The Best Sight in Monaco

Place du Casino is the center of Monte Carlo and a must-see, even if gambling is not your thing. The hopeful descend from tour buses and enter the gold-leaf splendor of the 1863 casino to tempt fate beneath the gilt-edge rococo ceiling. Some spend much more than planned here, as did the French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who once lost 100,000 francs.

The main gambling hall is the Salle Europe, where you can play roulette and Texas Hold'em, while the slot machines stand apart in the Salle des Amériques. Bring your passport, as you have to be at least 18 to enter. There's a €19 admission to the period gaming rooms (open from 2 pm), where a dress code applies (no runners, shorts, or jeans with holes). To see what the fuss is all about without tempting fate, you could just book lunch in the casino's Salon Rose. If you feel your visit will be incomplete without taking a little risk, opt for blackjack. "Vingt-et-Un," as it's known in French, is the only game in which the odds (ever so slightly) favor the player, not the house.