Le Suquet

Le Suquet is the oldest quarter of Cannes, built on the hill of Mont Chevalier above the Vieux Port. Long before the Croisette and its palace hotels existed, this was the heart of a small fishing village, and its steep, narrow lanes, stairways and pastel houses still give it a village atmosphere that contrasts with the glamour of the seafront.

The climb up the Rue Saint-Antoine, lined with restaurants, leads to the top of the hill, where the church of Notre-Dame d'Espérance, built in the Provençal Gothic style in the 16th and 17th centuries, stands beside a terrace with wide views over the bay, the Croisette and the Lérins Islands. Next to it, the old castle of the monks of Lérins houses the Musée des Explorations du Monde, with collections of objects from around the world, musical instruments and antiquities. Its medieval square tower can be climbed for one of the best panoramas in Cannes.

At the foot of the hill lie the Vieux Port, the covered Marché Forville and the lively shopping street of Rue Meynadier, so Le Suquet is easily combined with a morning at the market. The quarter is at its most atmospheric in the evening, when the restaurants fill and the lights of the bay come on, and in summer the square in front of the church hosts concerts. The streets are steep, so comfortable shoes are recommended.