Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez is a town in the French Riviera.
Understand
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In the 1920s the town attracted some famous French characters, including haute couture superstar Coco Chanel. Later in 1950 it gained an international popularity: director Roger Vadim shot And God Created Woman featuring one of the sex symbols of that time — Brigitte Bardot. Since then it has been a hot destination for the rich and famous. But, these days, the town has plenty for everyone.
- 1 L'Office de Tourisme (Tourist Office), Quai Jean Jaurès (in the Vieux Port,), ☏ +33 892 68 48 28 (€0.35⁄min), info@sainttropeztourisme.com. Jul-Aug: 09:30-13:30 and 15:00-19:30; Jan-Mar Oct (after the "Voiles de Saint-Tropez") to December: 09:30-12:30 and 14:00-19:00; Apr-Jun Sep Oct (during "Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez"): 09:30-12:30 and 14:00-19:00. There is also an Information Point at the Parking du Nouveau Port: Jul Aug Tu–Sa 10:00-18:00
Get in
[edit]The nearest airports are in Nice, Marseille and Toulon.
From Nice you can take a train to Saint-Raphaël and then go to Saint-Tropez with bus 876 (runs every hour).
From Marseille take a train or intercity bus to Toulon. From Toulon take a regional bus to Saint-Tropez.
Expect a lot of traffic between June and September to get to the city. If you are coming from St Maxime, you might stay stuck in traffic for an hour! Luckily, the coastal road offers a view on the sea. Entering Saint-Tropez by car is not the smartest thing to do, since the town has very narrow streets and lots of tourists walking in it. There is a large parking at the border of the town, from which it is a ten-minute walk to the center of the town. You can walk on the borders of the sea, where you have a great view at the luxury cruise ships.
A ferry service from Sainte-Maxime is operating in season.
Flixbus does not stop in the town. The nearest stops are in Fréjus and Toulon. From Fréjus regional buses and a ferry depart to Saint-Tropez.
Cruise ships that visit must anchor or loiter offshore and bring passengers to town by tender.
Get around
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Saint-Tropez is a fairly small town, so it could be easily explored on foot.
See
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- 1 Vieux Port, 1, Quai de l’Épi, ☏ +33 494 566 870, capitainerie@portsainttropez.com. A picturesque harbor with many beautiful yachts is one of the major attractions in the town, where all people meet together: rich and poor, locals and tourists. Typical pastel colored houses with light yellow colored blinds on windows. A round tower of the church of Saint-Tropez can be seen from the harbor and is part of the typical view of the port of Saint-Tropez. On the quay there are also several boutiques, tourist shops, cafes and restaurants.
- 2 Place de Lices. People gather there to play jeux de boules. It is a quite large square with a white sandy ground and more than a hundred year old plane trees. It 's cheerful atmosphere there with lots of bars, cafes and restaurants.
- 3 Rue Gambetta. An old cobblestoned street.
- 4 Place de l'Ormeau. A cozy old square in the middle of an artistic boom.
- 5 Gendarmerie. A pretty building of a police station where the Les Gendarmes de Saint-Tropez featuring Louis de Funes was filmed. It is now a museum that will allow you to discover the history of the building and of the cinema in St Tropez.
- 6 Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Saint-Tropez. A lovely little pastel colored church built in 1820 in a perfect harmony with the surrounding buildings.
- 7 La Chapelle Sainte-Anne. It was built in the 17th century in acknowledgement of a protection of the town against the plague raging then across the Provence. There are some magnificent views of Saint-Tropez from the top of chapel.
- 8 Citadelle. A fortress dating from the 16th century is seen above the town. It hosts a naval museum.
- 9 [formerly dead link] Musée de l'Annonciade, 2, rue de l'Annonciade, ☏ +33 4 94 17 84 10, annonciade@ville-sainttropez.fr. W-M 10:00 to 13:00, 14:00-18:00. Near the western end of the main harbor area, L'Annonciade is a riveting collection of post-Impressionist, Fauve and other early 20th century art. Housed in a converted church, the collection includes striking works by Matisse, Dufy, Bonnard and Derain, as well as other early modern masters. The most of the works date between 1890s and 1950s. In addition, the views of the town and harbor from the windows of the museum are quite distinctive. €6, reduced and group €4.
Do
[edit]The "village" is easily walked and enjoyed. The waterfront is crowded with cafes and shops with "elite" offerings. A block or two inland, through narrow streets and alleys, you'll find fewer stores and cafes, quaint and interesting studios, homes and a few historical structures.
You can follow a path towards Baie de Canebiers which goes along the coast - it's an easy walk with many quiet beaches along the way.
Sports
[edit]In the first week of July there is an international Polo tournament, which attracts the best polo players from around the world to the Saint-Tropez Polo Club.
Beaches
[edit]- 1 Pampelonne Beach. The most famous beach of Saint Tropez with some fancy clubs.
Buy
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The waterfront is packed with stores offering "elite" goods, and cafes for the "in-crowd" (or naive tourists), all at heady prices. A block or two inland, offerings are often equally good, with slightly more modest prices.
Eat
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Saint-Tropez is famous for its traditional tarte tropézienne (tropezian pie), which is worth of tasting. It was invented by Alexandre Micka in 1955.
Drink
[edit]Chateau Minuty Rose Cuvee De L'Oratoire — rose wines are popular in Provence, and this is one of the best.
Icetropez is a lightly sparkling wine cocktail with peach aroma.
The Senequier - a café on the harbour. The place has existed since 1887 and its red terrace has a view of the harbour.
Sleep
[edit]Better priced accommodations you find:
- in Sainte-Maxime — 15 min by ferry or 45 min by bus.
- at the coast of Cogoglin and Gassin – 10 min by bus:
- 1 Résidence Maeva Les Marines de Gassin, ☏ +33 870 026 7144. It's in Les Marines de Gassin, 6 km from the town centre of Gassin. Sits on a private park giving directly onto a sand beach. Has a swimming pool/lagoon. 100 m from the harbour and small shops, 600 m from the shopping centre.
Splurge
[edit]- 2 Casol Villas France. Luxury villa rentals with concierge services.
- 3 Hôtel Byblos, 20 Avenue Paul Signac, ☏ +33 4945 668 00, saint-tropez@byblos.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. One of the most luxurious hotel in town. €340-3170.