Take advantage of your stroll through the historic Suquet district to visit the Musée des Explorations du Monde in Cannes!
Housed in the Château de la Castre, this museum boasts a collection combining archaeology, ethnography and primitive art. Between masks, sculptures and musical instruments, we discovered unique objects from another time. To round off our visit in style, we loved the panoramic view of the city from its medieval tower!
In this article, we give you all our advice on how to discover this historic site and its treasures.
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Why visit the Musée des Explorations du Monde in Cannes?
Is the Musée de la Castre worth it? Our review
Absolutely! We recommend that you visit this museum during your stay, because the location is both beautiful and interesting. In fact, it features in our selection of must-do activities in Cannes. Here are the 3 main reasons to discover it, in our opinion:
- a medieval château: built in the 11th century on the initiative of the Lérins monks, it is one of Cannes’ oldest historic sites!
- an exceptional viewpoint: we were dazzled by the 360° panorama of the city from the top of the tower!
- a rich collection: you’ll cross the ages with original works from the Himalayas, Egypt, Oceania and beyond!
Why is the Musée des Explorations du Monde in Cannes famous?
Located high up in the Suquet district, this museum focuses on primitive art, Orientalism and Mediterranean antiquities. Formerly known as the Musée de la Castre, it was installed in the remains of the castle of the same name. Listed as a historic monument, it was built in the 11th century. It’s one of the oldest historic sites in Cannes! We really enjoyed exploring this place, and especially taking advantage of its 360° view over the whole city and bay.
Our favorite moments
Here are our 3 favorite moments from our visit to the museum:
- the view from the tower: after climbing 109 steps, we discovered a sublime panorama of the sea, the town and the Château de la Castre!
- the Gontran de Poncins collection: this French author went to the Canadian Far North to live with the Inuit and bring back ancient tools!
- the exhibition on Egypt: between funerary stelae, bronze statuettes and a child’s sarcophagus, this section of the museum was brief but interesting!
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Practical tips: Musée de la Castre, Cannes, France
Where is the Museum of World Explorations?
The museum is located at 6 Rue de la Castre in Cannes (06400), Provence.
- Driving time from Antibes: 35min.
- Driving time from Nice: 50min.
- Driving time from Monaco: 1h.
- Time from Marseille: 2h.
Here’s a map to help you find your way around the city:
How to get there
To get to Cannes, you can opt for the train. The town is directly linked by TGV to several major French cities, including Paris (5h15), Lyon (4h) and Marseille (2h). From the station, it’s a 15-minute walk to the museum, but be aware that the route is steep.
See the available schedules and book your train tickets now.
If you’re traveling by car from elsewhere in France, you can reach Cannes via the A8 motorway or the Autoroute du Soleil. For a more economical route, you can also take the national and departmental roads, such as the D6285.
Finally, if you’re traveling by car from other European countries, we recommend using European freeways, such as the A8 or the Italian A10 (or Autoroute des Fleurs).
OUR TPS FOR RENTING YOUR CAR IN Provence
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a car that is powerful enough (the roads are steep) but compact (some passages are narrow).
- Think of thecomplete insurance (some roads are tortuous and narrow).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
You can also choose to fly. The nearest airport is Nice, serving French and European cities such as Lisbon, Brussels and Dublin. Once you’ve arrived, the easiest option is to rent a car and drive 35 minutes to the museum.
Parking
The museum has no dedicated parking lot.
On the other hand, you’ll find the Suquet Forville parking lot 350m away. It is located at 13 Rue des Tambourinaires. You’ll need to pay a fee to get there, and walk 5 minutes to reach the museum.
Schedules and rates
Schedules:
- open every day except Monday from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm from October to March,
- open every day except Monday from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm from April to June and in September,
- open daily from 10am to 7pm in July and August.
Good to know: between June and August, the museum organizes nocturnes until 9pm on Wednesdays. Visit the official website here for more information.
Ticket price:
- Adult full price: €6.50,
- Free for under-18s.
Best time to visit the museum
The museum can be very busy during the high season. Its reputation and location explain why it is so popular. We advise you to visit at opening time, or at the end of the day, to avoid the crowds. However, don’t delay too long, as last admission is 30 minutes before closing time! If you get the chance, take advantage of the low season to visit.
Visit duration and practical information
In our opinion, you should allow 45 minutes to 1 hour to visit the museum and enjoy its incredible view of the city!
For people with reduced mobility, the museum has several narrow staircases and an uneven floor. To access the panoramic view of the tower, you have to climb a series of 109 steps. Nevertheless, the museum has set up adapted tours. Visit the official website here to find out more.
We recommend that you avoid strollers and use a baby carrier if you have small children.
Tips for visiting
Even before entering the museum, your visit begins in the Mediterranean garden, which dominates the entire city. Decorated with magnificent pine trees, this vast terrace offers a privileged view of the Plages du Midi below.
There’s no particular tour direction, but we advise you to save the panoramic view for last. As you move through the museum, you’ll discover a succession of small rooms displaying objects and artifacts from another time, from Oceania, the Himalayas and the Arctic. In the Chapelle Sainte-Anne, you’ll see a collection of musical instruments from all over the world.
We then moved on to the 3 rooms dedicated to Orientalism and the arts of Iran. They are directly linked to the castle courtyard and its medieval tower. We took the opportunity to climb the 109 steps and discover the exceptional panorama from the top of the fortification. In our opinion, it’s the best vantage point in Cannes!
Please note: for part of the year, temporary exhibitions may replace certain sections of the museum.
The Museum of World Explorations with children
During the school vacations, the museum organizes workshops for children aged 3 to 5, 5 to 7 and 7 to 13. For more information, please visit the official website here. We also recommend a family visit. Young and old alike will have fun identifying the function of the various objects on display. You’ll have an enjoyable and educational time.
Nearby restaurants
The museum has no restaurant.
Nevertheless, you’ll find plenty of good addresses in the Suquet district. Check out our article on the best restaurants in Cannes! Here’s our small selection of nearby favorites:
- Restaurant Table 22: located 2 steps from the old port, come and enjoy the gastronomic cuisine of chef Noël Mantel in a warm and welcoming setting.
- Restaurant Aux Bons Enfants: a genuine family institution since 1935, serving Provencal cuisine based on fresh, high-quality produce.
- Restaurant Le Pompon: serving small dishes to share. The à l’ardoise menu is renewed according to market arrivals.
WHERE TO STAY IN Cannes
Option 1: Downtown
Enjoy the charm of the old town and all its restaurants.
We recommend..:
- Five Seas Hotel – prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel BW Le Mondial – prices, pictures and availability
Option 2: on the Croisette
Along the seafront promenade and beaches.
We recommend..:
- Hotel Le Carlton – prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel Martinez – prices, pictures and availability
Option 3: The Suquet and surrounding area
On the heights of the old town, with lots of charm.
- Hotel le Suquet – prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel Canopy by Hilton – see prices, pictures and availability
Museum history
An ancient castle
Perched on a promontory atop the Suquet district, Château de la Castre was built in the 11th century under the direction of the monks of Lérins. The religious community had already owned a famous abbey on the island of Saint-Honorat since the 5th century. The castle’s architecture was representative of the Middle Ages, incorporating a main building and a chapel. Its defensive function was embodied by the square tower in the middle of the central courtyard. We really enjoyed wandering through this medieval building and climbing the steps of the watchtower.
Before the commune of Cannes acquired the historic site in 1919, the château was damaged and even virtually destroyed between the 16th and 18th centuries. Now a listed building, it houses the Musée des Explorations du Monde.
Baron Lycklama’s legacy
The museum had been in existence since 1877, but was housed in the Hôtel de Ville de Cannes. In the same year, Baron Tinco Martinus Lycklama bequeathed 2 sets from his personal collection to the town. An enthusiast for antiquities, orientalism, ethnography and primitive art, the donation of this cultivated traveler has formed a large part of the museum’s collection.
Since then, the collections have been gradually enriched by acquisitions and deposits, including one from the Musée du Louvre. The current provision highlights:
- ethnology and primitive arts across the Himalayas, the Arctic, pre-Columbian America and Oceania,
- Mediterranean antiquities through Egypt, the Near East, Cyprus, Greece and Rome.
A collection combining archaeology, ethnography and primitive art
A journey through the primitive arts, from the Himalayas to the Arctic…
We began our visit to the museum with the Himalayas exhibition. This collection highlights a rich folk art that draws its inspiration from a variety of influences. It focuses on 3 main themes: Nepalese shamanism, masks and Tibetan Buddhism. We discovered objects such as women’s ornaments and ritual garments from the main Himalayan regions (India, Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan). We appreciated the interactive screens, which provided more information about the works.
Afterwards, we were intrigued by the curiosities brought back from the Arctic. The collection of Gontrans de Poncins, an eccentric aristocrat who went to live among the Inuit in 1938, was of great interest to us! For 13 months, this French writer traveled the central Arctic on foot or by dog sled with the tribe. He collected 450 objects from their daily lives, including weapons, toys and utensils. Since 1973, the museum has owned 29 of them. Our photo below shows a caribou-skin doll!
You’ll also discover ivory figurines depicting animals (bears, seals, birds) and human figures. Are you tempted by a trip to the Far North?
… via Pre-Columbian America and Oceania
We continued our visit by plunging into pre-Columbian times. With ceramics, sculptures, vases and other treasures, this is a very rich collection! The showcases highlight several civilizations: Mexican, Peruvian and American. We were impressed by the female statuette you can see below. Thanks to an informative panel, we learned that this figurine was characteristic of the Chancay Kingdom (1100 BC to 1400 AD), located north of Lima in Peru.
We then crossed Oceania and made several stopovers on its archipelagos. Through this exhibition, we contemplated many masks with different functions. For example, an initiation mask that was worn in public during ritual dances in honor of a spirit. Some were even made of bird feathers or human hair! Fascinating, isn’t it?
An immersion in Mediterranean antiquity
You’ll notice a change of scenery! Mediterranean antiquities are on display in the Tour de l’Abbé, built in the 16th century and later partially demolished. We found this room very interesting from a cultural and architectural point of view.
Between Sumerian clay tablets written in cuneiform and a child’s lead sarcophagus, we were captivated. You’ll travel through the Middle East, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece and Rome. These objects come in part from the collection of Baron Lycklama. He collected them during his travels, particularly in the Middle East. Jacqueline Damien’s donation includes some of the room’s most precious pieces. His father was a wealthy industrialist and enlightened collector.
A museum as rich inside as out
An artistic journey through the Orient
We then walked to the last 3 exhibition rooms. In the 19th century, the Orient became a popular destination for the intellectuals of the day. The Côte d’Azur benefits from this effervescence, and is nicknamed “the gateway to the Orient”. Once again, we found Baron Lycklama in this section of the museum! He was one of the first tourists with a passion for the exotic. We also learned that the attraction for ancient civilizations and Arab-Persian culture was at the origin of Orientalism (an artistic movement).
A poetic exhibition on art and Iran
We were curious to discover the Iran exhibition, even if we found it rather brief. Works from the Qajar period (1786 to 1925) occupy a central position, notably those collected during Baron Lycklama’s 2 trips to Persia in 1866 and 1868. This country was home to ancient civilizations, and saw the birth of the world’s first empire. It was strategically positioned at the junction of the caravan routes linking the Far East to the Mediterranean.
A Romanesque chapel hiding mysterious instruments
Before ending our visit to the museum with the panoramic view from the top of the tower, we headed for the Chapelle Sainte-Anne. Built in the 12th century, it houses an incredible collection of musical instruments from the four corners of the globe, including Asia, Africa, America and Oceania. Have fun identifying the different instruments and imagining their melodies!
An exceptional 360° panorama from the medieval tower
We couldn’t wait to climb the 109 steps of the square tower and look out over the city. The physical effort is well worth it, we can assure you! Once we reached the top, we were overwhelmed by the magnificent 360° view over Cannes and the surrounding area. In the Middle Ages, this fortification served as a watchtower for the surrounding area.
We advise you to check weather conditions before visiting the museum. If you want a clear view, it’s best to go in good weather. For our part, the scenery was particularly enhanced on the day of our visit. The sun was reflected in the sea. We could even see the mountain range on the horizon.
We left the historic site with many fond memories, and above all with some great photos to share with you! So what are you waiting for?