The French Riviera! Mountains stand tall and proud, fiercely protecting the fringe of the gleaming, azure Mediterranean and providing refuge for the scattered villages perched high on their flanks, home to authentic, masterful artisans.
Fragonard Perfumery
Eugène Fuchs founded the Fragonard perfumery in 1926, in homage to the eponymous painter from Grasse. Three generations later, and the perfumery cultivates, distils and shares with the world its fragrances inspired by essences from the local area and faraway places. It has recently opened its own museum.
Biot
There’s plenty to gain by getting lost in its maze of meandering lanes. With its 16th century gates and rampart walkway, cobblestone courtyards and gently rising steps, Biot abounds with the flavours of Provence, and the prestige of its ancestral crafts of pottery and glassware.
Verrerie de Biot
Here, master glassmakers have been coaxing air bubbles to their will for more than 50 years. Genuine alchemists of earth and fire, they use their blowpipes to create the unique pieces that give Biot its reputation as an international centre for glassmaking.
Confiserie Florian
Fruit jellies, bonbons, lollipops, boiled sweets, chocolate, honey, preserves, and other sweet treats have been lovingly crafted in this confectioner’s since 1949, tucked away in the Gorges du Loup where the climate is perfectly suited to the cultivation of orange trees and aromatic plants.
Moustiers-Saint-Marie
Like an eagle’s nest perched on its lofty cliff, Moustiers-Saint-Marie has all the proud and impregnable charm of mountain villages of the Middle Ages. A waterfall hurtles down from the rock face, pouring life into the village’s many little fountains, which are almost as numerous as the earthenware studios for which the village is known.
Escoffier Museum of Culinary Art
This typical 18th century Provençal home was the birthplace of Auguste Escoffier, the father of French gastronomy. He was born in the very same room in which stands the desk where he wrote his famous Guide Culinaire, the chef’s bible.
Menton
Legend has it that here, Eve planted a lemon tree from the Garden of Eden, so much did Garavan Bay remind her of paradise. And so it was that Menton was born, with its famous festival that celebrates the wonderful citrus fruit in February every year.
These sites are all certified by French heritage bodies... Here, you are invited to explore the true gems of French heritage. Launched by the French Ministry of Culture, Un jour is a rallying call for 19 French heritage organisations to jointly promote the breadth and diversity of French culture and heritage found throughout the country. These certifications celebrate this diversity and attest to the quality of the attractions on offer. Come with us and experience the wonder of French heritage...
Learn more...
- Fragonard Parfumeur Est. 1926, the perfumery expertise of Grasse forms part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
- The village of Biot, recognised for its local crafts with Villes et Métiers d’art certification
- La Verrerie de Biot, a certified Living Heritage Company (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant)
- La Confiserie Florian, Entreprise et Découverte certification as a business worth visiting for its exemplary expertise
- Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Plus Beaux Villages de France certification as one of the most beautiful villages in France, with its Earthenware Museum
- Escoffier Museum of Culinary Art,* Maisons des Illustres* certification as home to a distinguished figure from French history
- Menton, Villes et Pays d'art et d'histoire certification for its artistic and historical heritage
By France.fr
The magazine of the destination unravels an unexpected France that revisits tradition and cultivates creativity. A France far beyond what you can imagine…