Cannes in 1 day: what to see on a walk through France's film city

For many years, the name of Cannes is so linked to the cinema, that it is difficult to separate them, and not only because of the curious coincidence of the consonants.

For 12 days, which for many is the best film festival in the world It reminds us of the wonders of the seventh art, but also of the attractions of this city.

However Cannes It is always attractive, with or without a festival, and in fact many prefer to visit it at another time of the year.

We will not cross paths with the stars of the screen for La Croisette, the large boulevard that runs along the seafront and overlooked by the large hotels, but the experience will be quieter.

There is no doubt that Cannes It is one of the fundamental stages in any journey through the Blue Coast en France.

The atmosphere, which combines the attractions of an elegant holiday center with those of a living and thriving city, makes it a special destination.

The continuous references to classic cinema that we will find on the streets is an attraction that most people like, since this is probably the art of which we share the most references.

This is the experience of visiting Cannes in one day, the best things to see

If we only had a few hours to spend in Cannes , the best thing would be to enjoy that walk that begins in the Palace of Festivals and Congresses, where the festival is celebrated.

From there, go La Croisette following the Path of the Stars and enjoying the atmosphere, the architecture, the shops and the beach that are the essence of this boulevard.

But if we have at least one full day, we can enjoy a more complete, although not exhaustive, vision of the city.

The location where it is located Cannes It has been inhabited for more than two thousand years due to its natural conditions.

The Old Port of Cannes

Here we have a good port next to a hill that could be fortified and used for a secure settlement.

This place is easily identified since you just have to go to the Old Port, right next to the Palace of Festivals and immediately recognize the Mont Chevalier.

Mont Chevalier and the colorful houses of Le Suquet

This hill covered in pastel colored houses and crowned by the towers of the church and the castle was where it all began, when Cannes It was nothing more than a Ligurian fishing village, even before the arrival of the Romans.

When walking the streets of this neighborhood, known as Le Suquet, we will begin to discover that Cannes is much more than the glamorous of the cinema

Gastronomy in Cannes

Now Le Suquet It is a song to the gastronomic delights from the south of France. The Meynadier street It is full of delicatessen shops.

This street leads to Forville market, located in a characteristic orange building and where products from nearby gardens, fresh fish and flowers are sold.

And in the surrounding area, the narrow streets are full of small restaurants.

Castre neighborhood 

Continuing the climb we will reach the Castre, the upper part, where the Hope church and the castle of the monks of Lérins.

The latter hosts the Museum of World Explorations.

As we descend we pass through the Old Port and we will see that it welcomes both luxury yachts and sailboats, as well as fishing boats and ships that make trips to the nearby Lérins islands.

Cannes Festival Palace

You then reach the Palace of Festivals.

Movie fans dream of making a Selfie on the stairs, taking advantage of the fact that except for specific moments, the red carpet is always laid and can be accessed freely.

These 24 steps are among the most famous and photographed in the world.

Addition film Festival, in this palace an interesting cultural program throughout the year.

At the same door begins the Chemin des etoiles, a collection with handprints of more than 150 of the most important filmmakers of history.

We have to spend some time looking for the ones that interest us the most, whether they are Jane Fonda y Sophia Loren, or those of Clint Eastwood, Tim Robbins o Jerry lewis.

Traces of artists on La Croissette

These traces are discovered throughout La Croisette, the boulevard about three kilometers long that runs under the palm trees and pines.

On one side is the beach and on the other are the facades of imposing buildings, including large hotels, but also restaurants and luxury shops.

Movie sets in Cannes

A way to feel the cinema in Cannes is to go in search of the locations of films shot in Cannes.

There are titles like Golden Eye (the first Bond of Pierce Brosnan), french-kiss o Ronin, but the one that stands out above all the others, especially when we are in La Croisetteit's catch a thief, Alfred Hitchcock.

This film is one of the few by the English master in which the exteriors are decisive.

Almost 70 years have passed, but it is still possible to follow its trail, as if we were Cary Grant y Grace Kelly, and bathe on the beach or have tea and pastries in the Carlton.

Where to see the cinema wall paintings in Cannes

But where the city pays a perpetual tribute to cinema is in the wall paintings from the world of cinema that adorn party walls and some facades of public buildings.

It all started as an idea in 2002, and from 2004 onwards, little by little, but regularly, these enormous nods to that world began to appear.

Walking through the streets of Cannes, these paintings continually amaze us when we see them from above.

There they are Chaplin and the boy (10 boulevard Vallombrosa), with those looks that continue to move us after so many decades.

Beyond Jacques Tati and his nephew look at his movie posters (place of Suquet), while Buster Keaton roll without losing seriousness (29 Victor Tuby Boulevard).

There are many more murals.

The reverse of the set from a filming can be seen in 7 rue des Swiss.

One of the most spectacular is the one that represents Gérard Philipe , the Fanfan the Tulip in the 3 Victor Tuby Boulevard.

At the railway station, as could be expected, tribute is paid to the lumiere brothers and at the entrance of the train in the La Ciotat station (the first film shown in public), with the addition of a mural on the TGV.

Very close, also in the place of Gare, Jean Gabin looks out the window of a train in La bete humaine, pure human dignity on the facade of a multi-story parking lot.

And there are many more paintings to discover.