Saint Tropez: autumn trip in search of the sun

TOyou arrive, you see it and it’s immediately a coup de foudre. Saint Tropez effect. Maybe it’s because of the glamorous allureit may be for that sensual touch, the town in the Var department – Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region never fails to meet expectations, even in the off-season. The weather is pleasant with sunny daysin the characteristic alleys you can walk without the summer crowds and… you can get excellent deals.

Shopping appointment

For three days (from 27 to 29 October, 9am-7pm) takes place Large Braderiethe most anticipated shopping event of the year. The traders, members of the Esprit Village association, set up outside and inside the shops, stalls and stands with super discounted goods.

A joyful collective mega-sale (and ritual). which triggers the hunt for opportunities, from bags to clothes, from tropézienne espadrilles to furnishing accessories. Unmissable.

Art and literature in St Tropez

But it’s not just the buying fever, culture is always present in Saint Tropez. After all, excellent pens such as Guy de Maupassant and the Nonconformist lived here Colette, whose 150th anniversary of birth marks this year (1873) and to pay homage to her, the city’s lighthouse, at the entrance to the port, was painted with her face by the street art artist Jean-Baptiste Colin, alias JBC.

Speaking of art, it’s from mark the exhibition in your diary Henri-Edmond Cross. Dans la Lumière du Var dedicated to the neo-impressionist painter who lived in the Var from 1891, on display until 14 November in the Musée de l’Annonciade. Former chapel from 1568 transformed into a museum, it prides itself on exhibiting the works of Paul Signac who, having arrived in Saint Tropez was the first artist to introduce it to other famous “brushes” such as Matisse and Manguin.

In the Citadel Park, however, until November 10th you can admire 12 monumental sculptures by Nicolas Lavarenne, born in 1953, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Maritime History Museum. The museum is dedicated to the ancient bond between the Tropezians and the sea, still deeply felt today also through annual events such as the Voiles d’automne regatta, on 11 and 12 November, starting from the new port. The museum is located inside the 17th century hexagonal fortification which offers an extraordinary view of the gulf from above.

BB’s St Tropez

Moving to Place Blanqui you will find the sculpture dedicated to Brigitte Bardot (inspired by a drawing by Milo Manara) and the curious Musée de la Gendarmerie et du Cinema, inaugurated in 2016 in a nineteenth-century building in what was the headquarters, from 1879 to 2003, of the military police force. In the rooms, among uniforms, objects and photos, the history of the French police force unfolds, but above all we travel through the films in which the city was the protagonist since the 1950s and 1960s in mythical films. Like the six films starring the comedian Louis de Funès in the role of the gendarme Cruchot; And God created woman with Brigitte Bardot directed in 1956 by Roger Vadim, o The pool from 1969 by Jacques Deray with Romy Schneider, Alain Delon and Jane Birkin.

From a film set, Saint Tropez has thus become synonymous with the sweet life, luxurious cars, yachts, beautiful women and fashionable clothes. A liaison with the seventh art also imprinted in the collective memory. An example? Arriving on plage de la Ponche, the little beach where some scenes of the famous film with BB were filmed. it’s easy to imagine her still there, on the beach, young and intriguing. A walkway two meters from the water connects the Ponche to the plage de la Glaye, another delightful little beach surrounded by houses in pastel tones faded by time, while behind it stands the yellow and pink bell tower of the Notre Dame de l’Assomption church, an icon of the city.

The Provençal market

As are the old port with the ocher houses that turn gold at sunset, the place Des Lices which hosts the large Provençal market on Tuesdays and Saturdayswhile on other days pétanque (bowls) games are played in the shade of the plane trees, and rue Gambetta is one of the chicest streets for shopping.

Discovering the jewel villages

The most glamorous city on the Var coast, it is also an ideal starting point for discover the territory, tinged with autumn colours. About fifteen kilometers away, perched on a hill, here it is Grimaud, typical medieval Provençal village which boasts of having 300 days of sunshine a year. It is dominated from above by the ruins of the 11th century castle, a privileged point for obtaining a magnificent view of the panorama of the Maures massif, with dense forests of chestnut, pine and oak trees, on the mill of Saint Roch (11th century) and the sea that looms on the horizon. Nothe historic core, inhabited by 500 residentsamong the cobbled alleys the church of Saint Michel in Romanesque Provençal style and the route des Templieres stand out, an ancient traders’ street with the most beautiful houses, belonging to rich families.

Another unmissable stop is Gassin, perched on a hill and with a medieval feel. The small village is known for offering the most beautiful view of the Gulf of Saint Tropez and for the Andruno, the narrowest street in the world (29 centimeters wide) which has entered the Guinness Book of Records.

From land to sea

We change scenery by aiming for the sea. The Cap Taillat area is a Caribbean dream: the sea is a fairy tale. All around there are small beaches enclosed between the rocks, reachable via a pedestrian path that starts from the larger plage de l’Escalet, beaches where you can bask in the last of the sun. The colors and scents from the world, however, are offered there Domaine du Rayol garden near the village of Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer20 kilometers from Saint Tropez. It is a protected natural site, acquired by the Conservatoire du Litoral, created by the famous landscape designer and biologist Gilles Clément. In the seven hectares of the estate, ten gardens have been created which allow you to travel around the globe through the countries they present, for the particular biodiversity, a climate similar to that of the Mediterranean even if far from the Mare Nostrum.

Thus you walk among the flora of the Canary Islands, California, Chile or remote New Zealand, in a landscape left absolutely natural, a concept that differs from classic botanical gardens.

In geography class

An imaginative tour of the planet also in the Maison Foncin ( billetterie.cavalairesurmer.fr) near Cavalaire-sur-Mer, open to the public from May 2022. This is the holiday home of Pierre Foncin (1841-1916), a famous cartographer who created the first geography book for French primary schools in 1875. In the white residence, surrounded by a 15-hectare estate, which stands alone on a hill overlooking the sea (it can only be reached on foot and can be visited by reservation, cavalairesurmer.fr, golfe-saint-tropez-information.com/en ), among vintage maps and maps, books, globes and photos, you enter another dimension and feel like an explorer of the world, but without modern GPS.

Where to sleep in St Tropez

Brin d’Azur Hotel
RD 98, Route de Saint Tropez, Gassin. It is on the road that leads to Saint Tropez, from which it is a handful of kilometers away. Recently upgraded from 3 to 4 stars, it has 30 rooms and a swimming pool in the garden. Open all year, except Christmas week. Small private beach 50 meters away. Double room in b&b from €129. hotelbrindazur.com

La Maison de Justine
570 Route du Plan de la Tour, Grimaud. Charming country house, in an authentic 19th century stone farmhouse surrounded by vineyards. About five kilometers from Grimaud, it offers four welcoming rooms, neo-Provençal settings and an outdoor swimming pool. Breakfast under the wisteria pergola when the weather permits. Double room in b&b from €95. la-maison-de-justine.com

Where to eat

Marcellinus
19 quai Jean Jaurès, Saint Tropez. Renowned restaurant overlooking the city’s old port. The kitchen, with a Sicilian chef, offers Mediterranean-Italian dishes in generous portions. From the menu: parmigiana, linguine with clams, Mediterranean octopus tentacles, sliced ​​beef. marcellinosttropez. wixsite.com/marcellino

The Navy
21 rue des Deux Ports, Port Grimaud. In the marina of the seaside resort founded in the 1960s and designed by the architect Francois Spoerry (1912-1999), inspired by Venice. The restaurant, open a few meters from the boat landing stage leading to Saint Tropez, offers French-Mediterranean cuisine.

What to buy

Mana
2 Rue de la Citadelle, Saint Tropez. The brand of the young and lively sisters Sabrina and Marie De La Cruz has existed for 6 years, but this is the new headquarters, in the historic center near the port. They make bags with straw and raffia, handmade and personalized. The shop closes at the beginning of November and then reopens during the Christmas period. manasainttropez.com

Swallows
18-18 bis rue Georges Clémenceau, Saint Tropez. Historic shop of the Rondini artisan family, now in its fourth generation. They have been producing tropéziennes sandals made strictly by hand and tailor-made since 1927. The laboratory is exposed, adjacent to the shop, but also extends over two other floors in what was the home of the founder Dominique.

INFO
france.fr/it – visitvar.fr – sainttropeztourisme.com/it

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