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AN INCREDIBLE REGION !GORGES DU VERDON, CASTELLANE, GRASSE & ITS PERFUMES ...

In the summer, the Haut-Pays around the Animal Reserve of the Monts d’Azur has even more tourist attractions: unspoiled nature suitable for hiking, outdoor sports activities (canyoning, rafting, climbing, paragliding, etc.) but also many perched villages typical of the Préalpes d’Azur.

 

The Gorges du Verdon are less than an hour from the Reserve. This canyon is one of the most beautiful in Europe, with its huge red cliffs plunging into the emerald green waters of the river.

But the Haut-Pays also has vestiges of ancient human occupation seen in the perched villages of the Provençal Pre-Alps: Fayence, Callian, Montauroux, Mons, Vence, or Gourdon known to be one of the most beautiful villages in France.

 

And if you feel like it, discover Grasse, an old town with a Provençal feel. World capital of perfume, Grasse has great traditional perfumeries such as Fragonard, Galimard or Molinard and most recently opened the International Museum of Perfumery.

It is possible to visit the perfumery where the Fragonard perfumes are designed. It will be an unforgettable visit for your senses.

WATER ACTIVITIESIsn't it nice to cool off in a river or a lake in this summer heat ?

Near La Réserve are the Gorges du Verdon, the Sainte-Croix lake, the Saint-Cassien lake, magnificent natural sites with splendid landscapes and varied activities: swimming, hiking, rafting, canyoning, boating, etc.

VERDON GORGE - GOERGES DU VERDON

“Here is more than far away, it’s elsewhere”, said Jean Giono about the Gorges du Verdon.

 

The Verdon has its source near the Col d’Allos. In the limestone plateaus of Haute-Provence, between Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, the river has dug a 50 km canyon, reaching in some places a depth of 700 metres, to end up in the magnificent lake of Sainte-Croix.

 

The Gorges du Verdon are the highest in Europe. Be enchanted by the warm emerald waters of the Verdon and you can practise hiking, rafting and canyoning there.

SAINTE-CROIX LAKE

The Lac Sainte-Croix is an artificial lake resulting from the construction of the Sainte-Croix dam on the Verdon, in 1975. Find tourist facilities, car parks and picnic areas. You will always find a small quiet corner to enjoy the calm and gentleness of the lake.

SAINT-CASSIEN LAKE

The Lac Saint-Cassien is a dam lake in the Var department: swim, relax, and fish carp.

You can also observe the protected fauna of La Réserve ornithologique de Fondurane to the west of the lake. Easily accessible, the lake of Saint-Cassien will seduce you with its raw landscapes and its soothing calm.

 

Access: About 40 minutes from La Réserve. Scenic  route through hilltop villages.
Take the direction of Saint-Vallier. At the exit of Saint-Vallier, turn right towards Cabris. Then follow direction Montauroux .

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

THE VIA SOUTERRATA

Barely 15 minutes from La Réserve. Follow the direction Andon-La Moulière.

This unique activity allows you to go caving, 40 metres underground. A world first! Guaranteed sensations!

 

Lou Pais de Quail

2509 route de la Plaine

06 750 Quail

Tel: 33 – (0)4 93 60 34 51

www.lou-pais.com/via_souterrata 

GREO’ BRANCHES

Fifteen minutes from the Domaine du Haut-Thorenc, the winter sports resort of Gréolières offers a tree climbing activity all summer long. Zip lines, rope bridges, footbridges, tree trunks…

 

Tel: 33 – (0)4.93.59.73.17 / 33 – (0)6.61.93.10.51

jean-maurice.ollivier@orange.fr

GROTTE DE LA BAUME – CAVE EXPLORATION

The Baume cave and its surroundings, in particular the wild canyons of the Haute Siagne, are a delight for nature lovers and for visitors in search of authenticity and the picturesque.

www.baumeobscure.com 

THE CAUSSOLS PLATEAU AND OBSERVATORY

Dotted with multiple holes, it is an almost lunar landscape where plants, thistles and wild lavender grow. The Caussols plateau is an ideal place to walk or find some fossils. You will also see the observatory and various meteorological facilities.

THE VILLAGES

The circuit of the high villages of the Pays de Grasse

We invite you to discover some of the most beautiful perched villages of the department, but also Grasse, world capital of perfumes. The distance between each of the 4 sites is approximately 20 minutes.

SEILLANS

Seillans is labelled “one of the most beautiful villages in France,” with its cobbled streets leading to the pretty shaded square of Thouron and its superbly flowered fountain. There is a Flower Festival which takes place in June every two years.

 

Office du Tourisme de Seillans

Place du Thouron Maison Waldberg

83440 Seillans

Tel : 33 – (0)4 94 76 85 91

ot.seillans@wanadoo.fr

www.seillans.fr

FAYENCE

Fayence, capital of the canton, is a village perched at an altitude of 350 m, dominated by the Clock Tower, next to the site of the former castle of the Bishops of Fréjus. Through the winding streets, discover Fayence, with the Porte Sarrazine, the 13th-century ramparts, the Four du Mitan (16th century), the Watchtower, the Church of St Jean Baptiste….

See a Panoramic view the Var high country, from Mont Lachens to the Estérel Massif. Fayence is also a renowned International Gliding Centre. For amateurs, possibilities of aerial walks in a glider from where you can discover a bird’s-eye view of the villages.

 

Office du Tourisme de Fayence

Place Léon roux

83,440 FAYENCE

Tel: 33 – (0)4 94 76 20 08

ot.fayence@wanadoo.fr

TOURETTES

Tourrettes and its Château du Puy built in 1830 on the model of the Cadet School of St Petersburg. Also worth seeing, in the old village, is the St André church (11th century) and further down, near the Boudoura car park, the Chapel of the Penitents (15th century).

At the foot of the village flows the Chautard stream and further south is the Golf de Terre Blanche.

Possibilities from Tourrettes of aerial walks.

 

Office du Tourisme de Tourrettes

Place de la Mairie

83440 Tourrettes

Tel: 33 – (0)4 94 39 98 14

j-raynaud@mairie-tourrettes-83.fr

www.mairie-tourrettes-83.fr

CALLIAN

Callian is built in a spiral around its feudal castle. It is surrounded by wooded hills of oaks and conifers.

In the heart of the village, you’ll find a pretty little square with its green fountain and gentle waterfall, the 17th-century parish church with bell tower with glazed tiles, and the 12th-century Chapel of the Penitents.

 

Office du Tourisme de Callian

3, Place Bourguignon

83440 Callian

Tel: 33 – (0)4 94 47 75 77

tourisme-callian@wanadoo.fr

www.ot-callian.com

MONTAUROUX

A thirteenth-century village with its Romanesque church and its surprising Chapel dedicated to St-Barthélémy whose religious and profane paintings entirely line the interior.

Visit to the north-east of the village, the Siagne river spanned by the Pont des Tuves, a picturesque site inviting you to stroll and swim and to the south, the Château de la Colle Noire, the last home of fashion designer Christian DIOR whose the grave is at Callian.

 

Office du Tourisme de Montauroux

Place du Clos

83,440 MONTAUROUX

Tel: 33 – (0)4 94 47 75 90

montauroux.tourisme@wanadoo.fr

www.montauroux.com

GOURDON AND ITS CASTLE

A high village dominating the Loup valley at almost 500 metres, Gourdon also overlooks the Riviera offering a very nice view of the Nice coast. With its narrow streets, restaurants and shops, Gourdon will seduce you with its picturesque charm.

Visit: historical museum, French gardens of Le Nôtre, Italian terrace, medieval garden and Provençal garden

The construction of the impressive Château de Gourdon began in the 9th century and ended in 1653.

Guided tours only

 

Office du Tourisme de Gourdon

Place Victoria 06620 Gourdon

Tel: 33 – (0)4.93.09.68.25

sygourdon@wanadoo.fr

Château de Gourdon

04 93 09 68 02

contact@chateau-gourdon.com

www.chateau-gourdon.com

AURIBEAU-SUR-SIAGNE

Auribeau-sur-Siagne is a pretty little village in the Tanneron massif, famous for its flowering of mimosas in February. Fortifications, small alleys, churches, mills are all attractions in this 11th century perched village that will seduce you for sure!

Syndicat d’initiative d’Auribeau-su-Siagne

Place en L’Aïre

06810 Auribeau-sur-Siagne

Tel: +33-4 93 40 79 56

CABRIS

Cabris is a charming little village in the hinterland of Grasse. You can stroll through its narrow streets, have a coffee under the shaded terraces or relax on the large meadow at the entrance to the village. From the Place du Château, built in 997 (only a few ruins remain), you will have an unobstructed view of the Côte d’Azur, from the Esterel to Nice, passing by the Lérins islands and the lake of Saint -Cassian.

 

Office du Tourisme de Cabris

4 rue de la Porte Haute

06530 CABRIS

Tel: 33 – (0)4.93.60.55.63

tourisme.cabris@libertysurf.fr

GRASSE, WORLD CAPITAL OF PERFUMES

From La Réserve, via the gorgeous road of Saint-Vallier, you can get to Grasse in just under 40 minutes.

The city is built on a slope, on a drop of 400 metres, the old town is full of small alleys and magnificent squares conducive to strolling. Find many craft shops, restaurants and cafes.

Grasse, city of Art and History, has no less than five museums and its Notre Dame du Puy Cathedral (12th century).

 

L’Office du Tourisme de Grasse

Palais des Congrès

22, Cours Honoré Cresp

06130 GRASSE

Tel : +33-4 93 36 66 66

info@grasse.fr

www.grasse.fr

GRASSE PERFUMERS

The perfumers of Grasse open their doors to the public for free guided tours. Houses renowned for their skill, they offer an exciting experience in the mysterious alchemy of fragrances through ancient or modern raw materials and manufacturing processes…

 

FRAGONARD

Visit the manufacturing laboratory and modern production processes (chromatography), of the workshop and its packaging line, and of the soap factory. The tour introduces the visitor to the different methods of extracting and processing raw materials. In the spring, the visit ends in the flower garden where the main essences used in Grasse perfumery grow: May rose, lavender, broom, mock orange, honeysuckle.

 

The Flower Factory
Les Quatre Chemins, Route de Cannes.
06130 Grasse
Tel : 33 – (0)4 93 77 94 30
tourisme@fragonard.com
www.fragonard.com
Open every day from 9am to 6.30pm.

HISTORIC FACTORY AND PERFUME MUSEUM

Visit the perfumer’s laboratory, the distillery, the workshop, the art rooms, the artisanal packaging workshop and the soap factory. In the museum, the collection presents perfume bottles and objects, from antiquity to the present day, from the most primitive to the most moving forms.

Terracotta perfume flasks, kohl vases, perfume burners, ointment jars, bergamot and travel kits retrace 3000 years of history.

 

Historic Factory and Perfume Museum
20, bd Fragonard – 06130 Grasse
Tel: 33 – (0)4 93 36 44 65
tourisme@fragonard.com
www.fragonard.com
Open all year from 9h to 18h30.

GALIMARD

Galimard Perfumery
73, route de Cannes – 06130 Grasse
Tel : 33 – (0)4 93 09 20 00
www.galimard.com
Open all year around

MOLINARD

Open from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (closed between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. and on Sundays from October to March inclusive, except school holidays).

Open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., 7 days a week in July & August.

 

Molinard Perfumery
60, Bd. Victor Hugo – 06130 Grasse
Tel: 33 – (0)4 93 36 01 62
tourisme@molinard.com
http://www.molinard.com

INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF PERFUME

The International Museum of Perfume traces the history of perfumes, but also soaps, make-up and cosmetics, for 4000 years. Discover all the stages of the creation of a perfume, from the harvesting and processing of raw materials to the launch of the finished product.

 

International Perfume Museum

8, place du Cours – 06130 Grasse
Tel : 33 – (0)4 97 05 58 00
Timetable:
June 1st to September 30th: 10am-12.30pm & 1.30pm-6.30pm
October 1st to May 31st: 10am-12.30pm & 2pm-5.30pm

sweets

LA MAISON FLORIANCONFECTIONERY IN NICE AND GORGES DU LOUP

Since 1921, the Confiserie-Chocolaterie FLORIAN based in the Port of Nice and in the Gorges du Loup transforms the citrus fruits of the Riviera like the flowers of the Pays de Grasse (rose, jasmine, violet) into delicious original delicacies.

 

From Monday to Sunday, the free guided tour of the production workshops, followed by a tasting, discover the great secrets of production & the flavour of candied fruits, crystallized flower petals, citrus fruit and flower jams, sour candies or even chocolate-confectioners, …

 

At Carnival, Easter and Christmas, the visit also allows you to witness the creation of more than 600 hand-painted chocolate subjects (except weekends and public holidays).

Finally, the Gorges site even offers the opportunity to discovery the “Citrus and flower garden”.

 

New Opening: a Florian Boutique in the Village of Gourdon and in the heart of the Historic Center of Grasse; Find  “La Boutique du Chocolat” in Pont-du-Loup, a 100% chocolate shop with exclusive products.

ECOLE DES FILLESRESTAURANT IN BAR SUR LOUP

This former school transformed into a restaurant is pleased to welcome you to its bucolic setting.

You can enjoy cuisine inspired by the seasons and made only with fresh products.

In the summer you can enjoy its terrace in the shade of the lime tree. We are waiting for you.

 

Tel: 04 93 09 40 20