La Croisette

     There is nothing finer than strolling along La Croisette with the uber-rich -- elbow to elbow with the elegantly dressed beautifully people walking their elegantly dressed poodles and other snooty-looking canines. Nearby, the sparkling blue Mediterranean is amass with luxurious yachts moored in the bay. And ultra-expensive cars move along slowly and quietly for all to notice.

     Chic boutiques and designer shops line the boulevard: Chanel, Dior, Jimmy Choo, Hermes, Louis Vutton and D & G just to name a few. There are also extravagant hotels, restaurants, bars and  luxury apartment buildings. All first-class quality and very expensive as you would expect from a town like Cannes.

     La Croisette is slightly similar to Promenade des Anglais in Nice. It is a great wide walk that offers magnificent views as you walk along the Mediterranean and it is the best people-watching place in the world. The difference in Nice and Cannes is what the people are wearing and what they are driving.

     But there are some free activities:  During summer several concerts along the beach are offered for free.
La Croisette has great kids activities as well - racing remote control boats in a fountain, a merry go round, game galleries, and many kiosks selling ice cream.  And best of all- - unlike Nice whose beach is made of pebbles, La Croisette has a sandy beach. Some of the beaches are private for hotel guests, but there are public beaches as well, all with toilet shower and changing facilities.

The InterContinental Carlton in Cannes

      The InterContinental Carlton in Cannes, located at 58 La Croisette, is a 338-room luxury hotel built in 1909 and  is known as "The hotel of stars." The former palace is a world class hotel offering breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea and the stunning Esterel Hills in the background, to complete the beautiful setting.  It recently opened 10 exceptional suites on the 7th floor, each named after the most famous movie stars.  If you're wondering if you can afford the accommodation...2010 rates could be from: 615 to 980 EURO per night.

      But do stop by at Gallery du Carlton, which is located at The Carlton Hotel. It displays a fine collection of paintings, sculptures and glassware. The works of such greats, as Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, Utrillo and Vlaminck are here. The gallery purchases works as well as selling artwork.

Boulevard de la Croisette extends eastward from the new Palais des Festivals along the Rade de Cannes

OTHER THINGS TO SEE AND DO AROUND CANNES

     West  of La Croisette is the old harbour, "old town" and the hill with the ancient fort and church on top.

     Going east, you pass the Palais des Festivals, Exhibition Halls and Theatre, and beaches, before you arrive at the new marina, Porto Canto. The Palm Beach Casino is at the Eastern tip of La Croisette.

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La Suquet - OLD TOWN

The view of Le Suquet from the old port.  Notice the clock tower and church that towers over the hilltop overlooking the Bay and Cannes itself.  

    The district west of Cannes' modern city center, next to the old port, is Le Suquet.   It's about a 15-minute walk to reach Le Suquet from the port on narrow streets winding upward to the hilltop where the view of La Croisette is quite spectacular.  As you wander through the labyrinth of passageways, it will bring you back in time to Cannes' pre-opulence history as a small fishing village quite like many other small, historic villages on the Riviera.  But as you climb to the top of Mont Chevalier, its picturesque value is unrivaled for views of the whole 12-km stretch of Cannes coastline, the Vieux Port below, all the way out to the Iles des Lerins, and westerly out to the Esterel with its deep red colored mountains that literally cascade down into the sea.

    Le Suquet's "old town" presents a striking medieval contrast to the glamour and glitz of La Croisette. Here you will find a slower paced lifestyle and cuisine which resembles other Mediterranean locations more than the haute cuisine on the boulevard below.  Stop at one of the outdoor cafes and sip a coffee or a glass of wine while enjoying the sights. There are a good number of mid-price restaurants which seem popular with locals as well as the tourists (though open hours may be somewhat erratic). Olive oil, garlic, fresh fish, and fresh vegetables are much more common here than in the cuisine found further north in France. Rose wine is much more likely to be the wine of choice here, as it is throughout Provence, than are the burgundies and bordeaux of western, central, and northern France.

  

Narrow streets in La Suquet

Château de la Castre and Notre Dame de l'Esperance

                   

                                  Castre Tower                                               Clock Tower of Notre Dame de l'Esperance

     One gets to the top of the city by climbing Mont Chevalier to Suguet. Picturesque Provençal alleyways lead further up the hill to the old ramparts of the Castre Tower, which boasts superb views of the old port and the Lérins Islands. The 12th century square tower, which served as a defensive lookout for the monks of the Iles de Lérins, now houses temporary photographic exhibitions.

 

Tour du Masque  Take a look at the Tour du Masque, a famous local attraction. According to legend, the Man in the Iron Mask escaped from Sainte-Marguerite island and spent the last years of his life in this 12th-century tower.   He stayed there until his death, after years of prayer and contemplation. The legend is that his ghost still haunts the tower today. The tower was built originally as a citadel in the 12th century. Today, an iron mask is attached to the stonework above the tower's heavy wooden door as a reminder of the legend.                                                                                 The iron mask above the tower door
 

     Next to the vestiges of the ramparts is the 17th century Église Notre Dame de l'Espérance, a beautiful Provençal Gothic church with a Romanesque belfry. The château was built at the end of the 15th century, but the Romanesque Chapel of Sainte Anne and the cisterns date from the 11th century. Inside the château is the Musée de la Castre displaying an extensive art collection from the Himalayas, the Far East, Pacific and the Americas, Orientalist and Provençal paintings, Mediterranean antiquities and musical instruments from all over the world.

      Follow the narrow streets back down to the market of Forville (lined with boutiques full of things you can't afford), and through the tree-lined streets of Liberté, an attractive open space where the Cannes flower market is held, and you can return to the harbor.

SHOPPING

      The main shopping street in Cannes is along the Croissette. Behind the Croisette is the Rue d’Antibes which also has an amazing number of designer shops. The wide and pleasant pedestrian-only street on Rue Meynadier is a lovely place for window shopping with a lot  more affordable shops and a wide variety of restaurants, also. (You may find that Le Suquet's "old town"prices are a bit more affordable, however.) Shops usually open from Monday to Saturday between 10:00 and 19:00, although hours can vary. Many small shops in Cannes close for two hours during the middle of the day. Some shops, particularly those that attract tourist trade, do open on a Sunday. Cannes' Marché Forville opens from 07:00 until 13:00.                                                                                                                                         Rue d'Antibes

BEACHES.
     The beaches of Cannes are world famous. Cannes has a long coast line and the most beautiful bay of the Mediterranean Sea. Several beaches in the center of of Cannes are privately owned by the hotels and some resorts also own beaches.  The Plage de la Croisette is a beach that is nestled between the Vieux Port and the Port Canto. This is a semi-private beach so you may be charged for decks and umbrella chairs to enjoy the sun and sand.  Cannes has several municipal beaches as well. However, they can get crowded in the summer.

 

 

 

 

 

The famous La Croisette Beach is beautiful, long and sandy, but much of it is taken up by expensive hotels on the other side of the "Croisette."

 

     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 ambiance, this is the place to come. You can play volley-ball or rent a sun bed. The lunch-only restaurant is also reasonably priced.                                                                                            

                                                                                                               Riviera Beach

Midi Plage

     To the west of Cannes, are a host of beaches that are generally cheaper than those situated on the Croisette.   One of the bargain beaches, Midi Plage, is situated here. For a reasonable price you get a spot on the pontoon, and a fish meal. This private beach is very close to the old part of Cannes and is walking distance from the town center. Available are sun loungers and umbrellas, bar service and a beach restaurant. The sand is fine and clean and the water is shallow and generally calm.

There are quite a few islands surrounding Cannes. If you prefer a quieter beach, try some of the nearby islands.

BOAT TRIPS TO THE ISLANDS: