Hotels near Palais des Festivals

The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès is the modern heart of Cannes, the vast conference and cinema complex that hosts the Cannes Film Festival each May. Its red-carpeted staircase, where the world's film stars pose for photographers, is the most famous flight of steps in cinema.

Outside festival time you can walk right up to the steps for the obligatory photo and explore the surrounding Allee des Etoiles, where handprints of stars from Depardieu to Streep are set into the ground. The building also houses the tourist office and hosts concerts, fairs, and congresses year-round.

Pro Tip: The steps are free to visit and photograph outside the May festival, when the whole area is sealed off. The tourist office inside stocks free maps and a self-guided handprint trail.