La Garde-Freinet
An island in the forest
Whether you’re arriving from the plain or the coast, a serpentine road will lead you to La Garde-Freinet, in the heart of the Maures massif. A Provencal village as discreet as it is picturesque, it’s the starting point for unforgettable walks. Jeanne Moreau made it her home, where she filmed Lumière…
The Provencal village
The charm of La Garde-Freinet is revealed by the patina of time, like the uneven stone houses covered in red tiles, which rise from the valley to cling to the hillside. You have to cross this maze of steep streets, skirt the ivy-covered facades and wind your way through these narrow passages to discover a church, a chapel, a washhouse and a spring-fed fountain. A village preserved from the wear and tear of time, the days pass quietly on the terraces of the cafés-restaurants, waiting for petanque to be played. The pedestrian street is home to the Provencal market. Here, vegetables come from the kitchen garden, walnut bread from the baker at the end of the street and chestnut cream is still turned by hand. In October, gourmets come from far and wide for the Fêtes de la Châtaigne. Chestnut glaze, hot chestnuts, chestnut chip ice cream…
A heritage to discover
Apart from this festive period and the Bravade, the village’s apparent tranquility masks intense cultural activity, with fine art galleries, intimate concerts, the showcasing of traditional skills by Gardois craftsmen, and a rich heritage. To see for yourself, visit the Chapelle Saint-Jean at the Conservatoire du Patrimoine. We’ll tell you all about the Fort Freinet perched on its rocky dome in medieval times, the chapels of Saint-Clément or Miremer, the Adrech mill, the history of cork, basketry, beekeeping and silkworms. Ah, how good it is to think only of yourself!
La Garde-Freinet, a green resort
La Garde-Freinet is the starting point for a wide range of walks, mountain bike rides and horseback rides, with or without guides, offering total immersion in the Maures massif. You’ll get a better idea of the extent of this ocean of vegetation when you reach the orientation table overlooking the village, near the monumental cross: from the Maures plain to Notre-Dame de Miremer, from Plan de la Tour to Collobrières, nature is grandiose, adorned in its infinite shades of green. Well, almost everywhere… because if you hike along the Route des Crêtes, one of the most beautiful trails in the Var, you’ll discover the only touch of white to be found anywhere: a vein of sparkling quartz emerging from the schist: the Roches Blanches. Welcome to the Maures massif!
A little background
In the 10th century, there were three settlements in what is now La Garde-Freinet: on the hill of Miremer, around the chapel of Saint-Clément, and near the hamlet of La Mourre. At the end of the 12th century, for security reasons, these populations moved to the Fort Freinet hill. This majestic and impressive rock site features houses and a wide moat cut into the rock. For centuries, it was mistakenly considered to be the lair of the Saracens, who visited Provence in the 10th century. From the end of the 13th century, its inhabitants gradually settled on the communication route between the Maures plain and the Gulf of Saint-Tropez.
Stays & Activities in La Garde-Freinet
