Nicknamed the "Little Venice of Provence," the village of Grimaud in the Var region is well worth the detour and deserves a long stop.
Labeled "Remarkable Contemporary Architecture," Port Grimaud is one of the most famous lakeside towns in the world...
A Little History...
The name Grimaud supposedly comes from the name of a former large landowner from the 8th or 9th century, a Germanic barbarian passing through the area who stayed and bought land.
But a legend persists: that of Ghibellin de Grimaldi, the first lord of Grimaud, who received the lordship in gratitude from William the Liberator for his help in expelling the Saracens from the region.
A very rich heritage...
Grimaud is first and foremost a medieval center perched on a promontory, with cobbled streets, picturesque golden stone facades, and pastel shutters.
It also boasts a religious heritage with six monuments, two churches, and four chapels, as well as several roadside oratories, such as the Oratory of Saint Joseph.
But the village's most famous monument is the medieval castle, which majestically watches over the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding area.
This medieval remnant, steeped in history, houses astonishing remains, notably its towers and stone walls.
Grimaud is also home to its Heritage Museum, which allows visitors to discover the village as it once was. Housed in several buildings that were not originally connected—a village house, a former forge, and the old oil mill, dating from the 16th century—it showcases the folk arts and traditions of Provence of yesteryear.
Another memorial site is the Maison des Arcades, a former bourgeois house open to the public since 2018, which hosts exhibitions from Grimaud Town Hall.
Also worth seeing is the Saint-Roch windmill, dating from the 15th century and one of the town's four windmills. Every year, on the last Sunday in June, the Grimaud Mill and Small Local Heritage Festival is celebrated. It's an opportunity to demonstrate how the Saint-Roch mill works, how wheat is threshed, and more.
Another attraction is the Pont des Fées, a former aqueduct that brought water to the village in the 16th and 17th centuries, and which was listed as a "remarkable site" in 1927.
Finally, we can't forget the walk in the Massif des Maures with its Hermann's tortoises...
The village of Carnoules, about twenty kilometers from Brignoles, is home to the Tortupôle, a site that allows you to learn all about the Maures tortoises and 50 species from around the world, representing more than 1,600 tortoises.
Grimaud Tourist Office
679 Route Nationale
83310 Grimaud
Tel.: +33 4 94 55 43 83
https://www.grimaud-provence.com/
