Grasse

Visit Grasse, Provence

Grasse is situated 16 km north of Cannes in southern Provence. The town was originally best known as a centre for leather tanners, but this gave way to perfume production, for which the town is still famous today.

There is an International Museum of Perfume here and four important perfume producers are still based in the town and can be visited. But there is much more to Grasse than perfume...

Explore Grasse

Grasse is a pleasant and quite sizable town, with the old town and region around Place aux Aires a good place to start your visit. The old town has a good number of medieval buildings and a great deal of character - it is very much a traditional provencal town despite being such a popular tourist destination.

Many of the narrow houses are painted in pastel orange colours to brighten the narrow streets, and there are numerous shops, cafes and restaurants in the open squares that you will discover as you explore. Among the places of particular historical importance in Grasse are:

- the 12th century Cathedral Notre-Dame-de-Puy is worth a visit. It is the most important historical monument in Grasse and dominated by a tall square belltower. The cathedral also contains three paintings by Rubens.

- adjacent to the cathedral is the town hall - don't miss the interior courtyard, with its decorative fountain, and the view across the town centre, while behind the cathedral there are open views north across the surrounding hills

- the stone square tower close to here is the Sarrasin tower and was originally the watchtower for Grasse

A daily market is held in the main arcaded square in the center of Grasse.

One slightly curious feature to Grasse - while the town centre is impeccable, if you wander 100 metres off the well-trodden tourist path you find yourself in a different environment, much more 'down to earth' with original 'unpainted' houses along alleys with washing hanging out to dry - a different experience altogether to the 'tourist centre'.

There are two Grasse tourist offices but neither is in the old town - both are on the broad boulevard that runs along the north-west side of the historical centre, one near the Palais de Congress and the other a few hundred metres along the same road (remember I told you, otherwise they are hard to find - without the map from the tourist office...!)

Unfortunately the map the tourist office  provide is also missing many street and place names and largely incomprehensible because the writing is too small to read...but it does include information about where to find some of the more interesting little highlights so still worth getting hold of.

Museums

As well as the popular Museum of Perfume there is also a museum celebrating Art in Provence, and others dedicated to Marine activities and the Fragonard perfume company.

Grasse Perfume

Grasse has had a prospering perfume industry since the end of the 18th century - Grasse is the center of the French perfume industry and is known as the world's perfume capital (la capitale mondiale des parfums). It produces over two-thirds of France's natural aromas (for perfume and for food flavourings). This industry turns over more than 600 million euros a year.

Grasse's particular microclimate encouraged the flower farming industry. It is warm and far enough inland to be sheltered from the sea air. There is an abundance of water thanks to its situation in the hills, and the 1860 construction of the Siagne canal for irrigation purposes. The town is 350 m above sea level and 20 km from the Coast (Côte d'Azur).

Jasmine, a key ingredient of many perfumes, was brought to the South of France by the Moors in the 16th century. Twenty-seven tonnes of jasmine are now harvested in Grasse every year. The perfumeries in Grasse that are open to the public include Fragonard (you can visit the ancient factory); Galimard; Molinard and Bouchera.

Fête du Jasmin

There is an annual Fête du Jasmin in Grasse at the beginning of August. The first festival was on the 3 August–4 August 1946. These days, it is a big event; decorated floats drive through the town, with young women in skimpy costumes onboard throwing flowers onto the crowds. This is known as the "flower battle", and everyone gets soaked by the natural perfume of the flowers. There are also fireworks, free parties, folk music groups and street performers.

Photos of Grasse (click any picture to start the gallery)

Tourist classifications for Grasse: Village in bloom (ville fleurie) 3*; Listed town of Art and History; 'Historical protected town centre' (secteur sauvegardé);

Suggested places to visit near Grasse, France

Distances shown are direct, driving distances will be greater.

More suggestions: Mougins 9km; Saint-Cezaire-sur-Siagne 10km; Valmasque Parc 11km; Mandelieu-la-Napoule 12km; Tourrettes-sur-Loup 13km; Montauroux 13km; Cannes 14km; Biot 14km; Callian 14km; Saint-Paul-de-Vence 17km; Theoule-sur-Mer 17km; Vence 17km; Mons 17km; Juan-les-Pins 18km; Tourrettes 18km; Cagnes-sur-Mer 18km;

See these places and more on a map at places near Grasse

Grasse tourism: sights and attractions nearby

Jardin de la Villa Fort de France - remarkable garden (1km) : Grottes de Saint-Cezaire - site of natural beauty (9km) : Abbaye de Lerins (Cannes) - religious monument (14km) : Parc du château de la Napoule - remarkable garden (15km) : Jardin botanique de la villa Thuret - remarkable garden (18km) : Le Vallon du Brec - remarkable garden (18km) : Baou de Saint-Jeannet - site of natural beauty (20km) : Jardin botanique - remarkable garden (28km) :

French version: see Grasse (Francais)