Page 74 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Provence & The Côte d'Azur

72  PROVENCE AREA B Y AREA

7 Cannes 15 giant murals inspired by the
Seventh Art, which can be found
Lord Brougham, British Lord Chancellor, put Cannes on the map at various locations across town.
in 1834 when he stopped there on his way to Nice. He was The main hotels in Cannes
so entranced by the climate of what was then a tiny fishing have their own beaches with
village that he built a villa and started a trend for upper-class bars and restaurants, where
prices match their standing.
English visitors. Today, Cannes may not attract blue blood but Celebrities are most likely to
it has become a town of festivals, the resort of the rich and be seen at the Carlton, Majestic
famous. It is busy all year round, its image reinforced by the and Martinez. There is a cover
Film Festival (see p36). With its casinos, fairs, beach, boat and charge to enter most beaches
street life, there is plenty to do, even though Cannes lacks the in Cannes, where imported sand
great museums and monuments of less glamorous resorts. covers the natural pebbles, and
sun-loungers cost extra. Just
next to the festival building
and cheese. This leads you to the there is also a free public beach.
Marché Forville. Fresh regional
produce turns up here every P Palais des Festivals et
day except Monday. The small des Congrès
streets meander up from the 1 blvd de la Croisette. Tel 04 92
marché to the old Roman town ché to the old Roman town ché
mar
mar 99 84 00. n 04 92 99 84 22.
of Canoïs Castrum. This area ∑ palaisdesfestivals.com
was named after the reeds that Built in 1982, this unmistakably
grew by the seashore, and is modern building stands beside
now known as Le Suquet. The the Vieux Port at the west end
Provençal Gothic church in the of the promenade. It is the chief
centre of the old town, Notre- venue for the Palmes d’Or and Palmes d’Or and Palmes d’Or
Dame de l’Espérance, was other internationally recognised
completed in 1648. awards sufficiently prestigious for
The Cannes Film Festival has the film business to take them
Relaxing deck chairs on the seafront, been held here every May since seriously, and much business
Hôtel Martinez 1946. The main venue is the goes on, so that the festival is not
Palais des Festivals, all hype and publicity.
Exploring Cannes but there are cinemas Some 78,000 official
The heart of the city is built all over town, some tickets are distributed
around the Bay of Cannes and of which are open to to professionals only.
the palm-fringed seafront boule- the public, and film Apart from its use for
vard de la Croisette. Here there screening starts as the great Film Festival,
are luxury boutiques and hotels early as 8:30am. The the building also
and fine views of La Napoule beach has been a focus houses a casino and
Bay and the Esterel heights. The for paparazzi since a nightclub, and is
eastern end of the bay curves 1953, when Brigitte a regular conference
out to Pointe de la Croisette, Bardot’s beautiful Famous handprint venue. In the nearby
where the medieval Fort de pout put her on the of Faye Dunaway allée des Stars, hand-
la Croix once stood. The town’s world’s front pages. prints of such famous
two gaming houses, Casino Les The city’s connection to celebrities as American actress
Princes and Casino Croisette, cinema is also highlighted by Faye Dunaway are immortalized
are both open all year. the Murs peints de Cannes, in pavement cement.
Brougham persuaded King
Louis-Philippe to donate two
million francs to build the Cannes
harbour wall. Between La Pantiero
and rue Félix Faure are the allées
de la Liberté. Shaded by plane
trees and surveyed by a statue
of Lord Brougham, this open
space is ideal both for boules
and the colourful morning
flower market. It provides a fine
view of the harbour, which is
filled with pleasure craft and
fishing boats. Behind the allées
is the rue Meynadier, where you
can buy delicious pasta, bread Cannes Old Town, known locally as Le Suquet, overlooking the harbour
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp198–9 and pp208–11