Thanks to its international film festival, Cannes is known throughout the world. Indeed to
many people it is the festival that makes Cannes synonymous with glitz and glamour.
However, in addition to the film festival Cannes is host of a numerous shows, tradefairs
and exhibitions throughout the year.
Located in Southern Europe at the south eastern extremity of France, Cannes is a
privileged crossroads between the Alps, Provence, Monaco and Italy.
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, famous for the glitzy hotels,
cars, beaches, and visitors. Cannes has become one of the busiest tourist destinations
among jet-setters and famous celebrities as the city hosts many significant events
including the annual Cannes Film Festival. Its old town, Le Suquet, is also a great spot
for remarkable panoramic scenery.
The city of Cannes is perhaps most famous for its annual film festival; however, it was the
centre of significant activity long before the festival was first celebrated and has a long
and interesting history dating back thousands of years. Today, its atmosphere of vibrancy
and cultural richness is fortified by its proud heritage.
Evidence suggests that civilisations inhabited the area we now know as Cannes as early
as the 2nd century BC. It’s believed that the Oxybian tribe from Liguria formed various
settlements here, which were known as Aegitna. Historians are unsure of the meaning of
this name, but what is known is that initially the area was little more than a simple fishing
village used as a port of call between the Lérins Islands.Life in Aegitna was fairly
uneventful until 69 AD, when it became the scene of a violent conflict between the troops
of Othos and Vitellius. This marked a significant period of unrest in the area.
With the beginning of the 20th century came new luxury dream hotels such as the
Miramar and the Martinez. The city was significantly modernized with the construction of
the sports centre, the installation of the street car, the opening of the post office, and the
appearance of educational establishments. All these projects were completed after the
Great War, which effectively turned Cannes into a hospital for French soldiers. The
projects were then requested.
The climate in Cannes is typically Mediterranean and the city enjoys a good 12 hours of
sunshine per day during the summer season (May to September), while in winter
(December to February), the weather is very mild. Both seasons see a relatively low level
of rainfall and the most significant period of rain is during October and November, when
an average of 110 millimetres is the norm.
PLACE TO VISIT
Old town. The usual narrow winding streets filled with restaurants and souvenir shops. The view from the castle ruins at the top is excellent.
Palais des Festivales. Ugly building. But the hub of the film festival.
Îles de Lérins. Two islands in the bay. Well worth visiting. Smaller is Ste Honorat which has a monastery and striking ruined castle. The monks sell a number of monastery made food/drink products such as wine which make for unique souvenirs. Larger is Ste Marguerite which also has a castle as well as shops, bars and restaurants. You should be able to find yourself a quiet cove with some shade from palm trees, consider buying a cheap snorkel before you go and swim around the rocky coves. A return ticket to either island is 5 euros with ferries departing every 30 minutes from 7 in the moring until about 6 at night - ask for a timetable.
Beaches. The beaches are mostly private and cost up to 30 euros for a day's use
(including sunbed and shade). The public beaches get exceptionally crowded and are
found at the far east and west of town. If you want a quieter beach, a better option is to go
to the Îles de Lérins, see below. At night the beaches can be quite tranquil, watch out for
occasional spectacular fireworks displays (see posters/ask at tourist info) in the bay, get
to the beach early to get a good spot!
La Croisette, the beautiful waterfront avenue with gorgeous palm trees offering a
relaxing promenade. La Croisette is very famous for its picturesque beaches where you
can find many first-class resorts, restaurants, hip cafés and an array of brand name
boutiques.
the Musée de la Castre. In which are displayed many items from artworks, musical instruments, sculptures, decorative arts to a section on ethnography.
The Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence, for example, is home to a collection of artefacts that range from prehistoric to present times, and the museum is housed in a classic 18th century mansion, set amid beautiful French gardens. Meanwhile, at the Musée de la Castre, an exotic collection including objects from the Pacific Atolls, Peruvian relics and Mayan pottery is available for viewing in an impressive château, which was previously known as the Castle of Cannes.
Compagnie Maritime Cannoise Take a boat tour on the sea with Compagnie
Maritime Cannoise and get the chance to visit the famous Lerins Islands plus a variety of
other destinations worthy of note such as Monaco and St Tropez. A submarine trip is also
available to give visitors the chance to see some of the local sea life.
The Villas of Cannes Nineteenth-century Cannes can still be seen in its grand villas, built to reflect the wealth and social standing of their owners and inspired by anything from medieval castles to Roman villas. Lord Brougham’s Italianate Villa Eléonore Louise (one of the first great villas in Cannes) was built between 1835 and 1839. Also known as the Quartier des Anglais, this is the oldest residential area in Cannes and perfect for a stroll. Another famous landmark is the beautiful Villa Fiésole (known today as the Villa Domergue) designed by Jean-Gabriel Domergue in the style of Fiesole, near Florence. The villas are not open to the public. However, Villa Domergue may be visited on appointment.
Île Sainte-Marguerite (St Marguerite Island) It only takes a 15-minute boat
ride from Cannes to get there but it took The Man in the Iron Mask 11 years to leave this
tiny, forested island. The mysterious individual was believed to be of noble blood, but his
identity has never been proven. His cell can be visited in the Fort of St Marguerite, now
renamed the Musée de la Mer (Museum of the Sea). This museum also houses
archaeological discoveries from shipwrecks off the coast of the island, including Roman
(first century BC) and Saracen (10th century AD) ceramics. There is a regular boat service
from the mainland. Guided tours in English are available in summer.
Île Saint-Honorat (St Honorat Island) Cistercian monks are the only
inhabitants of the smaller, southern St Honorat Island. Monks have inhabited the island
more or less continuously since AD410 and, at the height of their powers, owned
Cannes, Mougins and Vallauris. Medieval vestiges remain in the stark church, which is
open to the public, and in the ruins of the 11th-century monastery on the sea’s edge. The
monks divide their time between prayer and producing red and white wines La Vendange
des Moines, Lérina liqueur, honey, lavender oil and the very successful Marc Blanc. In
summer, when tourist numbers increase, the monks retire to their cloistered monastery,
the Abbey of Lérins. Although closed to the general public, the monastery welcomes
guests for week-long retreats. The Cistercian monks who inhabit St Honorat run the only
boat trips to the island. Boats depart from Cannes’ main port at the jetée Edouard.
FESTIVALS
The best known festival of Cannes is the Cannes Film Festival, which takes
over the city every May. Tickets to shows are via invite only, but feel free to star watch along
the boulevards. There are many other Cannes events to check out. At any time of year visit
the Allee des Etoiles (stars’ walk) where 300 stars have placed autographed imprints of
their hands. Two of the best Cannes events occur in July, as Fireworks explode over the
bay on the 4th for America’s independence day, and again on the 14th for France. Also in
July is Les Nuits Musicales du Suquet, a festival of music performances.
Carnival on the Riviera is an annual affair that sees a parade through the city’s
streets and various festivities to mark the 21-day period prior to Shrove Tuesday.
Spectacular torchlight processions and masked balls are among the highlights of the
event (February/March).
The International Festival of Games is an event that sees visitors converge and indulge their interests in bridge, belote, backgammon, chess, draughts, tarot and mahy more (February).
Festival de la Plaisance is an event for boating enthusiasts. Held in the Vieux Port, it sees all manner of recreational showboats showcased by various manufacturers (September).
The International Actors’ Performance Festival sees various small
venues around the city hosting comedic sketches and performances by fringe artists
HOW TO REACH
By Air Located 15 miles from Cannes, Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is a busy airport that
sees a passenger throughput of close to 10 million per year. The airport operates two
terminals, with Terminal 1 capable of serving 4.5 million passengers per year and
Terminal 2 capable of managing 8.5 million passengers a year. ATMs, banks, bureau de
change and post office facilities are all on hand at the airport as well as excellent
shopping and dining options. Delta Airlines provides transatlantic connections to the US,
while British Airways, Bmi and easyJet among others provide connections with the UK. A
large number of other carriers serve various EU countries. The highest number of private
jets in the world in fact land at this airport.
By car From Paris, the journey takes about 8 hours and access is available via the A8
Estérel motorway, which leads directly to the city of Cannes; from Monaco and Nice, the
same road provides access from the opposite direction. The road network is exceedingly
well designed and drivers should face very little difficulty in negotiating the route.
By rail France’s TGV rail services provides access to the city of Cannes from a large
number of major French cities. From London St. Pancras International Station the
Eurostar connects with Lille, from where a connecting service to Cannes is available. The
journey from London to Lille is just 1 hour, 25 minutes, while from Lille to Cannes, it’s 7
hours. Other European cities with rail connections to Cannes include Brussels (6 hours),
Milan (5 hours), Basel (10 hours), Rome (10 hours) and Venice (10 hours).
By bus Coach services from major French and European cities serve the city of
Cannes, with the latter concluding at the Gare Routière de Nice station, which is situated
just outside of the city. Companies providing services from abroad include Eurolines and
Agence Phoceens. Regional services are provided by Rapides Côte d’Azur and CTM, with
services available from Nice and Grasse/Mandelieu respectively.
By ferry Ferry crossings are available to the Port of Nice from Bastia and Calvi in
Corsica, with services provided by SNCM Ferryterranée and Corsica Ferries. From Bastia,
the journey time is 4 hours, 45 minutes on conventional speed ferries and 3 hours, 40
minutes on express ferries, while from Calvi, conventional vessels take 3 hours, 45
minutes and express vessels take 2 hours, 45 minutes. An average of four ferries a day
sail on these routes, with more crossings during the summer season. Alternatively, if you’
re feeling like a long drive, you can take the ferry from England to France, with routes
including Dover to Calais and Portsmouth to Roscoff, and head south to the Côte d’Azur,
but expect the journey to take well over 12 hours.
