Cannes

Cannes lies on the Golfe de la Napoule, about halfway between Saint-Tropez and Nice, sheltered by hills that give it a mild climate throughout the year. The town is compact: the seafront promenade, the old port, the hilltop old town and the main shopping streets are all within walking distance of one another, and the railway station is just a few blocks from the beach.

The history of modern Cannes begins with Lord Brougham, a former Lord Chancellor of Great Britain, who arrived in 1834 on his way to Italy. Stopped by a quarantine at the border with the Kingdom of Sardinia, which then held Nice, he settled instead in the small fishing village of Cannes and built a villa there. His friends and many other wealthy British and European visitors followed, and within a few decades Cannes was one of the most fashionable winter resorts on the Mediterranean. Palace hotels such as the Carlton, opened in the early 20th century, and later the Martinez and the Majestic, still dominate the seafront.

The Cannes Film Festival was conceived in the late 1930s as an alternative to the Venice festival, but the first edition was cancelled by the outbreak of the Second World War, and the festival finally opened in 1946. Since then it has become the most prestigious film festival in the world, awarding the Palme d'Or each May. It takes place in the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, a large modern building on the seafront next to the old port, whose red-carpeted steps are photographed by visitors throughout the year. In front of it, the handprints of film stars are set into the pavement. Outside the festival, the Palais hosts congresses, trade fairs and other events.

The Boulevard de la Croisette is the heart of Cannes' glamour. This palm-lined promenade follows the curve of the bay, with luxury hotels, designer boutiques and restaurants on one side and sandy beaches on the other. Many of the beaches are private, with sunloungers and restaurants, but there are also free public stretches. At the eastern end lies the Pointe Croisette, with the Port Pierre Canto marina.

At the western end of the bay, the old quarter of Le Suquet rises above the Vieux Port. Its steep lanes and stairways lead up to the church of Notre-Dame d'Espérance and the old castle, which houses the Musée des Explorations du Monde, with collections from around the world and a medieval square tower that can be climbed for panoramic views over the town, the bay and the islands. Below the hill, the covered Marché Forville is the town's main food market, selling fruit, vegetables, fish, flowers and Provençal specialities, while the Rue Meynadier is a lively shopping street.

Just off the coast, the Lérins Islands are reached by boat from the old port in a short crossing. Sainte-Marguerite, the larger island, is covered in pine and eucalyptus woods with walking paths and coves, and its Fort Royal is famous as the prison of the Man in the Iron Mask; it now houses a museum. Saint-Honorat, the smaller island, belongs to a community of Cistercian monks whose abbey has existed here since the 5th century in various forms; visitors can walk around the island, see the fortified monastery on the shore and buy the wines the monks produce from their vineyards.

Cannes is well connected, with frequent trains along the coast to Nice, Antibes and Saint-Raphaël, and Nice Côte d'Azur airport within easy reach by road or rail. From the town it is easy to visit Antibes, the perfume town of Grasse, the hill villages of the hinterland and the red rocks of the Esterel massif. Prices rise sharply during the film festival and other major events, so booking ahead is essential at those times.