Cannes
Film City
General Information
Other Name: -, District: NA, State: Provence Alpes Azur, France
Area: 0 -
Languages Spoken: French
Long Distance Code: -
Importance: Well known for the Cannes Film Festival that takes place each May.
Best Time to Visit: June to September and May
International Access: -Description
Cannes is a city in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d`Azur in southeastern France. It is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera.It is a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival.It offers visitors great weather, many interesting tourist attractions, museums and some beautiful Mediterranean beaches.Location
-Climate
Mediterranean.
Stars from all over the world gather at Cannes for this prestigious film festival. Each evening famous actors and directors climb the stairways outside the Palais des Festivals . You can find some of the hottest film stars, such as Sharon Stone, Nicole Kidman, and Tom Cruise attending this festival. Films from all over the globe are screened at this festival in ten different categories. The most prestigious award at the festival is the ''Palme d''Or''.
Do stop by at Gallery du Carlton, which is located at The Carlton Hotel or you''ll regret it. It displays a fine collection of paintings, sculptures as well as glassware. The works of greats, such as Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, Utrillo and Vlaminck is what you''ll find here. The gallery is interested in purchasing as well as selling artwork.
The largest of the three Lerin islands, is a fifteen-minute boat ride from Cannes. In ancient times it was called Lero. Numerous boat companies make the crossing from the old port. Also inhabiting this island is a seventeenth-century fort, which houses the Maritime Museum. This fort was once a prison, and was the home to the unidentified character, called the man in the iron mask.
La Croisette gets its name from a small cross that used to stand east of the bay. A favourite spot for locals and visitors alike, this wonderful promenade, in the heart of town, hugs the seashore and its beaches for several kilometres. To one side there''s the Mediterranean, the Lerins islands off the coast, and the Esterel mountain range. On the other, there are palm trees, elegant belle epoque hotels and fashionable boutiques. It is an ideal place to people-watch, especially during the Film Festival.
Count Vitali constructed this chapel in Florentine-baroque in 1880. It originally belonged to Princess Kara-Georgevich of Serbia, but later it became the studio of painter Emmanuel Bellini. His daughter Lucette, also a painter, continues to show visitors around the chapel, which contains several canvasses painted in contemporary figurative style by this self-taught, locally known artist.
The Musée de la Castre sits in an impressive château that was once the Castle of Cannes. Founded In 1877, the museum moved into the château in 1952. It houses one of the area''s most exotic collections, which includes Mayan pottery, Peruvian relics, and objects from the Pacific Atolls.
Riviera Beach is a pleasant private beach on the Boulevard Jean Hibert. The prices here are very reasonable and the beach is mainly frequented by locals. The atmosphere is truly Mediterranean with a view of the Esterel mountains. So if you''re looking to take in the local vibe, this is the place to come.
According to legend, the Man in the Iron Mask escaped from Sainte-Marguerite island (the famous prisoner of the Bastille tried for imposting) and spent the last years of his life in this 12th Century tower. According to legend, his ghost haunts the tower on some nights. If you don''t see the ghost, then try to atleast get scared by the dummy on the yellow building to the right.