Let’s start with Cours Saleya market, probably one of the most famous in the French Riviera. A stroll around this part of Nice’s Old Town will soon start to make your mouth water, since this is where regional specialties are put on display by the people of “Nissa la Bella”, as this beautiful city is sometimes called. Steeped in tradition and authenticity, this spot is characterized by the gaily coloured awnings set up here every day except Mondays. The flower market (yes, flowers too!) is one of the Old Town’s greatest traditions. The market is surrounded by a variety of restaurants where you can sample Nice’s delicious specialties: socca (chickpea pancake), petits farcis (stuffed vegetables), pissaladière (French pizza)… and Cours Saleya market is a stone’s throw from our Best Western Alba Hotel.

Make your stay even tastier with a visit to the Provençal market in Antibes. Held in a courtyard in the heart of the old town, this market sells many Provençal specialties typical of the region. You’ll be caught up in a swirl of colours amongst fruits, vegetables and spice stalls. The air here is full of the wonderful smells of Provence. One of the best places for a stroll in the authentic atmosphere unique to the south of France.

Forville market, in Cannes, is another rare treat! Flower-sellers, local fishermen and market gardeners come to this popular spot in the heart of Cannes. A visit to this traditional market is a memorable experience for food-lovers because of the plethora of local specialties to be discovered here, each more delicious than the last. It takes place in the centre of Cannes every morning except on Mondays, when a major flea market is held. There are around 80 stallholders, with only one thing on their minds: introducing you to their specialties! While you’re in Cannes, you can also visit Gambetta Provençal market, and another market held in the Cap de la Croisette district. All this, no more than a few minutes away from our three hotels in Cannes!

Don’t forget to tell other food-lovers about these places!

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Nice, Cannes, Antibes… you can use this card to discover more than 60 towns and cities and more than 180 leisure activities. All the unmissables, plus some more unusual ideas that you might never have thought of! You’ll be able to take full advantage of our beautiful scenery and all our region has to offer, whilst doing the things you’ve always dreamed of.

How it works: This tourist pass can be purchased directly online or from the region’s tourist offices. It is a three-day pass, valid over a period of six days so that you can go sightseeing one day and take it easy the next, or whatever suits you best. The benefit: everything is FREE once the card has been purchased. And all the suggested destinations and great offers are within a stone’s throw of our hotels!

Don’t miss this great offer for an action-packed holiday. In Nice, for example, you can visit the Marc Chagall International Museum, follow it with a tour on an imperial Open Tour bus, and then board a boat for a commentated cruise around the Bay of Angels.

Another option, almost on the doorstep of our Astoria hotel, is a tour of the Cap d’Antibes aboard a convertible open-top bus! Or might you be tempted by a glass-blowing workshop?

And these are just a few of the suggestions, because the card offers a vast spectrum of activities for you to discover as and when the fancy takes you!

Nobody can possibly get bored on the French Riviera at any time of the year. With watersports, excursions, museum visits and outdoor activities to choose from… you might feel exhausted, but you’ll certainly be happy!

We look forward to seeing you at one of our five hotels, where you’ll find every comfort and convenience, and all the peace and quiet you need…

For more information, visit: www.cotedazur-card.com

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The firework display on August 15 is an event that visitors look forward to eagerly. The Feast of the Assumption is a time for celebration on the French Riviera. Let’s do a round-up of the towns and cities and their programs of festivities. Over the summer, Cannes hosts a famous and immensely popular fireworks festival, the Festival d’Art Pyrotechnique, on the Croisette beaches. On Tuesday, August 15, the theme is: “The Tops! A Dream Music Festival.” Dance to the beat of songs from four major international artists: the group Imagine Dragons, singer Celine Dion, plus Coldplay and the famously “famous” David Guetta. The Festival runs until August 24. There are sights and sounds galore at this festival, now in its 50th year. Everyone is always fascinated, no matter what their age!

Monaco is in on the act too, and organizes an international fireworks competition. The Monegasque sky is set ablaze on the final evening, August 12. And in Antibes Juan-les-Pins, on the beaches near our Astoria hotel, the Festival Pyromélodique provides the evening entertainment. Sound and light combine to stunning effect over the bay of Juan-les-Pins. Just look upwards and let yourself be carried away by magic of the show. Back at your hotel, you’ll go bed with your head in the stars.

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If you’re looking for a night out in a trending venue, you’ve come to the right place. In fact, there’s one very special place in Cannes where you will brush shoulders with the stars: the Gotha Club. This internationally famous nightclub puts on a show like no other. Rated by many as the finest club in France, it offers a stylish setting with a vast terrace. But it’s not the décor that has made the Gotha club the life and soul of Cannes’ night scene. Essentially, it’s the outstanding acts that perform here. Every summer, international DJs and rappers come and cause a sensation at this famous club. Bring your friends (in your best evening dress) to see Busta Rhymes on August 11, Tyga on August 14 or French Montana on August 18.

Another evening, you can enjoy an exotic meal at the Baoli. This mecca of Cannes’ nightlife turns into a nightclub at around 1 a.m. A very pleasant way to spend a summer’s evening. There are so many cool clubs in Cannes, every night out with your friends turns into a crazy experience. Cannes is a completely different world, just waiting to be discovered.

On August 10, 11 and 12 the city turns itself into a real outdoor discotheque. Festival-goers from all over the world converge on the Palais des Festivals beach every year to dance to the beat of top international DJs. During this period, the whole city is in party mode! Fakear, Flume, Feder, Ofenbach and many others make an appearance, and the experience will stay in your mind for ever…

Exhausted but happy, you come back after a crazy night out to catch up with your sleep in our Cannes hotels: Best Western Plus Patio des Artistes, Best Western Premier Mondial and the Esterel hotel. The choice is yours, and you can be sure of a good night, near your favourite clubs.

Perched on a hilltop, Le Suquet is where the city first came into being. Towering proudly above the Old Port, this part of the city is full of narrow cobbled streets for you to wander up and down on a sunny afternoon. Le Suquet, the oldest part of Cannes, is sometimes called “Mont Chevalier”. It’s the perfect spot to get fine views over the bay and the famous Croisette. Here, more than anywhere else, you will appreciate the Provencal charm and unspoilt rustic character. Le Suquet is Cannes’ Old Town, and you’ll be almost overwhelmed by how picturesque and unpretentious it all is, with its colourful façades and typical little squares.

In the Middle Ages, the monks at the abbey of Saint-Honorat built a castle, and the village grew up around it. Nowadays the Castre Museum is housed in what used to be the medieval castle. This is the cultural highlight of your trip, with an extensive collection of antiquities from the Mediterranean basin on display. If you feel up to the challenge, you can climb to the top of the castle’s square tower, the Tour Carré, taking it one step at a time… and you will be richly rewarded, because from here you have the most beautiful view imaginable over the bay of Cannes. Pause for a snack at one of the many restaurants in the city’s oldest street, Rue Saint-Antoine. And why not take a quick look round Forville Market, at the bottom of the hill, for a spot of shopping…

This historic district is well away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds, but is still a very lively place all year round, very popular with residents and visitors alike. This is where you will discover the real soul of Cannes, when you get off the beaten track… a wonderful experience that we’re delighted to share with you!

The park is a protected natural environment, part of the department’s Green Belt. It covers an area of around 500 hectares where you can get close to nature and enjoy the simple pleasures, as a family. This vast area includes three forested hills, together with valleys.

You can never get bored here. There are numerous trails for walkers. Walking brings many benefits and is a good way for people of all ages to learn more about their natural environment. The park is also rich in flora and fauna, especially since it includes the Fontmerle Lake. You will see Aleppo Pines, oaks, willows, poplars… If you’re fortunate enough to visit in summer, you’ll see the stunning sight of the pink lotus in blossom. The lake is home to around 60 different bird species. You might also happen to come across foxes and rabbits! An educational trail invites you to learn about Mediterranean insects, which adds to the fun of the walk!

Also provided: a children’s playground and a 1.4 km fitness trail. In short, there’s something here for everyone. And since all these activities will give you a good appetite, you won’t be able to resist a picnic with open space all around you. When the sun shines and the birds sing, the whole family will be on cloud nine! And the Esterel Hotel is only too pleased to offer advice to guests during their stay and show them the best routes to take!

The Firework Festival (Festival d’Art Pyrotechnique) is more than an event, it’s become a Cannes tradition that locals and visitors love visiting every year, as they have been doing since 1967. Cannes’ beaches have a dazzling display in store for you! Time will stand still as you watch the magical spectacle with your family, friends or someone special. Each year, the sounds and colours that light up the sky over Cannes are more wonderful than the year before. Technological advances are more and more impressive, to guarantee you a show that just keeps getting better and better.

Professional pyrotechnicians and display organizers take part in a major competition here. Once again the greatest international pyrotechnicians assemble in the French Riviera to demonstrate the full extent of their skills. The competitive edge to the event guarantees a top quality pyromusical spectacle. This year, Canada will open the show, followed by France, with Italy bringing the 2017 event to a close at the end of August. Watch multicoloured musical frescoes taking shape in the skies… it’s an amazing artform. Everyone has stars in their eyes, kids and grown-ups alike!

Cannes turns into an open-air theatre for the occasion. Just take a seat, look upwards and enjoy the show. Six nights to remember, starting 10 p.m. in the Bay of Cannes between July 13 and August 24 2017. The Patio des Artistes is looking forward your visit and seeing the amazement in your eyes!

The French Riviera’s love affair with jazz has lasted for 70 years already… the tradition goes back to the end of the Second World War. When great names such as Duke Ellington, Sidney Bechet and Ray Charles played at Juan-les-Pins for the first time, a true passion was born. Jazz is in the air when you come to the French Riviera…

As you may know, jazz festivals were invented by the French Riviera. It’s sometimes said that the festivals around here are to jazz what the festival at Avignon is to the theatre. The world’s first jazz festival took place in Nice in 1948. But the story started in the early 1950s when Duke Ellington and Sidney Bechet came to play at the Vieux-Colombier in Paris and also in Juan-les-Pins. Sidney Bechet fell in love with Antibes… it’s not hard to understand why! He was the man who introduced Antibes to jazz. The Juan-les-Pins Festival, established in 1960, gradually began to host prestigious headline acts… Ray Charles in particular was one of the golden boys of La Pinède. Since then, all the jazz greats have played at the French Riviera, during the summer season.

Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, Count Basie, they all came to the French Riviera to make their sweetest music. From that time on the various jazz festivals held each year have become a source of great pride for region. Summers here are filled with sunshine and music!

The Jazz at Juan festival is undoubtedly the most famous. From July 14 to 23, the town will be in party mode with the 57th Jazz Festival, providing superb entertainment for residents and visitors alike. The anticipated line-up includes Buddy Guy, Luke Elliot, Macy Gray, the Wayne Shorter Quartet, Archie Sheep, Gregory Porter, Jamie Cullum, Sting and even the legendary Tom Jones.

A few kilometres away, the Nice Jazz Festival, held from July 17 to 23, features Herbie Hancock, Ibrahim Maalouf, De La Soul, Mary J. Blige and local band IAM from neighbouring Marseilles. Then from August 3 to 6, the Jazz at Domergue festival comes to Cannes. In the wonderful setting of the gardens of Villa Domergue, this event is your opportunity to discover Malia 4Tet, the Dmitry Baevsky Trio and the Eric Seva Quartet…

From music legends to young talents, a French Riviera summer is a jazz summer!

For the Jazz at Juan festival we suggest you stay at the Astoria hotel, ideally located in Juan-les-Pins

We’d like to introduce you to Coco Beach, to the east of Nice. This tiny beach, situated beyond the Port of Nice, is not exactly a beach. It’s a series of rocks perfect for sunbathing, with ladders to give access to the sea. So you could describe this spot as unusual, different… a unique and strikingly beautiful place. The view over the sea and the Bay of Angels really is quite breathtaking. This secret spot where Nice’s locals have been coming for generations is ideal for swimming with the fishes and also for diving. This is a lovely place to spend a little time, undisturbed, with friends or with someone special.

This spot, nicknamed “La Piscine” (The Pool), is a great favourite with Nice’s local residents, and it’s a place to come both in summer and in winter. Time stands still here, and the only sound to be heard is the waves dashing against the rocks. You’re far away from the crowds on the Promenade des Anglais. You could spend the rest of your life here! Coco Beach is special, with the crystal-clear waters stretching out to infinity, or so it seems. It’s a beautiful, romantic spot… perfect for a lovers’ stroll. Coco Beach is one of Nice’s less well-known beaches, and yet… it’s wonderful. But its real charm lies in the fact that it’s so tucked away. During your stay at our Alba hotel, we will be very happy to show you how to get there. It’s a secret that we’re simply dying to share with you!

Discover our Best Western Alba hotel in Nice, 10 minutes from the Promenade des Anglais

He likes the level of independence he is given here, and also his managers’ support policy and their readiness to assist, be it help in resolving a problem with a client or in other matters of a more personal nature. This atmosphere of trust makes him feel he has greater freedom to act, and is more valued in his role and comfortable in fulfilling his primary role: putting customer satisfaction first.

He often meets demanding clients who need to be listened to, reassured and given appropriate guidance, so that they remember the hotel for its supportive, attentive and obliging service. Having lived in Cannes for around ten years, Anis is happy to share his experiences. Looking for a restaurant that serves international specialties? He knows a local establishment that will meet your requirements. Fancy sampling the traditional dishes of the region? He can tell you where Cannes’ locals eat, well away from the places overrun by tourists. With him, you’re in good hands.