Welcome to Cannes, Yours for the Taking
Cannes is renowned across the globe. It has welcomed the world's biggest stars for nearly two centuries. It is also home to one of the most famous film festivals.
But Cannes hasn't let all the international attention get to its head - while certainly modern, cosmopolitan, and fashionable, it has also lovingly preserved its roots and traditions. Visitors who manage to slip away from the Croisette can savor the authenticity and picturesque charm of this Mediterranean city.
Must-See Sites
- The Suquet and the Old Port : the hill of the "Suquet" is where Cannes began. We suggest you start your tour of Cannes with the old town. You can reach it from various angles, taking steeply sloping narrow streets, crisscrossed with picturesque flights of winding steps where the pedestrian is king. Visit the ramparts, the Musée de la Castre, the square tower and the church. Admire the view over the city, the port, the Croisette, the Iles de Lérins and a substantial portion of the Bay of Cannes, Forville market with its rows of food shops (butchers, fishmongers, bakers, cheese merchants, etc). The old port unfurls below the Suquet. The oldest section, "Quai St Pierre", dates from 1838 and accommodates old sailing ships as well as speedboats. In September, sailboats set out from the harbour for the Royal Regattas.
- Rue Meynadier : Rrue Meynadier is a pedestrian street leading out of the old town of the Suquet. It is full of wonderful food shops like the famous cheese shop Cénéri, the delicatessen Ernest, the delights of Jean-luc Pélé, Provencal specialities - and a host of colourful boutiques.
- Palais des Festivals et des Congrès : the history of the "Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes" is closely linked to that of the Cannes Film Festival. An initial building was constructed on the Croisette to host this leading event in 1947, where JW Marriott currently stands. In light of the increasing success of the Film Festival, and the emergence of business tourism - notably with the first MIPTV conference back in 1965 - the city of Cannes decided to construct a new Conference Centre in 1979, on the site of the Municipal Casino. In total, the Palais des Festivals now has 44,000 m² of exhibition space and 15 auditoriums. Each year, it hosts over 50 international trade events and 300,000 delegates, making Cannes the second most popular business tourism destination in France. A world first: After becoming the first European congress centre to receive triple certification, the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes continued its commitment in 2012 by signing up to the ISO 26000 voluntary standard for Corporate Social Responsibility, thereby confirming its target level of excellence.
- The Chemin des Étoiles: film directors, actors and other international celebrities from the 7th Art now leave a print of their hands and their signature on the Allée des Étoiles du Cinéma, for posterity, like in Los Angeles at the Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Over 300 hand prints have been made so far, to the delight of movie fans and visitors. Admire them in front of Palais des Festivals on Esplanade Pompidou and in the parks.
- La Croisette: in 1850, the Croisette was nothing more than a path running parallel to the sea across sand dunes. The Croisette is now an avenue renowned for its prestigious shops and the luxury hotels that have established Cannes' history, including the Carlton, the Martinez, and the Majestic.
- Markets: the cool of early morning is the perfect time to take a look around Forville market. The fragrance of thyme, verbena and basil fills the air. The market sellers sing out the virtues of local produce in their lilting accent: tomatoes, olive oil, freshly-caught fish, tasty aniseed biscuits… A stroll around Forville market is like exploring the whole of Provence, taking a delicious journey steeped in the atmosphere of the South.
- Rue d’Antibes: rue d’Antibes, the former imperial royal road linking Toulon to Antibes, is the ultimate shopping street! To attract the 19th century English colonists, many shops, such as chemists, greengrocers and tailors adopted a Franco-English style. Today, all the major international High Street names are to be found on Rue d'Antibes. You can also admire its architectural environment, with buildings from the 19th century, beautiful doors bearing the initials of their first owners, ironwork, and sculptures by Pellegrini dating from 1883 at no. 101 as well as the former Cannes theatre with its facades decorated with masks.
- Lérins Islands : a short boat ride from the Croisette, opposite Cannes Bay, the Lérins Islands are a welcoming sight. Enjoying an unspoilt natural setting, these beauty spots in the Mediterranean offer visitors a unique combination of flora and fauna as well as an unusual history that includes the mysteries of the Man in the Iron Mask and the calm of Cistercian monks. There is a lot to explore and the boat is waiting: come on board!
Activities
- Cannes Muséums : le musée de la Castre, la Malmaison, le musée de la mer et l'espace Miramar.
- Casinos: Cannes is the only French city to have three of its own casinos: Palm Beach, Casino Croisette, and Casino les Princes
- Shopping: Fashion boutiques, perfumeries, jewellers, florists, haute-couture boutiques, ready-to-wear, confectionery, tea rooms, beauty institutes, home decoration shop: La Croisette, Rue d’Antibes, rue Meynadier, rue Hoche, rue Commandant André and la Bocca are waiting for you !
- Well-Being: Thermal Cures, Thalassotherapy and spas - Cannes is a natural well-being destination thanks to its mild climate, plentiful sunshine, beautiful landscape, and its location on the Mediterranean. The sea being a living and beneficial element, Cannes offers you to test these specific treatments, rich in trace elements, to restore your energy, your muscle tone, peace and calmness. You will also discover various ways to revitalize your body or simply to relax. Fresh water treatments, massages, sauna or hamman, you are sure to find the good treatment to suit you!
- Golf Courses: Whether you are a beginner or experienced player, you can try the most beautiful 18-hole courses around Cannes. There are 10 golf courses only a few kilometers away from La Croisette so you can enjoy playing as much as you like in beautiful natural surroundings… The Golf Festival… is in Cannes!
Getting there
- By car : A8 motorway exit no 42 (Mougins-Cannes) or 41 (Mandelieu-Cannes la Bocca).
- By air : Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, 30km from Cannes. Express Autoroute coach n° 210 between Cannes.
- By train: From abroad Tel.: +33 (0) 892 35 35 35
Tourist Information - Palais des Festivals et des Congrès
Official shop for Cannes souvenirs
La Croisette
06400 CANNES
Open daily, 9am to 7pm March to October.10am to 7pm. November to February, 9am to 8pm July & august;
By Rédaction France.fr
The magazine of the destination unravels an unexpected France that revisits tradition and cultivates creativity. A France far beyond what you can imagine…
