Sightseeing

Grasse

The Villa is a leisurely 15 mins walk to the buzzing medieval town centre of Grasse, the birthplace of the art of Perfumery. A number of museums pay tribute to the historic perfume houses of Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard which make for interesting cultural visits.

The place aux Aires offers a parade of restaurants and coffee shops and a fabulous food and flower market. From there you can meander along the narrow streets, follow the pink umbrellas along the main arteries of this pedestrianised route for the main shopping options.

The “World Heritage Status” in the craft of perfume making was awarded to Grasse in 2018 and has since spurred a flurry of luxury brands to renew with the area's traditions for the cultivation of flowers and scents. As a result the big luxury houses Dior, Channel and Lancome have all purchased large flower producing estates to continue to develop their savoir-faire and the industry is by far the biggest employer in Grasse where everything seems to revolve around scent.

The local neighbourhood

The villa is located in the quartier de Malbosc where Alice de Rothschild built possibly one of the most ostentatious and extravagant gardens ever seen to complement her Villa Victoria named after her dear friend Queen Victoria. At the time the steep mountain face directly east of Grasse had only a handful of residents including Alice, Léon Chiris, the perfumer, who built the chateau Saint George and John Harjes who built the Chateau Harjes and also the Villa Angeletto. The area quickly gained popularity after the visit of Queen Victoria. The royal visit had a huge impact on the local area now colloquially referred to as the "Quartier Rothschild" where lots of grand villas have since been built into the hills. The legacy for this neighbourhood is an array of mature flora and fauna with beautiful walks along the route de Nice otherwise known as the balconies of the Mediterranean. The jardins de la Princess Pauline are a steep climb (10mins walk from the villa) and are now all that is left of the gardens that Alice had once built.

Further afield

Towards the bottom of Grasse there is a train station with direct trains to Italy where one can spend the day shopping and enjoy the sites or you can stop off in Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Monaco or Menton at your convenience without the need for a car.

Closer to the Villa are the picturesque villages of Gourdon and Valbonne which are a short 10 mins drive away and well worth the visit