Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
du MIP (
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)
, are wonderful. You see where the flowers come from and get a chance to meet the people
who grow them.
Any fragrant walks in the region?
St-Honorat (
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)
is an olfactory paradise, with eucalyptus, pine trees,
dry wood and vine. I would also recommend the Estérel (
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)
in May, when the maquis shrub
cistus
is in
bloom.
Where would you recommend for lunch?
In Grasse I like the Café des Musées (
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)
- the decor is very
Fragonard and it has delicious ice creams. In Cannes I like Vegaluna (
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)
: the chef cooks with fresh, sea-
sonal products, and the atmosphere is very relaxed.
Sights & Activities
Attractions in Grasse focus on its celebrated perfume industry, a nice change from tradi-
tional sights and activities.
Musée International de la Parfumerie
PERFUME MUSEUM
(MIP;
www.museesdegrasse.com
; 2 bd du Jeu de Ballon; adult/child €3/
free; 11am-6pm Wed-Mon; )
This whizz-bang museum is a work of art. Housed in
renovated 18th-century mansion, daringly enlarged with a modern glass structure, it re-
traces three millennia of perfume history through a brilliant mix of artefacts, bottles,
videos, vintage posters, olfactive stations and explanatory panels (in French and English),
all beautifully presented. The museum offers interesting insights into how the industry de-
veloped in Grasse.
Kids are well catered for with dedicated multimedia stations throughout, a fragrant
garden, a film testing your sense of smell and the reproduction of a 19th-century perfume
shop.
