Cannes

"Cannes Vieux Port 01" — Photo by Spike / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
More than just a flashing light moment.
While the world focuses on the glitz and glamour of its annual film celebration, this French Riviera gem has a history rooted in humble fishing and mysterious royal prisoners. It’s a place where sandy luxury meets old-world Mediterranean secrets.
Did you know?
The Man in the Iron Mask was held captive on the Île Sainte-Marguerite, just a short boat ride away from the main harbor, for eleven years. John Travolta received his own honorary lifetime award at the Cannes Festival.
A village of fishermen turned into a red-carpet runway.
This year I host a jury presided over by a South Korean.
Not quite a palm tree, yet it remains the city's most famous golden appendage.
A massive suitcase-shaped building marks the spot where the world's lenses converge.
The most famous promenade here is named after the island-hopping Croisette.