A little history
The village’s inhabitants are known as Fraxinois, reminiscent of the Moorish settlement known as Fraxinet that was here between the 9th and 10th centuries. The original settlement was on the hilltop where the archaeological site of ‘Fort Freinet’ is sited. From the end of the 14th century, the population starting leaving the Fort to settle in the La Garde pass, which was easier to access. The new small town was called La Garde-Freinet. The village grew hugely in the 19th century due to the cork industry.
Whilst wandering around the village, look out for the church, which dates back to 1789, and the one remaining flour mill of the five that used to exist here. Also the old wash house and the fountain dating from 1812. There are two museums to visit: ‘Musée de la Colombophilie’ (carrier pigeon museum) and the ‘Conservatoire du Patrimoine du Freinet’ (Folk Museum).
Le Massif des Maures
The countryside set back from the coast is called the Massif des Maures where the hills are thickly covered with cork oaks, chestnut trees and umbrella pines. It’s a great area for scenic drives and active pursuits such as hiking, mountain biking and horse riding.
Collobrières, in the heart of the Massif, is a characterful little town famous for ‘marrons glacés’ (sugared chestnuts).
Grimaud & Port Grimaud
Nearby Grimaud is an interesting medieval township dominated by the hilltop castle. There is a charming museum, the Museum of Folk, displaying goods of an everyday nature from past epochs.
Heading down to the coast you will come to Port Grimaud. The boats here won’t be as big as some of those in St Tropez, but there is a very pleasant village feel to this port: it was built by French architect Francois Spoerry, who obtained permission in 1966 to build a ‘Lake Village’ on land reclaimed from the sea. The concept was that there should be islands linked by bridges, a bit like Venice, and each property should have its own mooring. The last phase was finished in 2006 and now there are 2,900 properties there. It is the third most visited site in France after the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Mont St Michel in Normandy, so please don’t expect to have it all to yourselves during the summer!
St Tropez & Ramatuelle
Whilst La Garde-Freinet is blissfully located among wooded hills which can feel miles from the crowds, for those who are inclined, the bustle and glamour of St Tropez is not far away.
An international tourist Mecca, St Tropez teems with life and indeed can be crazily busy in high summer. One way to avoid the worst traffic is to take a ferry from Port Grimaud. The very pretty harbour is surrounded by some lovely multi-coloured houses, and the huge private yachts and designer boutiques are impressive to behold. Sights include the Place des Lices (Tuesday and Saturday morning markets) and the Citadel (with stunning views across the bay).
There are a handful of public beaches to the north-east of the town but perhaps better for a day at the beach would be the long dune-backed beaches of Ramatuelle. These have a lovely unspoilt feel without high-rise or too much development.
The village of Ramatuelle itself sits above the bay. Laid out in a spiral shape, the medieval buildings are well preserved, as is the way of life, giving visitors a flavour of traditional Provence. In the summer, there are many open workshops and arts & crafts on display
