Cannes City Town Guide Every year, under a sparkling champagne sky, the stars of cinema make their grand entrance up the steps of the Palais. Cannes is incessantly lively, welcoming an endless stream of festivals, congresses and international exhibitions. But behind the spotlight lurks a true Mediterranean town. Surrounding the Croisette, that famed window onto la dolce vita, are shady palm trees, magnificent façades of turn-of-the-century mansions and the winding medieval roads of the old town. Five ideas for discovering another side to the city -  Visit the Musée de la Castre and discover astonishing Melanesian masks and statuary from the Marquesas Islands. Feast your eyes on the splendid view over the Bay of Cannes from the keep. -  Linger a while in front of the star-spangled midnight-blue dome of the Russian Orthodox church. Within, you will discover a large range of sumptuously decorated icons and other religious artifacts. -  Take time out to meditate, watching the waves breaking at the foot of the ancient fortified monastery on the Ile de Saint-Honorat, only a 15-minute boat ride from the Croisette. -  Take a stroll along Rue Meynadier, where a charming scene and a warm welcome await you amongst an abundance of restaurants, flowers and handicrafts. -  Meander through the Vallauris galleries in search of those ceramics that so captivated Picasso (15 minutes from Cannes). Time difference In France, summer time is set at GMT + two hours, and runs from the last Sunday in March until the last Sunday in October. To call Cannes Dial the international code followed by 33 for France, then 4 for Cannes and the 8 digits of the person you are calling. Climate Average temperatures by season: - Spring: 17° C - Summer: 25° C - Autumn: 18° C - Winter: 12° C Holidays These holidays are celebrated throughout France: - 1 January: New Year - Easter Monday (date varies) - 1 May: Labour Day - 8 May: 1945 Victory Day - Ascension (date varies) - Monday after Pentecost (date varies) - 14 July: National Day - 15 August: Assumption - 1 November: All Saints Day - 11 November: Armistice Day - 25 December: Christmas Getting around You can explore everything in Cannes on foot, from the Croisette to the hills of Suquet. A small tour train travels back and forth from the seaside to the top of the hill. To visit the countryside and the coast, you need to hire a car. Cannes Tourism Office Cannes Tourism Office: Palais des festivals La Croisette 06400 Cannes, France Tel: (international n° +33) 4 93 39 24 53 Cannes on the Web http://www.ville-cannes.fr See our Cultural calendar Back