Why go
Thinking of the building as a working palace changes how you read its public rooms. The state apartments show court ceremony, while the courtyard and Gallery of Hercules have also provided a setting for events addressed to Monégasque residents. That public role still matters.
The full story
The Prince’s Palace has occupied the Rock for centuries, but it is more than a historical shell. It remains the official residence associated with Monaco’s sovereign prince, and sentries at the entrance make that role visible from the square. Parts of the state apartments have been opened for public visits, allowing visitors to see spaces created for ceremony alongside the older defensive fabric. The courtyard has also served as a place for open-air concerts and important events involving the princely family. For major Monégasque occasions, the prince has addressed people gathered there from the Gallery of Hercules. These uses explain why the palace is encountered in two ways: as a building with a long architectural history and as a continuing centre of public life in the principality.