The Ultimate Guide to the Top Things to See in Grasse

The ultimate guide to the top things to see in Grasse: what to see, what to do?

Renowned for its perfumes, Grasse is a little gem steeped in history and poetry. With its colors and artistic soul, it is classified as a city of art and history and proudly overlooks the Cannes hinterland.

So, if you’re wondering how to visit Grasse, I invite you to discover its pretty historic center, which has inspired me greatly, as well as the history of perfume and fragrance creation. From flower fields to perfumers’ noses, the perfumes of Grasse will hold no more secrets for you! Here are my guide to the top things to see in Grasse !

 

   

 

TOP THINGS TO SEE IN GRASSE – PRACTICAL TIPS

   

• How to get to Grasse?

Grasse is located 45 minutes west of Nice and 25 minutes from Cannes by road.

If you arrive by train, you can choose between the TGV station in Cannes or the TER station in Grasse, which connects to Cannes and Antibes. Allow 1 hour from Grasse to Nice, 2 hours from Cannes to Marseille, and 5.5 hours from Paris.

By plane, the nearest airport is Nice Côte d’Azur, 35 minutes from Grasse.

 

• Where to stay when visiting Grasse?

Find your accommodation in Grasse at the best price!

 

Here are my top suggestions for accommodation in Grasse !

 

• Getting around Grasse

The city center of Grasse is small, so you can easily visit Grasse on foot. However, to get around the Grasse region, a car is recommended, especially as the various perfume houses are located outside the historic center.

The bus n°600 connecting Cannes to Grasse can also be used instead of a car to visit the Galimard fragrance studio.

Compare car rentals to find the best price!

   

• How long does it take to visit Grasse?

One day is enough to visit Grasse, its historic center, and the various perfume makers. However, you should allow several days to discover the Grasse region, its villages, and its natural surroundings.

Allow 1.5 hours to visit the International Perfume Museum and 1 hour for its gardens (located elsewhere than the museum). The perfume creation workshop lasts between 1.5 and 2 hours.

 

• Where to have lunch in Grasse?

In Grasse, the scents can even be found on your plate! I particularly recommend the Lougolin restaurant in the hamlet of Plascassier. In an enchanting setting with views of the Grasse valley and the Bay of Cannes, you can enjoy regional flavors that are always fresh and elegant. An excellent place to eat just outside Grasse.

 

• What to bring back from Grasse?

If you come to visit Grasse, you can’t leave without some perfume, of course! In addition to the must-see perfume houses (Fragonard, Molinard, Galimard, etc.), you can discover the scents created by the niche perfumers of Old Grasse. For example, visit Didier, Olivier, or Jessica on Rue de l’Oratoire and Place aux Aires.

And for those with a sweet tooth, you can indulge in a fougassette (a sweet fougasse made with orange blossom) or crystallized flowers from the Florian confectionery! – 3 rue Jean Ossola

 

 

THINGS TO SEE IN GRASSE HISTORICAL CENTER

   

Let’s start our tour of Grasse with a superb view! Head to the Cours Honoré Cresp, where the Grasse valley stretches as far as the eye can see, all the way to the Bay of Cannes in the distance. On the other side, the foothills of the Alps and the Estérel mountains surround the town. The proximity of the sea and the sheltered location have had a considerable influence on the town, particularly for growing flowers! Without them, Grasse would not be what it is today…

     

• Historic landmarks: must-visit things to see in Grasse

Let’s now enter the streets of the old town to uncover the hidden secrets of its narrow alleys, which are one of the top things to see in Grasse. Full of charm, Grasse has inspired perfumers and writers such as Patrick Süskind, who spent a year here before writing his famous novel, Perfume. Because in Grasse, there is a very special atmosphere! Between the artists, the warm, welcoming colors of its old walls, and the scents of perfume wafting from the shops, your senses will be in overdrive!

 

       

A heritage trail has been set up by the city, with small golden plaques on the ground displaying the emblem of Grasse. They will guide you through the prettiest streets of the city and the shops of the perfumers. Be sure to visit the Place aux Aires and the Place de la Poissonnerie.

But don’t hesitate to venture off the beaten track, into the covered passageways and narrow streets… They are the soul of old Grasse!

 

     

Grasse is also a city steeped in history and closely linked to perfume. The launch of the fashion for perfumed gloves in the 16th century by Catherine de Medici heralded the advent of the city, which until then had been home to many tanners. You’ll see fountains absolutely everywhere in Grasse!

Then, in the 19th century, Grasse grew once again with the development of perfume factories. Some even set up in former convents whose monks had been expelled during the Revolution! You can still see the tall chimneys dotted around Grasse today.

   

• The cathedral, one of the top things to see in Grasse

During your stroll, you will also discover the pretty Notre Dame du Puy cathedral, perched on its hill. Although it looks small from the outside, its interior is truly astonishing! Half rough, half baroque, the decoration catches your eye as soon as you enter. Its huge, unshakeable pillars have been licked by flames, giving them the very dark color that characterizes the cathedral.

Don’t miss the masterpieces by Rubens and Fragonard, and outside, the beautiful 12th-century square tower attached to the cathedral.

 

       

 

THINGS TO SEE IN GRASSE FOR PERFUME LOVERS 

   

• Visit the perfume museum in Grasse

As the world capital of perfume, Grasse had to have an international perfume museum! It is therefore one of the must-see attractions in Grasse…

Recently renovated and interactive, the perfume museum (MIP) truly explores all facets of perfumery from ancient times to the present day. I loved this fascinating journey through the history of perfumery, enhanced by beautiful collectibles.

The museum covers perfume in the broadest sense, highlighting the importance of perfumery in many areas. We sometimes forget that aromas and fragrances are everywhere, from laundry detergent to yogurt! The perfume industry is huge today, but it is in Grasse that a large part of the raw materials are produced, with wholesalers manufacturing absolutes and synthetic products in particular.

   

The collections give the impression of traveling back in time to ancient times, which I really enjoyed. Perfume has undergone many changes to become what we know today. In ancient times, the Egyptians burned a kind of solid incense to communicate with the gods, while the Greeks preferred scented oils.

In the Middle Ages, people limited themselves to plants from their gardens, which they used for religious and medicinal purposes. Pharmacists were also perfumers at that time! During the Renaissance, Grasse was already at the cutting edge of technology with the creation of perfumed glove makers, followed by the invention of distillation. It would continue to be a pioneer in the 19th century with the invention of cold enfleurage, a process that allows the scent to be extracted from fragile flowers such as jasmine and tuberose from Grasse, which cannot withstand heat…

 

 

Even the perfume notes we know today are very different from those of previous centuries! We are indeed a long way from the very heavy scents that were used for both perfume and washing… It was Marie-Antoinette who brought this fashion for light notes to France! You can see the toiletries box she prepared for her escape in the museum—it’s a real gem!

But today’s perfumes are also very different thanks to the arrival of synthesis in the 20th century: now, scents are chemically reproduced and new ones are invented, making perfumery an abstract art.

 

International Perfume Museum (MIP): open every day from 10:00 to 7:00 p.m. from May to September, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. the rest of the year – €4 (reduced rate €2, free for children under 18). Half price on presentation of a ticket to the MIP gardens dated less than 7 days ago.

   

• Visiting the MIP Gardens: a must-see among things to see in Grasse

The Perfume Museum also has its own gardens in Mouans-Sartoux. I recommend taking a detour to discover all the scents that inspired the perfumes of Grasse. You can venture through these former farmlands covered with flowers and plants grouped by category. Among them are the three scents most commonly used in Grasse: centifolia rose, jasmine, and tuberose.

 

MIP Gardens: open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. from May to August, and from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in April and from September to November. Closed from December to March inclusive – €4 (reduced rate €2, free for children under 18). Half price on presentation of a MIP ticket dated less than 7 days ago.

Please note that the gardens are located in Mouans-Sartoux and the museum in Grasse!

       

CREATE YOUR OWN PERFUME, ONE OF THE TOP THINGS TO SEE IN GRASSE

 

• The fragrance studio

One of the top things to see in Grasse is to create your own perfume! This is the ultimate experience ! I highly recommend booking a workshop to learn all the subtleties of perfume creation in a fun way!

I took my workshop at the fragrance studio of the Galimard house in Grasse, which offers a very comprehensive experience with a perfume organ that would make many perfumers green with envy! It’s a real skill that would be very difficult to master without the invaluable help of the perfumers who run the workshop.

I really loved the experience, which allows you to put into practice everything you’ve learned throughout the city of Grasse, its museums, and its gardens.

Studio des Fragrances Galimard: workshops are held every day at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. €53 (€43 for children under 15 and €10 for accompanying adults). Check the website for opening days, which may change during the low season.

   

• How do you create a perfume ?

The creation process begins with choosing the base notes, which are crucial! These are the notes that give the perfume its intensity and linger for several hours after the other notes have faded. Next come the heart notes, which are difficult to choose as there are so many of them. They must be selected with great care, making sure to smell them over the base notes already chosen so that they blend perfectly. It’s a real balancing act! The successive notes are then gradually added to the beaker, which makes you feel a bit like a chemist or back in high school chemistry class ;)!

Finally, the top notes are chosen, light and twirling, to finish off the fragrance beautifully. In the end, you will have blended 14 notes from the hundred or so fragrances available on the organ! You can of course take your 100ml bottle of perfume home with you after the workshop to enjoy your own creation for a long time to come.

The workshop also shows how complex it is to create a perfume that is balanced and stable over time. It’s a passionate profession that I invite you to discover now by meeting the niche perfumers of Grasse!

         

VISIT GRASSE AND MEET ITS NICHE PERFUME MAKERS

   

This is for me one of the best things to see in Grasse as it is unique ! We sometimes forget that, apart from the big names in Grasse such as Fragonard, Galimard, and Molinard, there are also a large number of niche perfumers! Based in their workshop-boutiques in the historic center of Grasse, they reveal their passion and their creations to you. I have made some wonderful encounters there and discovered very different worlds, but all equally fascinating.

Because every perfumer has their own story, whether it’s a career change, a return to their roots, or even moving abroad. The only thing that remains the same is their passion for scents. To discover them, visit their boutiques to test their fragrances and explore their worlds!

   

Let’s start with a visit to Didier Gaglewski, a discreet nose who enjoys talking about his creative process and his various inspirations. Surrounded by walls steeped in history, he tells us about his origins in Champagne, his former career as an executive, and his career change following an illness that led him to make a living from his passion.

Right next door, Olivier Durbano takes us into the wonderful world of stones, perfumes, and jewelry. To discover his stone poems, visit his superb boutique, which combines tradition and modernity!

Our last stop is to meet Jessica September Buchanan, a radiant Canadian designer who creates floral and very fresh fragrances. She will tell you the story of her passion and creative drive that led her to Grasse.

     

WHAT TO DO AROUND GRASSE? 

    Here are other things to see in Grasse and its surroundings !

The hilltop villages of the Grasse region (15 minutes away): pretty stone buildings, quiet streets ideal for strolling and unbeatable views of the Grasse region. This is what you can expect from the pretty hilltop villages around Grasse. Cabris, Spéracèdes, Saint Cézaire sur Siagne… There’s plenty to choose from!

Antibes (30 minutes away): Antibes has it all, with its old town on the Mediterranean coast, its huge marina, and its artistic soul. Check out my blog post for Visit Antibes : 8 Things to See

Nice (40 minutes away): Nice, the capital of the French Riviera, needs no introduction! Check out my blog post for 10 Places to Visit Nice – a Local’s Guide

   

This blogpost was written following an invitation from the Pays de Grasse Tourist Office. However, I remain entirely free to express my own opinions and am completely sincere in my recommendations! A huge thank you to Franck, who made this trip so exciting!

   

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