Visiting Cannes on the French Riviera? Don't leave without checking out Culture Trip's top sights, from the bars of Le Vieux Port to the oysters of the Marché Forville.

France

Cannes

The Top Unmissable Things to Do in Cannes, France

Read our guide to the top 10 reasons you should visit Cannes at least once, including the festivals, the countryside, the food, the markets and the art.

10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Cannes at Least Once

Read all about the history of Le Suquet, the old Roman settlement above Cannes, where you can find beautiful medieval architecture and great restaurants.

A Brief History of Cannes Old Town, Le Suquet

Head to Cannes for 48 hours to find idyllic beaches, hidden islands, charming architecture, wonderful parks as well as food, wine and sun.

How to Spend 48 Hours in Cannes

Read all about where to take a wonderful walk in Cannes to enjoy the beaches, the architecture and the fantastic countryside.

The Most Beautiful Places to Walk in Cannes

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Cannes, synonymous with the namesake film festival, doesn’t just roll the red carpet for celebrity arrivals: it radiates glam all year round. But the appeal isn’t just in opulent hotels and fancy cars (or yachts), the old red-roofed buildings, idyllic beaches and museums are worth the visit alone.

The Insider Guide to Cannes

Sitting pretty on the French Riviera, Cannes conjures up images of ultimate luxury, with mega yachts in the bay, supercars lining the streets, and exclusive hotels and nightclubs where famous folks party. Yet, while you can find the A-list charm centred around the harbour and the designer boutiques of La Croisette, there’s so much more to this city than the glitzy rep.

Once a sleepy fishing village, Cannes became a tourist destination in the19th century, when the picturesque beaches, beautiful buildings, laid-back life and warm winters attracted the British elite. The arrival of the railways put Cannes on the map, as did writer F. Scott Fitzgerald who described this pocket of paradise as “a playground for the world”.

Take a wander in the footsteps of visitors of old with a trip to l’Église Notre-Dame de l’Espérance, a gothic 17th-century stone church offering impressive vistas over the Vieux Port (harbour) and the Old Quarter, Le Suquet. Get lost among the enchanting 19th-century pastel-coloured shuttered houses, friendly bistros spilling onto the streets and wrought-iron balconies dripping in flowers. Not sure where to start? The neoclassical Hôtel de Ville is a prime example of the architectural heritage of the city.

For more of a cultural dive, visit the semi-ruined medieval castle, the monastery of Lérins, home to the Musée de la Castre, or Musée Bonnard in Le Cannet. Alternatively, jump on the 15-minute ferry to the Îles de Lérins and visit the impressive Fort Royal on Ile Ste Marguerite, with Roman bathrooms and prison cells. The islands also offer some amazing photo ops, with crumbling cliffs, azure shores and old architecture, such as the 15th-century fortified monastery on Ile St Honorat.

Back on the mainland, head to the Plage du Midi or Palm Beach to soak up some sun, pick up some fresh food at Marché Forville, take a stroll down Rue d’Antibes, visit the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès (site of the iconic film festival) or head back to La Croisette for some celebrity spotting, after all, you never know who will be in town. Ready to book your ticket and live your best jet-set life? Keep reading for more insider tips.

The Main Attractions

Oran

Setif

Algeria

Luanda

Angola

Cotonou

Porto-novo

Benin

Botswana

Ouagadougou

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Tonga

Yaounde

Bamenda

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Kinshasa

Lubumbashi

Congo

Abidjan

Cote Divoire

Florentin

Dijibouti

Djibouti

Cairo

Alexandria

Sharm El-sheikh

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

Asmara

Eritrea

Addis Ababa

Lalibela

Ethiopia

Gambia

Accra

Kumasi

Cape Coast

Ghana

Guinea-bissau

Nairobi

Mombasa

Malindi

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Libya

Antananarivo

Antsirabe

Madagascar

Blantyre

Malawi

Bamako

Timbuktu

Mali

Mauritania

Port Louis

Mauritius

Casablanca

Marrakech

Sale

Morocco

Maputo

Mozambique

Swakopmund

Windhoek

Namibia

Lagos

Abuja

Ibadan

Nigeria

Pointe-noire

Republic Of The Congo

Kigali

Musanze

Butare

Rwanda

Dakar

Touba

Senegal

Seychelles

Freetown

Sierra Leone

Cape Town

Durban

Johannesburg

South Africa

South Sudan

Khartoum

Sudan

Mbabane

Manzini

Swaziland

Zanzibar

Arusha

Dar Es Salaam

Tanzania

Tunis

Hammamet

Tozeur

Tunisia

Kampala

Gombe

Uganda

Western Sahara

Lusaka

Zambia

Harare

Bulawayo

Zimbabwe

Africa

Antarctica

Kabul

Afghanistan

Dhaka

Bangladesh

Thimphu

Bhutan

Bandar Seri Begawan

Brunei Darussalam

Siem Reap

Phnom Penh

Sihanoukville

Cambodia

Shanghai

Beijing

Guangzhou

China

East Timor

Wan Chai

Hong Kong

Mumbai

Delhi

India

Bali

Penang

Jakarta

Indonesia

Israel

Tokyo

Kyoto

Osaka

Japan

Almaty

Astana

Kazakhstan

Pyongyang

Korea

Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan

Luang Prabang

Vientiane

Pakse

Laos

Macau

Kuala Lumpur

Ipoh

Malaysia

Maldives

Mongolia

Yangon

Mandalay

Nay Pyi Taw

Myanmar

Kathmandu

Darchula

Nepal

Hyderabad

Islamabad

Lahore

Pakistan

Manila

Boracay

Baguio

Philippines

Riyadh

Jeddah

Mecca

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

Asia

Events and Activities in Cannes, France | Culture Trip

Off the Beaten Path

Find the hidden gems and experience the city like a local

Guides & Tips

The 10 Top Hidden Gems to Visit in Cannes

See & Do

An Alternative Guide to Cannes

Film & TV

A Guide to the Best Cinemas in Cannes

Cheap Things To Do

See & Do

A Millennial's Travel Guide to Cannes

Guides & Tips

Top Cannes Attractions You Can Visit for Free

Shopping

Fashion

Cannes Shopping: The Best Fashion Boutiques in Cannes

Fashion

10 Top Thrift Stores and Antiques Stalls in Cannes

See & Do

The Best Places to Buy Souvenirs in Cannes