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 decided to build 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). One French writer claimed that when the Russians returned as refugees in the 1920s, they were given the garbage-collection franchise.

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 there are also public areas. Above the harbor, the old town of Cannes sits on Suquet Hill, where you'll see a 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), containing paintings, sculpture, examples of decorative arts, and a section on ethnography. The latter includes relics and objects from everywhere, from the Pacific islands to Southeast Asia, to South American Peruvian and Mayan pottery. There's also a gallery devoted to relics of ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Five rooms are devoted to 19th-century paintings. The museum is open Wednesday through Monday April through June from 10am to noon and 2 to 6pm, July through September from 10am to noon and 3 to 7pm, and October through March from 10am to noon and 2 to 5pm. Admission is 1.50€ and free for students and children.

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. 04-93-99-03-26), 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. Be warned that it's 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 initial bearings in Cannes (and to get an idea of the difference between the city's new and old neighborhoods) is to climb aboard one of the white-sided Petits Trains touristiques de Cannes. Diesel-powered, and rolling on rubber tires through the streets of the city, they operate year-round (except Nov) every day from 9:30am to between 7 and 11pm, depending on the season. Two itineraries are offered: For views of glittery modern Cannes, board the train at a designated spot in front of either of the town's two casinos for rides along La Croisette and its side streets. For a ride through the relatively narrow streets of Vieux Cannes (Le Suquet), board the train at a clearly designated site along La Croisette on its seaward side, immediately opposite the Hotel Majestique. Both tours depart every hour; each lasts between 30 and 40 minutes, depending on traffic; and each costs between 5€ and 6€ for adults, and between 2.50€ and 3€ for children under 10, depending on the tour. (The tour of the old town is the less expensive.) A combination ticket granting access on both of the two tours (which can be enjoyed on separate days, if you prefer) costs 8€ for adults and 5€ for children under 10. For details, call tel. 06-14-09-49-39.