Our villas in Grasse are in the leafy outskirts of the town which is well serviced by a number of excellent hypermarkets and shops as well as clothes shops, cafes and restaurants, all given a little extra style due to frequent association with the towns perfume industry.

Grasse is a handsome, fascinating, small/medium sized town located in the French Riviera. It is a commune of the Alpes Maritimes department and is located at 350 metres, 20km inland from the coast at Cannes.

It is this unique location which allowed Grasse to establish itself as the perfume capital of the world. The climate in Grasse is close to perfect and ideal for growing flowers which were cultivated here from the 18th century and incorporated into perfumes which became renowned worldwide. Over 25 tons of Jasmine, a key perfume ingredient, are reportedly produced in Grasse each year and there is an annual festival to commemorate the plant, usually at the beginning of August, which is accompanies by musicians and general festivities.

The climate is very warm and sunny, but being a little higher and back from the coast it is very pleasant, enjoying gentle breezes and less clammy evenings than resorts by the sea. There is also an abundance of water from the mountains behind and the Saigne canal, constructed in 1860 for the purpose of irrigation, makes sure it is well channeled.

The perfume industry and spin off aroma business such as Manne still thrive today and many of the big name perfumeries such as Fragonard, Molinard and Galimard are open to visitors who come from around the world to understand the subtleties of perfumes. In the novel Perfume by Patrick Susking, Grasse is the setting of the final chapters. Grasse is both a tourist resort and a real working town.

Grasse has a lovely old centre built around the Sarecen tower and the cathedral (founded in the 11th century), its streets are mainly pedestrianised and link to various pretty squares which also accommodate the markets.

From Grasse it is easy to get to the coast at Cannes, Nice or Saint Raphael and Frejus which allows for a good variety of resorts, beaches and creeks. In the hills behind there is the magnificent Gorge du Loup and pretty hilltop villages such as, Gourdon, Saint Paul de Vence, Fayence and Vence. There is a handy train service from Grasse as well as regular buses to Nice. Just a short drive down the valley is Mougins which is excellent for dining out.

For the active there is plenty to do in the area including cycling, hiking, tennis (tennis club Plaine le Vignal) and riding (club Hippique de la Brague or Pony Club Ecole Equitation). There are numerous golf course including the Golf country club de Saint Donat and the Golf du Grande Bastide. Paracending and canyoning are also available.

Market day is Sunday – place du cours
Flower market day is - Saturday