Cannes in full swing

2961 Cannes in full swing

If watching all the coverage of red-carpet screenings and golden sands is whetting your appetite for the French Riviera, get yourself on a plane. There's still a week or so of the super-glamorous Cannes Film Festival to go, and lots of the city to explore.

2954 Cannes in full swing

First held at the Casino Municipal in 1946, the International Film Festival was a huge success from the very start, and is still considered the grand-daddy of all movie festivals.

2956 Cannes in full swing

The main venue today is the Palais des festivals, where all the competition screenings take place, inside the Lumiere theater. It took over from its original location in the swanky waterside La Croisette (now the Noga Hilton Hotel) in 1983, and its red carpet entrance is where most of the glamorous celebrity shots are taken.

2958 Cannes in full swing

Meanwhile, the beach is where Brigitte Bardot sat in a bikini to launch her career in 1953, and a year later lesser-known actress Simone Silva tried to outdo her, by going topless.

2959 Cannes in full swing

It's where you'll find the International Village – Riviera, where all the countries have their bases, as well as Cinema de la Plage. Take note - you don't have to be an A-list celeb to attend these open-air screenings. The general public are allowed in, so get your glad rags on!

2957 Cannes in full swing

But if you want to crash the best parties in town, head for the Old Port. In 1960, Fellini's La Dolce Vita won the Palm d'Or and, in celebration, dozens of elegant ladies in evening gowns jumped into the water. Oh, the decadence… RM

2955 Cannes in full swing