ABOUT THE CITY OF CANNES IN THE COTE D'AZUR:This Riviera city on the Cote d’Azur hosts Europe’s most famous annual Film Festival, and has long been a playground for sophisticated pleasure seekers. Cannes is noted for beautiful sandy beaches, most of which charge an entry fee to keep out the riff-raff. It’s a far cry from the early 19th century, when this was a small fishing and agricultural village. But then the place was discovered by aristocracy, who built exclusive holiday villas, and it was only a matter of time before Cannes became a seriously classy resort.
Nowadays, there are high-tech industries clustered in the hills, but tourism and servicing the rich remains the main economic activity, supported by the regular festivals and exhibitions that take place throughout the year. Cannes is centred on the old port. Harbour-watching, and fun, as is car-spotting – set a figure in millions and see how quickly you reach it by totting up the value of expensive cars seen, which wont take long. From the harbour, the famous Croisette Bouleavrd and beach extends around the bay, in the iconic Rade de Cannes. The Boulevard Jean Hilbert goes the other way, past some of the best beaches.
The nearest thing to an old town is Le Suquet, overlooking the west end of the port. This has a medieval flavour, with narrow streets rambling around the hill. From the top, there are sweeping views. Standing of the rampart wall in front of the church, it is possible to see city, port, bay and Cap de la Croisette, and to the west the Gulf de la Napoule and Massif de l’Esterel mountains.
Cannes is paradise for shoppers who are looking for [and able to afford] the most chic items. But window-shopping is free, and the streets to cruise enviously are the Rue d’Antibes, Rue Felix Faure and the Boulevard de la Croisette.
LOCATION OF CANNES:On the Mediterranean coast in the southeast corner of France. 20 miles west of Nice and its airport, 49 miles northeast of St Tropez, 566 miles southeast of Paris and 40 miles west of the Italian border.
SERVING AIRPORTS:Nice Code d'Azur [NCE]
Flight time from the UK: approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.
BEACHES IN CANNES:Much people-watching takes place on the fashionable beach along the Croisette, private concessions providing comfortable sunbeds, restaurants, bars and a variety of water sports. Public stretches further around the gulf, by the suburb of La Bocca, though not as inviting, are less expensive and will certainly not be frequented by the 'glitterati'.
SHOPPING IN CANNES:The Croisette is the place to go for luxurious boutiques, fashion houses and upmarket jewellers. Some chic designer shops can be found a block or two inland but on the whole, that is the territority of the souvenir shops, those selling local produce, antique and clothing markets, food and flower markets. There is also a large department store. Supermarkets have yet to deprive the small shopkeeper of a livelihood.
EATING OUT IN CANNES:One or two Michelin-starred restaurants in the luxury hotels; a good choice of small, intimate restaurants all over town; the more romantic venues are in the Old Town. Snack bars galore and large brasseries near the Festival Hall where meals are served outside conventional times. Fish and seafood, local Provençal dishes and specialities from Nice are well worth trying.
DON'T MISS IN CANNES:- The markets
- for a slice of the nearest thing to real life Cannes provides – the covered market at Forville, open-air Place Gambetta or Saturday flea market at Sur Les Alees near the port.
- A boat excursion
- to the iles de Lerin, a group of four islands off Cannes – don’t miss the cell where the Man in the Iron Mask incarcerated [on ile-Sainte-margaret].
- The Cimetiere du Grand Jas on Avenue de Grasse
– a cemetery with some wonderful statuary and funerary monuments.
- Interesting churches
– Notre Dame de Bon Voyage [18th century], Notre Dame l’Esperance and the Russian Church of Alexander III.
- A lingering look at the Palais des Festivals
- [where the film stars gather] and the Carlton Hotel [where they stay]. As the saying goes: if you have to ask the price of a room, you can’t afford it.
YOU SHOULD KNOW:The driving force behind the 19th century development of Cannes was an English politician – Lord Henry Peter Brougham.
Disclaimer:
By its very nature much of the information in our destination guides is subject to change at short notice and travellers are urged to verify information on which they are relying with the relevant authorities. Corona Holidays [UK] Limited cannot accept any responsibility for any loss or inconvenience to any person as a result of information contained above.
