisine but the best thing to eat are the oranges and lemons! Try the locally made citrus preserves. Drink freshly squeezed orange juice or the delicious limoncello liqueur.
Travel to France
Menton lies between Monaco and the Italian Riviera on the Côte d’Azur. It offers fine cuisine, beautiful gardens, nearby ski slopes on the Ligurian Alps, and almost endless sunshine favorable to lemon, tangerine, and orange groves.
The nearest airports are Monte Carlo International Heliport (9 km), Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (27 km) and Turin-Cuneo Levaldigi Airport (85 km).
Dates / venues may be subject to change or cancellation. Distances may be straight-line estimates. Please verify information before booking.
Enjoy your trip! And when you’re home we’d love you to come back and tell us all about it!
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Lemon oil may be used in aromatherapy. Researchers at The Ohio State University found that lemon oil aroma does not influence the human immune system, but may enhance mood.