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Museum of the Sea, Îles de Lérins
2010-10-18 16:38
What: Musée de la Mer
Where: Iles des Lerins, Cannes
Open: Tue-Sun, Oct-Mar 10:30am-1:15 pm and 2:15-4:45pm
Entry: Free
Web: http://www.cannes.com
The history of Cannes is inextricably linked with that of the sea. From Roman shipwrecks and cargo, to the maritime industries which flourished here from mediaeval times to the nineteenth century, to today's spectacular backdrop for occasions such as the Film festival, the sea has been both an asset, a danger and a way of life.
On the first of the Iles Lérins, Sainte Marguerite, the Musée de la Mer is located in the oldest part of the Fort Royal. A historic monument, surrounded by pine and eucalyptus forests, the fort looks out across the Mediterranean, while on the ground floor you can visit the state prisons and the cell of the 'man in the iron mask' imprisoned here for eleven years and the inspiration for the story of that name by Alexandre Dumas
Here you can see Roman water tanks and on the first floor, underwater archaeological materials from the Roman and Saracen wrecks of the Tradelière and Batéguier. A space devoted to temporary photographic exhibitions opens on to a vast terrace overlooking the sea and the Cannes coastline, the Southern Alps, Cap d’Antibes and the Estérel.
The museum is open all year round
Getting there
Ferries depart every half-hour from 7:30am to 30 minutes before sundown, with Compagnies Estérel-Chanteclair, 1 Port de Cannes (+33 4 93 39 11 82). Departures are from the Gare Maritime des
Iles in Cannes. Round-trip fare is €11 (€5.50), under-fives free