Discover and book the top Grimaud sights
Some 50 white marble sculptures by Maria de Faykod, renowned sculptor with numerous existing works. She had the original idea to open a garden which exhibit some of her work to the public.
Maria de Faykod's work is about where beauty, movement and constant transformation of the human form meet with nature in perfect harmony. Due to the artists continued creativity the exhibition is continually expanding and changing.
Acquired in 2001 the Commanderie de Peyrassol, an old Knights Templar staging post, is now one of the outstanding vineyards of Provence. Its reds, whites and rosés are to be found in the finest dining establishments in France and throughout the world.
Their main products are
Located around the grounds is a large collection of modern art sculptures from a range of International artists.
Guest dining at the Commanderie de Peyrassol allows visitors to take a gourmet break on a sunlit terrace at the heart of a square formed by the various buildings of the domaine. It offers cuisine with a distinctly Provençal flavour, accompanied by our own wines. Our chef Guillaume Delaune will welcome you with a different menu each day, based on his own inspiration and the produce in season. Table d’hôte dining is offered from Easter until mid-October.
You can also stay in their guest accommodation for a weekend to really explore the site.
Visiting dates and times are as follows:
Winter (16 October – 14 April):
Our cellar is open from 09.00 until 18.00 Monday to Friday and from 10.00 until 18.00 on Saturdays. Closed on Sunday.
Summer (15 April – 15 October):
Our cellar is open seven days a week from 09.00 until 19.00.
Visits to the wine storehouses are organised every day at 11.00, 14.30 and 17.00. A wine tasting rounds off this gastronomic and educational tour.
Discover the rhythm of the central Var, situated between the Verdon and the Sainte-Victoire (painted by Cezanne) in the north and the beaches of the coast in the south, this is a truly beautiful region.
The villages of this are have retained their typical Provencal character with narrow streets, fountains and weekly markets. This journey will take you aboard a railcar 50s (Picasso), 60 (Caravelle) or 80 (X 2200). Commentary is provided that will give you local and historical information, as well as tourist tips and cultural facts.
Not counting the stop-overs the ride takes about 1 hour from Carnoules to Brignoles and 2 hours to St-Maximin.
Located halfway between Carnoules and Brignoles, the St. Anastasia station was renovated by the town hall. All of the trains stop here at lunch time. At this station you will find a souvenir shop with T-shirt, caps and postcards, plus Provençal products whose producers are installed along the line: Besse on Issole wines, jams of St. Anastasia and honey from Camps la Source (subject to availability!). You will be able to picnic along the Issole, or if you prefer the restaurant, the Bar des Amis is located just 300m away.
These tourist trains operate between April and October, although dates and times may vary so please check with them in advance to avoid disappointment.
These caves were formed some 700,000 years at the end of the last ice age. They are the the result of a slow calcification of plants and mosses in a huge waterfall that covered the whole of the current cliff.
The caves and a large part of the fields around the village belonged to the Benedictine monks of the abbey of Saint-Victor de Marseille. They used the caves, still in their natural state, as places of refuge in case of raids conducted by the Saracens in the 10th century.
This is a rock cut settlement above the present day village of La Garde, which was where the original inhabitants lived.
Houses, steps a chapel and a moat were all cut into the rock to make it habitable, but the name 'Fort' belies its actual use as a functioning village and not a military camp.
This fortified village controlled the route to the gulf of Saint-Tropez which, at the time, was called “Le Freinet”, the ash-tree, because it was peculiarly characteristic of the plain of Grimaud and its surroundings.
Archaeologists had hoped to find some evidence of the well-known tradition – that these were the ruins of a Saracen fortress, from which the Muslims of Spain launched their raids in Provence and beyond, between the end of the ninth and the end of the tenth century, but in fact they only found the trace of a medieval village society of about thirty houses.
The inhabitants stayed a little more than a hundred years, leaving at the end of the twelfth century before descending to found the present village of La Garde-Freinet.
Towering an incredible 80 metres above ground this rock face is home to numerous crevices and cave dwellings.
At some point during the last two million years, the River Cassole flowed over the rock face and formed the petrified waterfalls and cave dwellings that attract visitors to the site today. Originally the village was situated right at the base of this huge waterfall so these caves served as shelters for both residents and their animals. However, in more recent years the river was diverted so that it now turns to the east of the village and flows into the Argens.
The rock face is 400m wide but there is a short, steep (and pretty hairy!) climb through some of the grottos to the top where you will find a splendid viewpoint over the village and surrounding area near the Saracen Towers ("les tours arrasines").
Entry fee: €2 and guided visits are available
One of the famous Cistercian abbeys, the Abbaye du Thoronet was built in the late 12th century. This is a magical place, set in beautiful countryside of the Var. The abbey is wonderfully tranquil, surrounded as it is by woods and small streams.
Consisting of a simple church, dormitories, charter house and cloister, the lack of decoration reflects the Cistercian way of life where manual labour and self sufficiency are highly valued. Guided tours are available or you can wander around on your own.
The 17th century castle was first restored by Scottish artist Ian McGarvie-Munn in the 1970's. It's current owner, Alain Gayral has redecorated the castle with genuine antique furniture, paintings and tapestries.
La Plaine des Maures is the first natural park in the Var department, to the north west of Saint Tropez. It is renowned for it's umbrella pines and cork oak trees, and is rich in fauna and flora.
Forming a geographical entity with the Massif des Maures, it is bordered by limestone hills in the north and west. This magnificent landscape is often compared to the African savannah and is unique in France. Parasol pines amid pink sandstone outcrops and sparse cork oak scrubland are set against the blue background of the Massif des Maures. The unusual Permian geomorphology and climatic conditions within the Plaine des Maures have formed a unique collection of ecosystems which are home to a rich array of fauna and flora.
La Plaine des Maures is home to many Hermann's tortoises and is subject of a national action plan to preserve their natural habitat.
There are several trails available for hikers, mountain bikers and horse riders.
Note that these trails are not overly managed so may be a little rocky or sparse in places. Sign posts are placed at the main junctions. Some trails you may like to explore include:
This chapel was originally built after a local woodsman saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary in the clouds above the site in 1519. The first stone for the building was laid a month after the vision.
The chapel still holds services to this day and is a place that many people make pilgrimages to.
There is a shop on site where you can buy books and a drink.
The church of Saint Leger sits amongst the narrow cobbled medieval streets in the very pretty little town that is Seillans.
Built in the eleventh century, it was rebuilt in the late fifteenth century and was then restored in 2000. It became the real religious centre of the village at the XVII century.
The clock tower dates from as far back as 1561. Its facade is topped by two towers of unequal height, one is surmounted by a finely crafted campanile that houses the clock, the other turn serves as bell tower.
Inside there are paintings from the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, a triptych from the sixteenth century and two altarpieces from the seventeenth century.
A small bust with a plaque beneath houses a piece of bone from St Leger
A great way to discover the religious heritage of the area and a great example of Romanesque architecture.
Nestled in lush greenery this chapel of the XII century, holds many treasures. You will find an early Christian fragment chancel, carved pulpit of the seventeenth century, votive offerings and its wonderful baroque altarpiece from the sixteenth century.
Located in Collobireres, the old Carthusian monastery of Our Lady of La Verne is close in distance from the major tourist towns.
The Romanesque church was built in 1174, however in 1264 and 1271 it was burned down. It wasn't until the sixteenth century that the present chapel and the great south gate were built.
The current Chartreuse is a lovely and imposing set of buildings, completely isolated in a hilly forest of pine, oak and chestnut, overlooking the artificial lake, Lac de la Verne.
The drive up to the monastery is a beautiful scenic trip. A community of nuns still lives in the building, making ceramics and other crafts for sale at their shop.