A trip to the French Riviera cannot be complete without visiting Grasse. As someone who grew up obsessed with scents, I had been dreaming of visiting the world’s perfume capital for years. I spent years admiring my mother’s coveted collection of perfumes… Chanel No. 5, Elizabeth Arden and Lancôme. Over a few glasses of Minuty at La Mandala in Cannes, a friend suggested that we visit Grasse the next day as it was not too far from where we were staying. I did not need to be asked twice!

Grasse is recognized as the world leader in the production of natural fragrances for the perfume industry and of flavourings for food manufacturers. One of my highlights was the drive to Grasse, reminiscent of Tuscany… fields and fields of lavender. It would be hard not to dream of the colour purple later that night.

In 2018, unsurprisingly, the Grasse region was listed as an intangible cultural heritage site by UNESCO for its perfume-related skills. The official recognition encompassed three essential skills namely: mastery of natural raw materials, the ability to cultivate fragrant plants and the art of composing the materials to create exceptional perfumes.

The Fragrant History of Grasse

Referred to as the Mediterranean Balcony, Grasse is filled with amazing views with its narrow streets and buildings from the 17th and 18th century. Today, the streets are also littered with pink umbrellas hanging from the same ancient buildings, adding a whimsical air to the area.

In the 16th Century, Grasse was known for its high quality and excellent tanneries which supplied the growing leather trade. However, a strong and unpleasant odour came as a byproduct of the tanning process. To address this problem, the local tanners concocted an idea of perfuming leather with floral extracts. Seduced by the newly scented gloves, The Queen of France, Catherine de Medicis, made them popular at the French court and amongst the nobility.

The innovative solution to the unpleasant odour marked the beginning of the perfume industry in Grasse. The region possessed the most conducive climate to cultivate roses, jasmine, lavender and other flowers, which would then be used in the production of perfume. By the 18th century, Grasse’s perfume industry had surpassed its leather industry which dominated the 17th century.

Due to growing demand in 1850, tall chimney factories began to spring up in the city of Grasse and the surrounding countryside was carpeted with flower fields. At that point, Grasse had 45 companies divided into three industries namely: plant growers, manufacturers and flower growers.

Today, Grasse’s main economic activity remains the perfume industry with over 70 perfume companies based in the region, employing approximately 5 000 people. The town continues to produce natural raw materials essential for creating perfumes.

Visiting The Fragonard Perfume Museum

After a beautiful scenic ride to Grasse, my first stop was to the Fragonard Perfume Museum. When learning about the history of perfume, it’s important to visit one of the historic sanctuaries; the International Perfume Museum, the Fragonard Perfume Museum, Molinard or Galimard’s factories. The Fragonard Museum, founded by Eugène Fuchs in 1926, was named after the 18th century French painter, Jean-Honoré Fragonard.

The Fragonard Perfume Museum (a first-of-its-kind in Grasse) was inaugurated in 1975 and is located on the third floor of Fragonard’s historical factory. I thoroughly enjoyed touring the manufacturing workshop, seeing how perfume was made in the olden days’ sans heavy technology intervention. I am one to always be found in a good pair of heels, but I was happy that I had opted for flat shoes on this occasion. We had the opportunity to explore and see the antique objects that trace the origins of perfume from antiquity to the present day.

The museum contained over one hundred precious perfumery objects such as Egyptian blush spoons, and medieval pomanders. There were also paintings that documented the evolution of women grooming themselves over time.

You are also able to book for a perfumer workshop online where you will be able to produce your own scent after exploring the best that Fragonard has to offer. I missed out on this but will definitely try it when I revisit Grasse.

Food! Glorious Food…

The best thing about the French Riveria is the food. After spending the day wandering about, we settled at a beautiful restaurant in what seemed to be the equivalent of an outside food court with restaurants sprawling in the middle, surrounded by local boutiques and pharmacies. A Fragonard Perfume Museum train routinely circled around the restaurants grouped in the middle of what may be considered the City Centre.

The Bistro we went to was run by two French women who had the heart and stamina to handle large crowds of tourists looking to taste their famous bowl of steamed mussels. I still think of those mussels today… filled to the brim in the bowl, covered in a simple yet tasty broth. For mains, I had their Carbonara…chef’s kiss… and enjoyed it with a bottle of crisp white wine.

After that rich meal complemented by the wine that cut through the cream, we were ready to burn the carbs and explore the rest of Grasse.

When in Grasse…

Grasse is rich in history and culture. I wanted to explore the churches, the local shops and boutique fragrance stores that produce and sell unique scent compilations that I would not be able to find anywhere else. The town’s streets were easy to navigate and with sheer determination and spirit, one could power through the streets on foot, depending on what exactly you would like to see.

We went to a medieval church, which was a beautiful experience. The church was old yet restored and maintained well. It was evident that it was still open for service. I was able to purchase a few candles for my family and to also light up one and pray while in there. It was a deeply spiritual experience. I loved that it was open to anyone who wanted to experience it.

We then visited a few boutiques, purchasing artisanal foods and scents. We got listen to the stories of some of the local shop owners and just embraced the culture of Grasse.

Back to Cannes…or Not.

As the sun began to set, it was time to go back to Cannes. In the uber, I went through my gallery of images, already missing Grasse. But being the spontaneous travellers that we were, we took a detour and decided to have dinner at a beautiful restaurant in Saint Paul De Vence. The night was still young and so were we…

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The Summer Rendezvous Series to be continued…

*All images belong to King Gina…