CANNES HOTELS

City overview and main attractions

Cannes city overview :

Cannes, Jewel in the crown of the "Cote d'Azur" since the dawn of time, focal point for festivals throughout the world, venue of grand conferences and a cultural melting pot. You couldn't dream of a place more like paradise than Cannes, a town whose eclectic scenery has amazed even then most powerful.

This modern city, branded by critics as superficial, grew up from a small fishing town on the south coast of France. In the 11th century, Cannes were owned by monks, whose budget, fattened by wealthy pilgrims, allowed them to expand beyond their monastery to the nearby Island of St Honorat. They built a square tower on the top of the hill, as a lookout post for Saracen pirates. It still stands, next to the Castre Museum, in the heart of Le Suquet, Cannes’ Old Town that was built on the site of a Roman military camp.

Cannes embodies the sweetly scented nation of a life which everybody dreams of living. It is the sun which first playfully with the azure blue of the sea, before lying down to sleep in the arms of its wooded mountains. It is the harmonious marriage of sparkling color and light. The city is the perfect getaway for those who appreciate the finer things in life.

A key destination on the French Riviera, Cannes has built its worldwide reputation on the quality and the range of the services it offers its visitors: fine sandy beaches, resplendent cruise boats, palatial hotels on La Croisette and luxury shops, delicious gastronomy of the Cote d’Azur, its exceptionally beautiful bay and flower gardens... Cannes is life at its very best.

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Cannes city main attractions

Nice Cote d'Azur Airport
The nearest airport is the Nice Cote d'Azur located in Nice, 24km (15 miles) southeast from Cannes. France’s leading airport after Paris, it has direct flights to the main cities of France and Europe, and to North America, Africa and the Near East. There are hourly flights to Paris. Regular buses connections are available daily 09.00-22.00 (journey time – 45 minutes) every 30 minutes from Nice Cote d'Azur Airport to Cannes. The transport offices are located inside the Airport terminals, at the Arrivals level. An alternative is to board a Number 23 SunBus (Nice public transportation company) to go to the Nice railway station (Nice S.N.C.F.). The SunBus runs twice hourly from 06.00 to 21.00.

Cannes-Mandelieu Airport
The Cannes-Mandelieu Airport: one of the largest business traffic airports in France. Situated 8 km (five miles) from Cannes’ centre (journey time – 10 minutes), Cannes-Mandelieu is France’s leading private aviation airport. Aeroplanes and helicopters are available for hire. The airport features a VIP service and trilingual secretarial support for its international business clientele.

"Palais des festivales" congress centre
Thanks to the International Film Festival, which each year attracts stars from all round the world, Cannes is the best-known French town after Paris. Since 1982 this annual event has taken place in the new "Palais des Festival" specially designed and built for this event. Sitting beside the old harbour, in the heart of great natural beauty, the Palais des Festivals offers year round exhibitions, shows, and concerts. It is equipped with all ultra-modern facilities, which has enabled Cannes to become one of the world's most important conference towns in the world. Companies from all over the world hold their conferences and conventions here, taking advantage of a setting ideal for rest and relaxation. Nearby in the Allee des Stars, handprints of celebrities are immortalised in the pavement cement.

Plage de la Croisette
Cannes visitors interests lie in the azure blue of the warm Mediterranean and long, curvaceous, sandy beaches of La Croisette, beaches, which are very popular with all the tourists coming to the city. It’s expanding Old Port, which welcomes luxury cruise boats, its palatial hotels, the designer shops lining the famous promenade and the luminosity of the Cote d’Azur. When night falls the other side of the promenade comes alive and some of the finest dining in the world is on tap in a wealth of superb restaurants. Dancing, casinos, live music and movie premieres all feature in the choice of available entertainment.

Le Vieux Cannes du Suquet
La Suquet is the old quarter of Cannes set on the hillside overlooking the resort. Suquet is a haven of curious shops, quiet cafes, especially at Mashou. It’s 14th-century tower, the Tour du Suquet, which the English dubbed "the Lord's Tower" ramparts and 12th-16th-century church Notre-Dame-de-l'Esperence give a touch of medieval flavor to the city. The Le Suquet area has narrow streets climbing up and around the hill, with a fine view from the top. Standing on the ancient rampart wall in front of the church, you can see east across the city, the port and the bay to the Cap de la Croisette, and to the west across the Gulf of La Napoule to the Massif de l'Esterel mountains. Le Suquet retains a typical Mediterranean atmosphere and is a peaceful alternative to the vibrancy of seaside Cannes.

Isles of Lerins
A wonderful way to spend a day is a ferry ride over to Iles de Lerins. The two islands in the city bay are covered with rich Mediterranean vegetation. The Fort Royal built by Vauban on Sainte Marguerite is the scene of Duma’s famous novel. One of the most celebrated prisoners of the fortress was the "Man with the Iron Mask" whose identity remains a mystery forever. The cell has been excellently preserved and this is a haunting, yet unique place to visit. The Musee de la Mer is also located here and has exhibits from ancient Arab and Roman civilizations. The smallest Island off Cannes is Saint-Honorat, easily recognized by its ancient Monastery founded by the end of the 4th century, with a fortified section built by the monks as a protection against the Barbarian attacks. There is a shuttle ferry from the town to the islands every 20 minutes during the day.

Gare S.N.C.F. (main railway station)
The connections between the Cote d'Azur with all the regions of France and all the major cities in Europe are provided the S.N.C.F.'s express and high-speed trains (TGV). There are direct links to Paris, twice daily in winter and four times daily in summer (journey time – 7 hours), as well as to Basel (journey time – 10 hours 30 minutes), Brussels (journey time – 6 hours 30 minutes), Milan (journey time – 5 hours), Rome (journey time – 9 hours 50 minutes) and Venice (journey time – 9 hours 50 minutes). The Cannes Railway Station is at place Jean-Jaures, within walking distance from the Palais des Festivals. There are 80 trains operating daily between Cannes and Nice. The trip takes about 40 minutes. A Rapide-Cote d’Azur bus stop is located at the station.

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