Visit cannes city

It’s in the old town and its famous Suquet that we advise you to begin your visit to Cannes. You can get here from various directions by following the gentley sloping lanes intersected by picturesque stairways where the pedestrian is king.

Things to see: the ramparts, musée de la Castre, square tower and the religious buildings.

An exceptional view point over the town, port, Croisette, Iles de Lérins and over a large part of the bay of Cannes. On foot from the old town, the soul of Cannes, the Forville market and its ring of food shops (butchers, delicatessens, fishmongers bakers, wine merchants, etc.) will allow you to discover one of the aspects of a town eternally famous for its shopping. You will also enjoy the exceptional geographical location of Cannes which is ideal for short excursions to Grasse, Mougins and Antibes.

Public buildings and religious structures, remarkable for their architecture, bear witness to the history of Cannes, and fine homes and villas, some of which are listed below, evoke the great days of foreign patronage in the 19th century. Today, most are in joint ownership, surrounded by parks closed to the public.

• National heritage open days
  Organised under the initiative of the Ministry of Culture, the National Heritage Open Days are a chance for the public to get to know the wealth of the national and local heritage, be it buildings and architecture or plant life in parks and gardens.
• La Castre museum
  Located on the heights of Old Cannes, the mediaeval castle overlooks La Croisette, the Bay and the Isles of Lérins. Built towards the end of the 11th century to defend the emerging town, it has retained its keep, the Romanesque Sainte-Anne chapel and cisterns. The castle now houses Musée de la Castre, with its collection of art from Oceania, the Americas, the Himalayas, Mediterranean antiquities, Orientalist and Provençal paintings, as well as an exceptional series of musical instruments from all over the world.
• La Mer museum
  Off the coast of Cannes, on the closest of the Isles of Lérins, the Fort overlooks the sea on the edge of the pine and eucalyptus forest. Built in the 17th and 18th centuries, it served as a State prison then, after the French Revolution, as a military prison. The Musée de la Mer in the Fort’s main building houses the ancient Roman cisterns, the cell in which the Man in the Iron Mask was kept, the Huguenot memorial, as well as collections of archaeological remains found in the sea (Roman and Saracen wrecks) and on land. It also features temporary exhibitions.
• Villa Rothschild and gardens
  Built in 1881 on the foundations of the former Villa Marie-Thérèse, where Lord Brougham lived, this neoclassical villa and its park are listed historic monuments. The gardens present a hundred or so valuable plant species of Mediterranean, Tropical and Asian origin.
• Notre-Dame des Pins church
  Designed by the architect C. Cavallin 1865. An eclectic architectural composition with touches of the Romanesque, the English and the Italian Gothic styles.
• Park residences Champfleuri
  First built at the end of the 19th Century, the villa has since been sumptuously reorganised - In the park, there is a Florentine garden leading to an Andalousian Patio, a Japonese garden, a Proveníal garden, a Dutch garden, a Maur garden - and an extremely impressive wealth of botanical species.
• Villa Domergue and gardens
  Villa and gardens were designed by artist, Jean-Gabriel Domergue, in the Venetian style. The most beautiful works of the artist adorn the walls of the villa and magnificent sculptures by his wife decorate the garden. The villa was inaugurated in 1936.
  La villa a été inaugurée en 1936.

Sainte-Marguerite Island stands out because of its size and the variety of its biotope. Rare Mediterranean plants and migratory birds people shores lapped with translucent water where posidonia beds abound. The minute you disembark, you will be struck by the fragrance of pine and eucalyptus trees.

The botanical track marked out by the National Forest Authority is the best way of threading your way along the island's meandering paths.

To the west, you can admire the landscape from the Pointe du Dragon viewpoint, embracing a breathtaking panorama from Anthéor to Cannes.

On the other side, one can contemplate Cap d'Antibes from Pointe de la Convention and its small fort, still standing after all these years.

Saint-Honorat is separated from Sainte-Marguerite by 600 metres of sea. It is owned by a monastic community that has worked the natural resources of the island since the 5th century, growing vines. Lérins Abbey is home to Cistercian monks. The island suffered the assaults of major invasions during the Middle Ages. The fortified monastery bears witness to this period and constitutes one of the finest examples of feudal architecture in Provence.

Facing out to sea, Saint-Honorat is now a renowned tourist destination, conducive to meditation but also to tasting excellent wines, one in particular; the famous Lérina liqueur.

More pious than its big sister, Saint-Honorat boasts an outstanding collection of chapels. Dotted around the island, they have attracted pilgrims from the mainland since the 6th century.

The two oldest chapels, damaged by the onslaughts of time, have been renovated: Saint-Sauveur to the northeast and Saint-Porcaire, nicely sheltered by the monastery ramparts.

Here time stands still. Monastic life dictates a rhythm we no longer know on the mainland. Remembering how to take the time to enjoy life is just one of the many reasons for losing oneself for a day on the shores of Saint-Honorat.

• Butte de Saint-Cassien is one of the historic sites in Cannes richest in memories (site of Arluc). Located in the Siagne Valley, Saint-Cassien is a natural hill unscathed by erosion from runoff. The hill has served as a military observation and supply post in all times.
• Botanical curiosities: note the presence of centuries-old Oak and Cypress trees, in particular the oak tree near Saint-Cassien chapel, estimated to be 300 or 400 years old.
• Jardin de la Ferme was founded in 1973/1974, at the same time as the Parc des Sports (swimming pool), to provide a garden for the many children in the neighbourhood. The numerous olive trees planted at that time form a very pleasant grove.
• The City of Cannes acquired the land for this square on 20 April 1956 by expropriation and the public garden was landscaped by a horticulturist from Antibes. This very shaded square is located at the very heart of the district of La Bocca.
• Square d'Aurèle
  This square was created in the 1970s by the Parks and Gardens (Service des Espaces Verts) to provide a playground for the neighbourhood children and lawns on which to relax.