About this experience
On a walk through the resort town of the French Riviera, you will get acquainted with the diversity of life and the fabulous history of Cannes. As you admire the ancient facades of houses, with shadows of the past lingering behind, you will hear stories of love, dramas, and happy endings. You will see the famous Festival Palace, legendary hotels, the Orthodox cathedral, and uncover the secret of Cannes' palm branch.
What to expect
History of the town that became the capital of world cinema
The festival pathway, beams of spotlights, luxurious outfits of movie stars, smiles, audience, journalists, bustling terraces of cafes - it seems like the center of the world shifted to Cannes during the Cannes Film Festival. How did this little, inconspicuous town by the sea first become a fashionable English, then Russian resort in the 19th century, and later the glamorous capital of world cinema? Fate? A series of circumstances or something else? What do the locals do and how do they live when the festival days calm down? What kind of life and memories are hidden behind the colorful facades on the winding streets of the old town? We will talk about this and much more during a walk to the most beautiful and famous places in Cannes. And the amazing life of this small town with global cinematographic fame will become closer and clearer to you.
Panoramic views
Through narrow winding streets, you will climb to the ancient slope of Suquet, to the medieval castle of Castre, which now houses the local history museum. From the height, a wonderful panorama of the entire city, the Cannes harbor, and the Lerins Islands will open before you. You will visit the church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Espérance. And descending down, you will find yourself in the harbor, where boats depart to the islands of St. Honorat and St. Marguerite.
Festival Palace and legendary hotels
On the Croisette promenade, you will face the Festival Palace, witness of the most 'star-studded' moments in the city's life. This is a completely different city - an antithesis to the old one. Shadows of the stellar past and present materialize in the handprints of world cinema actors who have become legends. You will learn which Russian actors have left their handprints here. Then you will see the legendary hotels Majestic, Carlton, and Martinez, which preserve many memories of starry guests.
Russian Emigrants
Near the same hotels, we will also talk about older stories, many of which are dramas involving Russian emigrants. Among them is the mysterious departure from life of Savva Morozov, a collector of French new art. The Russian cathedral of St. Michael with its blue onion domes will immerse you in the world of Russian winter seasons with stories of great princes, Russian emigration, and today's issues of the overseas Orthodox Church.
We will end the walk at the end of the Croisette, where I will tell you the history behind the name of this boulevard, as well as reveal the secret of the Cannes palm branch.
