Cannes

placed in the category: Cities

Standing southwest of Nice in southeastern France is the star of the French Riviera: the city of Cannes. World-renowned for its International Film Festival, Cannes is no doubt one of France's top tourist spots with its ritzy hotels, fancy shops, and gorgeous beaches. Glamorous and teeming with expensive cars on its roads, who would have thought Cannes was once a small fishing village? During the Cannes Film Festival, Cannes becomes the full-fledged Hollywood of Europe as it welcomes prestigious celebrities, actors, directors, and many more of the rich and famous.

Cannes does not thrive because of its film festival alone. The city is a major tourist destination also for the various sights and sounds it offers. If you are a shopping maven, you just can't miss this shopping haven of a city. All the top clothing shops, jewelry stores, art galleries, and gift shops can be found in the city streets and boulevards like Rue d'Antibes, Boulevard de la Croisette, and the Zone Piétonne. If you're more into the exotic goods found in the flea markets, then you can't miss the two-day market held in the old port every first Sunday of the month. At Forville, there is also a big daily market which becomes a flea market during Mondays. Meanwhile, Place Gambetta is another must visit daily market in the center of the square.

Aside from shopping, one can do a whole lot of other things in the city. You can tour museums like the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Provence, swim in the miles of sandy beaches along the Golfe de la Napoule La Croisette, stroll and take pictures by the lovely parks and playgrounds scattered in the city, or dine in the fabulous restaurants and cafes that range from your ordinary diner to 5-star. They say the best areas to dine in the city are along Rue Meynadier where you can dine outdoors and have a breathtaking view of the town below. If you're on a budget, you can still sample the taste of local cuisine by cooking your own meals using fresh regional produce from the market.