For many, Cannes consists of only one street, promenade de la Croisette (or just La Croisette), curving along the coast and split by islands of palms and flowers. It's said that Edward, Prince of Wales (before he became Edward VII), contributed to its original cost. But he was a Johnny-come-lately to Cannes. In 1834, Lord Brougham, a lord chancellor of England, set out for Nice and was turned away because of an outbreak of cholera. He landed at Cannes and liked it so much that he built a villa here. Returning every winter until his death in 1868, he proselytized it in London, drawing a long line of British visitors. In the 1890s, Cannes became popular with Russian grand dukes (it's said that more caviar was consumed here than in all of Moscow).
A port of call for cruise liners, the seafront of Cannes is lined with hotels, apartment houses, and chic boutiques. Many of the bigger hotels, some dating from the 19th century, claim part of the beach for the private use of their guests, but public areas do exist. Above the harbor, the old town of Cannes sits on Suquet Hill, with its 14th-century tower, the Tour du Suquet, which the English dubbed "the Lord's Tower."
Nearby is the Musée de la Castre, in the Château de la Castre, Le Suquet (tel. 04-93-38-55-26). It contains paintings, sculpture, and works of decorative art. The ethnography section includes Peruvian and Maya pottery; one gallery is devoted to relics of Mediterranean civilizations, from the Greeks to the Romans, the Cypriots to the Egyptians. Five rooms hold 19th-century paintings. The museum is open June to August Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 1pm and 3 to 7pm; April, May, and September Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 1pm and 2 to 6pm; and October to March Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 1pm and 2 to 5pm. Admission is 3€ ($3.60), but free the first Sunday of every month.
Though nobody plans a trip to Cannes to see churches, the city does contain some worthy examples. The largest and most prominent is Notre-Dame de Bon Voyage, square Mérimée, near the Palais des Festivals; it was built in a faux Gothic style in the late 19th century. The most historic church, Notre-Dame de l'Espérance, place de la Castre (tel. 04-93-99-55-07), was built between 1521 and 1627 and combines both Gothic and Renaissance elements. The town's most unusual church is the Eglise Orthodoxe Russe St-Michel Archange, 36-40 bd. Alexandre-III (tel. 04-93-43-00-28), built in 1894 through the efforts of Alexandra Skripytzine, a Russian in exile; it's capped with a cerulean-blue onion dome and a gilded triple cross. It is usually locked, except for services on Saturday at 5pm and Sunday between 9:30am and noon.
Seeing Cannes from a Petit Train -- One of the best ways to get your bearings in Cannes (and to get an idea of the difference between the city's new and old neighborhoods) is to board a white-sided Petit Train touristique de Cannes. The diesel-powered vehicles roll through the streets on rubber tires. They operate every day from 10am to between 7 and 11:30pm, depending on the season (there's no service in Nov). Choose from two itineraries: For views of glittery modern Cannes, board the train at a designated spot in front of either of the town's two casinos for a ride along La Croisette and its side streets. For a ride through the narrow streets of Vieux Cannes (Le Suquet), board the train at a clearly designated site on the seaward side of La Croisette, opposite the Hôtel Majestic. Both tours depart every hour. They last around 45 minutes, depending on traffic, and cost 5€ to 9€ ($6.50-$12) for adults, 2.50€ to 3€ ($3.25-$3.90) for children younger than 10, depending on the tour. (The tour of the old town is the less expensive.) A combination ticket to both tours (good on separate days, if you prefer) costs 8€ ($10) for adults, 5€ ($6.50) for children under 10. For details, call tel. 04-93-38-39-18.
