Being a maritime city, Marseille is perhaps best known for its legendary sailing events. Although despite the city’s exquisite harbour, where vessels of different shapes, sizes and value gently bob up and down on the translucent water all year round, a scene that is world-renowned for hosting some of the world’s most exclusive sailing events, Marseille also plays host to a myriad of cultural, colourful and candid festivals and carnivals.

The Festival of Marseille is one such event, which has been referred to as being a “reflection of the city’s soul.” What is particularly spectacular about this annual event it is focus on appealing to a multi-faceted miscellany of cultures.

The inimitable reputation that the Festival of Marseille has built up for itself over the years for being uninhibited by boundaries, for being undaunted by touching upon the controversial, and for exploring the most cutting edge in art, culture, theatre, music and dance.

This truly remarkable festival never fails to attract the most highly acclaimed of artists and performers to engross themselves in a remarkable cultural experience.

This year the Festival of Marseille is taking place from June 9 until July 7 and promises to as culturally diverse and mind-opening than ever.

A mosaic of exhibitions will line Marseille’s atmospheric streets, the rhythmic sounds of theatrical performances will emerge from of Marseille’s buildings, in which quirky-looking doors will lure visitors to stop what they are doing and go and take a look.

Visitors will also be drawn to Marseille’s squares which are rapidly swelling in numbers as people gather to catch site of the many “cine-concerts” that will be projected onto large, open-air screens.

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With the Mediterranean Ocean softly glistening under the sun behind you and a myriad of mountains standing dramatically in front of you, whatever direction you swing a golf club on the fairylike Cote d’Azur, you are guaranteed to be inspired.

With such inspirational surrounding, that uniquely combines affluence and modernity with tradition and simplicity, the Cote d’Azur, for decades, has been a favorite European destination for golfers of all abilities and ages.

There are a total of 20 golf courses on the Cote d’Azur, all of which have been designed by some of the world’s most internationally-renowned golf course architects.  Below is three of the best golf course the Cote d’Azur has to offer:

Golf du Claux Amic

Situated on the hills above the beautiful town Grasse with breath-taking views of the Med and the mountains, playing Golf du Claux Amic demands concentration and inspiration. Established in 1992 Golf du Claux Amic blends some intimidating drives with several more easy and ‘relaxed’ ones, meaning that this golf course caters for golfers of all abilities.

But it is perhaps Golf du Amic’s spectacular surrounding countryside that includes courses and holes lined with trees and a stunning vista looking down on the city of Cannes with the Mediterranean behind, that is this golf course’s greatest asset.

For more information on Grasse’s Golf du Claux Amic, click HERE.

Golf Country Club Saint Donat

This diverse course of tree-lined landscapes was created by the renowned golf architect Robert Trent Jones in 1993. The Golf Country Club Saint Donat provides golfers with a challenging yet rewarding game of golf in the most luxurious of surroundings.

Located in the heart of the Cote d’Azur between the cities of Grasse and Nice, this motivating golf country club is open all year round.

Top quality facilities, including a luxurious country house that houses a lavish restaurant complement this first-rate golf course.

For more information on Golf Country Club Saint Donat, click HERE.

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With the early buds beginning to bloom, the weather becoming deliciously warmer and the long light evenings of summer beginning to immerse themselves into the laidback way of life, March is possibly one of the most perfect months to visit the Cote d’Azur.

The town of Cros de Cagnes, not far from Nice in the heart of the Cote d’Aur, being surrounded by olive groves beginning to blossom in the early spring, sporadically interrupted by beautiful old chateaus, is particularly worthy of a visit, especially if you plan your visit to coincide with the Fete de l’Olivier Cors de Cagnes.

This gourmet event is held annually in March and celebrates every gourmet aspect of this particularly cuisine-obsessed region of the Cote d’Azur. Many of the area’s best chefs become involved in the Fete de l’Olivier Cors de Cagnes, keen to prove their culinary talents to an eagerly awaiting host of guests.

The participating chefs will prepare a gourmet lunch under a marquee erected in the verdant garden of the Renoir Museum.

Asides eating a delicious gourmet dinner made from only the finest local ingredients Cros de Cagnes and its surroundings has to offer, guests will visit a regional market and have the chance to buy some of the delightful local produce for themselves.

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Back for its sixth consecutive year is the Antibes Yacht Show and this year, the Mediterranean’s only springtime brokerage, charter and refit show, promises to be bigger and better than ever.

Over the last 12 months the organisers of this exclusive and luxury yacht event have been preparing hard to make the Antibes Yacht Show more memorable than ever before.

From 12 April – 15 April 2012 the town of Antibes, one of the best known resorts on the Cote d’Azur, will be holding this highly-anticipated event, which, for the past five years has drawn yachts of varying sizes and beauty to the shores of the Mediterranean and has had exhibitors from 14 different countries display their yachting delights to a highly receptive throng of both local and international visitors.

This year’s Antibes Yacht Show will be particularly focused on developing its ‘Seminar Area’, whereby the International Superyacht Society is working in cooperation with the Professional Yachting Association and holding a co-hosted seminar on the Friday of the show.

Also on the Friday, which happens to be Friday 13^th, a late night evening event, which is a new focus of the show, will be taking place, enabling exhibitors to welcome their guests by relaxing, talking and enjoying a few drinks in the most inspiring of surroundings for any yachtsman.

On the last day of the Antibes Yacht Show, exhibitors will have the opportunity to present their yachts in a highly entertaining method to other yacht professionals and enthusiasts, in an event known as ‘Yacht Hop on Sunday’.

Another new asset who will no doubt enhance this year’s Antibes Yacht Show is the appointment of the team’s new Commissioner General. Stephane Trabet has come from the luxury hotel industry and therefore bringing his expert knowledge and skills of an industry oozing in luxury and wealth, and will undoubtedly enrich this inspiring event and elevate it to even greater global recognition and esteem.

The town of Antibes boasts a magnificent 23km stretch of stunning coastline, making it the longest shoreline of any town in the Cote d’Azur department.

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With the Cannes Film Festival just a couple of months away, there is a exciting buzz beginning to escalate as the film industry impatiently awaits the world’s biggest and most glamorous film event.

The announcement that the highly acclaimed Italian film director, Nanni Moretti, has been named as jury president for this year’s Cannes Film Festival has added fuel into the frenzy of anticipation about the forthcoming festival.

The 58-year-old film director, producer, screenwriter and actor has a long and successful history with the Cannes Film Festival. In 1994 he won the award for best director for his film ‘Dear Diary’. In 1997, the film director served as a jury member and four years later in 2001, Moretti won the festival’s most prestigious prize, the Palme D’Or award, for his film ‘The Son’s Room’.

Last year the President of the Jury was given to the American actor Robert De Niro. In a statement about the announcement published on Bloomberg that Moretti has been honoured with the Cannes Film Festival’s prime role as jury president, the Italian film icon spoke of his elation about being given the responsibility:

“This is a real joy, an honour and a responsibility. As a spectator, fortunately I still have the same curiosity that I had in my youth and so it is a great privilege for me to embark on this voyage into the world of contemporary international film.”

Since it was founded in 1946 the Cannes International Film Festival quickly became one of the world’s most prestigious and publicised film festivals in the world.

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