Grasse
Grasse, in southern Provence, is found 16 km north of Cannes. It was originally best known as a centre for leather tanners, but this gave way to perfume production, for which the town is still famous today.
It is a pleasant and quite sizable town, with an old town holding an excess of medieval buildings, narrow streets, and cafes and restaurants.
One particular highlight is the town hall - don't miss the interior courtyard, with its decorative fountain, and the view across the town centre.
There is a daily market in the main arcaded square and there are lovely views from the town.
The Cathedral Notre-Dame-de-Puy is also worth a visit - it contains three paintings by Rubens.
The town has a museum celebrating Art in Provence, and there is also an International Museum of Perfume.
Grasse Perfume
Grasse has had a prospering perfume industry since the end of the 18th century - Grasse is the center of the French perfume industry and is known as the world's perfume capital (la capitale mondiale des parfums). It produces over two-thirds of France's natural aromas (for perfume and for food flavourings). This industry turns over more than 600 million euros a year.
Grasse's particular microclimate encouraged the flower farming industry. It is warm and far enough inland to be sheltered from the sea air. There is an abundance of water thanks to its situation in the hills, and the 1860 construction of the Siagne canal for irrigation purposes. The town is 350 m above sea level and 20 km from the Coast (Côte d'Azur).
Jasmine, a key ingredient of many perfumes, was brought to the South of France by the Moors in the 16th century. Twenty-seven tonnes of jasmine are now harvested in Grasse every year.
Fête du Jasmin
There is an annual Fête du Jasmin in Grasse at the beginning of August. The first festival was on the 3 August–4 August 1946. These days, it is a big event; decorated floats drive through the town, with young women in skimpy costumes onboard throwing flowers onto the crowds. This is known as the "flower battle", and everyone gets soaked by the natural perfume of the flowers. There are also fireworks, free parties, folk music groups and street performers.
(Note: photos kindly contributed by Valerie Willis)
Visit Grasse (Provence, Alpes-Maritimes) travel, gites and hotels
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The Grasse hotels listed feature descriptions, guest reviews, ratings, location maps, online booking etc. as well as the 'best-price' guarantee. The search for hotels in Grasse is provided by booking.com. General holiday / vacation options- See Provence gites for Grasse holiday rentals - Holiday villages in Provence Holidays nearbyLooking for something close by? See a wide choice of hotels, holiday villages and holiday rentals at: VisitSee Visit Grasse for places to visit near Grasse including: a detailed map, villages in bloom and most beautiful villages DiscussAsk questions or leave a comment about Grasse in our Provence forum Airports near GrasseNice airport at 32 km Toulon airport at 105 km Grasse property for saleSee Provence property for sale
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Tourist Classifications for Grasse
- Listed as "Ville d'Art et Histoire" (ie focus on preserving the town heritage)
- approved Station Classée (resort paying particular attention to facilities for tourism)
Places to visit near Grasse, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Grasse.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
24 km: Antibes (Riviera town) 19 km: Biot (attractive town) 25 km: Cagnes-sur-Mer (Village and Chateau Grimaldi) 15 km: Cannes (Important Riviera resort) 26 km: Cap Esterel (Holiday village) 32 km: Frejus (Coastal town) 9 km: Gourdon (Most beautiful village) 23 km: Juan-les-Pins (Beach resort) 22 km: Saint-Paul-de-Vence (Popular hilltop village) 31 km: Saint-Raphael (French Riviera resort) 22 km: Vence (Attractive town)
See also Grasse (version Francais)
