Grasse
Hill Town Above Cannes And The World Capital Of Perfume; The Perfume Know How Of The Pays De Grasse Is UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (2018) · Grasse, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
Grasse is a hill town about 20 kilometres inland from Cannes, built in terraces on a slope facing the sea, and known around the world as the capital of perfume. It began as a leather-tanning town, and scented gloves led to perfume making, helped by a mild climate for growing jasmine, the May rose, tuberose and other flowers. Today much of the industry makes natural extracts and fragrances for big brands, but the historic perfume houses of Fragonard, Molinard and Galimard welcome visitors with free guided tours of their workshops and paid workshops where you create your own scent. In 2018 the perfume know-how of the Pays de Grasse was added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The old town is a steep tangle of lanes, stairs and tall houses, livelier around the Place aux Aires, with a cathedral holding early paintings by Rubens. The International Perfume Museum tells the story of scent, and its gardens lie outside town. Festivals mark the May rose and the summer jasmine harvests.
Old town and the perfume houses, Grasse, Alpes-Maritimes, Grasse, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
The old town lanes and squares are open at all hours, but the town is quiet in the evening and many small shops close on Sunday and Monday. The historic perfume houses generally open every day for most of the year for free guided tours of their factories and shops, with shorter hours in winter and some closures on public holidays; confirm the current days and times with each house. Perfume-making workshops run at set times and must be booked ahead, especially in summer. The Musée International de la Parfumerie in the centre opens most of the year with longer hours in summer and is closed on some holidays; its gardens at Mouans-Sartoux, a short drive away, open mainly from spring to autumn. The cathedral is open during the day outside services. The rose festival, the Expo Rose, usually takes place in May, and the jasmine festival on a weekend in early August; confirm the dates each year. Some flower farms open for harvest visits in season only, by booking. The town car parks run all day, and any public lifts between levels keep their own hours (confirm).