What to know about the world capital of perfume before you visit
Are you planning a trip to the French Riviera and wondering which places to visit?
There is no doubt, cities like Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Saint Tropez, or Monaco need to be on your bucket list. But it’s well worth acknowledging that the French Riviera is not limited to the famous places along the coastline.
Just a short drive away from the coast into the hillside of the Provence-Alpes-Maritime department, you will find gorgeous historic hilltop towns, beautiful mountainous landscape with many kilometres of hiking and biking routes leading through the area’s national parks, and of course the famous lavender fields of Provence.
Earlier this year, I finally ticked off a place I’d been planning to visit for a while. Better yet, I actually ticked off two in one go as I booked into the wonderful La Bastide Saint-Antoine, a Michelin-star culinary bolthole with rooms located just at the outskirts of Grasse.
Actually, there are several intriguing places to stay within the hills of the Alpes-Maritime region just off the coast. Though you do not need to worry about accommodation if you are planning to visit some of the stupendous hilltop villages of the region as most of them are only a short distance away from the coast.
Famously known as the world capital of perfume, Grasse is one of the destinations just off the coast you should have on your list as it is perfect for a day trip from nearby Nice, Antibes, Monaco, and Cannes.
What is the best time to visit Grasse on the French Riviera
With an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, the French Riviera is a perfect year-round destination, and this is valid for visiting Grasse as well.
That said, take into account you are venturing into the mountainous area of the Alpes-Maritime department where the weather can change much more quickly than directly along the coast. Especially during the colder months of the year, fog and clouds can hoover over the hills.
Overall, the weather here is still very similar to the conditions along the coast. Spring is typically lovely and already warm, the Mediterranean summer will offer the perfect beach weather even away from the beaches, fall is typically still warm but also the time with the highest chance of rain.
Meanwhile winter is mild, and all the crowds will have gone. However, this is also the time of the year where several hotels, restaurants and other attraction will take advantage to recover from the tourist season lasting from around April to September/October, and some might be closed at least partly. In addition, when the weather actually takes a turn to the worse, cold and rainy days can be fairly unpleasant in the south of France as in particular the older houses are lacking insulation and can feel a bit damp.
Travelling to Grasse: How to best reach Grasse on the French Riviera
Grasse is located in close proximity to some of the main spots along the French Riviera. Cannes is around 20 kilometres away, Antibes 30 kilometres and Nizza, home to the region’s international airport around 45 kilometres.
Travelling by car, you will reach Grasse from each of these locations within around 20 to 50 minutes.
There are also hourly trains from both Nice and Cannes. Departing from Nice, it takes just over one hour to arrive while the journey from Cannes takes around 25 minutes.
How much time should you allow to visit Grasse on the French Riviera
For most tourists coming to the Cote d’Azur, Grasse is a typical day trip destination. Which means, arriving around 10 am and leaving around 4 to 5 pm.
A day (six to seven hours) does indeed sound perfect for a visit to Grasse. It will give you enough time to join a perfume workshop (which typically lasts around two hours) and/or join a free tour through one of the three main perfume houses, have lunch somewhere, and stroll around the small historic town centre.
That said, packing everything into one day means a lot of activity. Therefore, if you like to take it slower, there is plenty of accommodation available for an overnight stay. This way, you could even include a trip to the flower fields around the city, with several of them open to visits.
Why it is worth to visit Grasse in the French Riviera
Dubbed as the ‘world capital of perfume’, when visiting Grasse, you will be able to learn everything about perfume you have never been aware you wanted to learn!
But seriously. The city is certainly worth a visit for a tour of one or more of the world’s leading perfume houses alone. Indeed, you could spend a whole day visiting just one of them considering all that there is to explore and learn.
Perfume however is not the only reason why Grasse is an attractive destination for at least a day trip from the nearby coast.
Visiting the historic perfume houses of France in Grasse in the French Riviera
There are around seventy perfume companies in Grasse, many local perfume shops, a perfume museum and even a perfume school.
If you wonder where to start, go for one (or more) of the three oldest French perfume houses: Fragonard, Galimard, and Molinard all have large showrooms/museums inviting visitors to dive into the process making perfume, learn about fragrances and even offering sessions where you can make your own perfume.
The youngest of the three leading perfume houses of Grasse, Maison Fragonard, was founded in 1926. It’s historic factory building – extensively refurbished in 2015 – sits at the edge of the old city centre. Today, the location hosts a perfume shop, along with the Fragonard perfume museum where you can discover the company’s historic and contemporary way of making perfume by joining a free guided tour.
If a tour through the historic factory is not enough perfume experience for you, you can also book into a perfume workshop.
Maison Molinard (to keep with the French calling), founded in 1849 is one of the oldest perfume houses of France. You can join free guided tours every 20-30 minutes which include a visit to the still-active soap factory. To learn even more about perfume, you can book a creator workshop where you can make your own perfume.
Unfortunately, my time in Grasse fell into a period of rather untypical weather for early June, which did not help to pay the stupendous Molinard factory the credit it deserves. Painted a bright dark red, you can’t miss the building located a short distance away from the historic core of Grasse. That said, the large building complex is quite impressive independently of weather condition. It is built in the typical bastide style found predominantly in the southern part of France. La Bastide describes a particular building complex mostly found in the southern parts of France. It refers to a historic building complex typically consisting of a main building surrounded by several outbuildings or barns which are connected to the main house by arcades and walls, creating a protected courtyard. And another fun fact about the building: it was designed by Gustave Eiffel (the one from the famous Eiffel Tower).
Finally, the oldest of the three, founded in 1747 is also the oldest in France and the third oldest in Europe. Maison Galimard operates a boutique at the ground floor of the prestigious Casino de Grasse where you can find the large range of perfumes.
There is also the Galimard perfume museum, which is located along the road to Cannes, around five kilometres outside of Grasse. If you do not mind the distance, the museum offers free guided tours of around one hour on seven days a week. And of course, Galimard too offers the opportunity to book a perfume creating workshop.
In case you still do not have seen and smelled enough perfume, head to Museé International de la Parfumerie, the perfume museum of Grasse. Here too, you can learn about the process of making perfume through the centuries.
Why it is worth visiting Grasse in the French Riviera beyond perfume
Most of the city’s main attractions evolve around perfume, but perfume is not the only reason to visit. Grasse spots a scenic old town. Though the city is not a poster child of Southern French picture-perfect historic towns, there are a couple of intriguing streets waiting to be explored.
A lovely way to start exploring the small city is to hop on the Petit Train de Grasse. The little train, which is sponsored by Fragonard and indeed spots the emblematic yellow with flower decoration, will take you through the historic streets of the old core in around 35 minutes. The train operates from Monday to Saturday, depending on weather conditions. It will start from the main square just opposite of the Casino approximately every 30 minutes.
Rue Jean Ossola, the main shopping street spots various small artisan shops, antique dealers, fashion and – of course – various smaller perfume shops.
The large city square (Place du 24 Aout) is the most touristy part of town though there are a few cafés worth stopping for a coffee, ice cream or even a crepe.
Personally though, I found the more interesting places to explore were those along the smaller winding alleys.
Just wander around and dive into an atmosphere of the past, with occasional views over the surrounding hills.
Notre Dame du Puy’s Cathedral, built in the 12th century is a stunning former cathedral in Romanesque style home to three paintings by famous painter Rubens and another one by Grasse native Fragonard.
Fragonard Art Museum is dedicated to the city’s most famous artist, painter Honoré Fragonard. Located in the Villeneuve Hotel, the museum displays some 15 paintings by Honoré Fragonard and few others by Marguerite Gérard and Jean-Baptise Mallet who also came from Grasse.
Look out for Place des Herbes, a square featuring market stalls where local producers will sell fresh vegetables and fruits on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) features an exquisite entrance gate and in its courtyard …
… an equally exquisite fountain by Grasse-born sculptor Camille Rabuis.
Festivals and events in Grasse
From mid-January to March, Grasse is the final destination of the 130 kilometres long Route du Mimosa (Mimosa Road), which starts in Bormes les Mimosas. Native to Australia, mimosas were first planted along the Cote d’Azur in the 1850s and the plant is flowering in the later winter months.
In mid-May, Grasse turns pink for the Pink Expo! Weekend which honours rose producers. There will be floral exhibitions, along with other festive events in the streets of Grasse.
The area inland from the Cote d’Azur is popular for its many huge lavender fields, and lavender is indeed grown around Grasse. Therefore, you might be surprised that the most celebrated plant in town is jasmine flowers. The origins of growing this exotic flower in Grasse go back to the 16th century when the city was a major trading place with the Moors who brought the flower with them. Each year in early August there is a three-day festival that celebrates the jasmine flower, the Fete du Jasmine. While not the only, this one is certainly among the city’s most popular festivals with parades and music in the streets.
Have you been to Grasse yet? If not, would you like to go? Let me know in the comments below.
Carrots and Tigers 