Destinations Menu
RSS
FRANCE | Western Côte d’Azur, France Travel Guide
Thursday, November 14, 2024
3 Of 4
Grimaud
Castle ruins in Grimaud, France (cc)
Photo: Edmond Mersch
Grimaud
Grimaud, a town named for the Grimaldis who once ruled it, dominated the Gulf of St. Tropez until the 17th century. The ruins of its castle can still be seen from the nearby coast. Grimaud’s strategic coastal overview has meant that it has been continuously occupied since Roman times. It is a jewel of medieval and early medieval architecture with three separate and completely preserved chapels (one almost 1,000 years old), a recently restored windmill and an aqueduct known as the “fairy bridge.”
Any place this pretty and this close to the Riviera is bound to be crowded in the summer. Try to get an early start to avoid the hordes and enjoy strolling along tiny lanes, between doll-sized houses to hidden squares awash with flowers. The hills leading up to the medieval village are criss-crossed with forest paths, many opening out onto terrific views over St. Tropez and the surrounding beaches.
You would not be far wrong if you thought that nearby Port Grimaud, laced with canals, looks a bit too perfect for the 16th-century village that it appears to be. It is, in fact, a Disneyesque fantasy – a marina and village built by developers since the 1960s. Mostly private and residential, it has a small number of public moorings available in each of its three marinas. The town also has several small but immaculate sand beaches along the route to Ste Maxime.
Last updated March 15, 2012
Posted in France | Western Côte d’Azur
Explore the Destination
Amenities and Resources
Overview
Hotels(78)
Restaurants(36)
Attractions(23)
Activities(44)
Map 
Weather Forecast
- Reported on:
Thu, 11/14/2024 - 10:00
- Reported on:
Trending Themes:
Guides to Popular Ski Resorts
-
Ischgl is a small mountain village turned hip ski resort, with massive appeal among the party-hearty young crowds. It is... Read More
-
Andorra la Vella is its own little world, and not just because it’s a 290-square-mile independent principality (a fifth the... Read More
-
Bariloche (officially San Carlos de Bariloche) is the place to be seen. It is to Argentina what Aspen is to the... Read More
-
Aspen is America's most famous ski resort. And that's an understatement. For, as a ski complex, Aspen is unsurpassed. Its... Read More
-
Zermatt is a small but glamorous mountain resort town, with a population of approximately 5,700. It is one of Switzerland's... Read More
-
St. Moritz is a glitzy, alpine resort town in the celebrated Engadin Valley of Switzerland, with huge notoriety as the... Read More
-
Lake Tahoe is the premier lake resort of America, and the largest alpine lake in all of North America. It is an absolutely... Read More
-
St. Anton, Sankt Anton am Arlberg in German, is Austria's premier ski-bum resort! It's actually a small village cum... Read More
-
Kitzbühel, a small, Tyrolian resort town in the Kitzbüheler Alps, comes with international renown and huge snob appeal, and... Read More