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Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Gassin and Ramatuelle

3 February 2007

There are no municipal places for motor homes for motor homes in the St.-Tropez region. We were lucky to fall on Camping la Pinède at Grimaud. Purchased in January by Thiery and his wife it has a number of permanent caravans (what ironically in France are called mobile homes) and a number of sites for campers and motor homes. Not officially open for temporary stays, we were able to stay there with electricity for 10 Euros/day – an excellent price for this area. In the countryside about 1 km from the Port de Grimaud, it was calm, quiet, and nice and dark at night. It was a rare treat walking here during a full moon with the bare branches of the plantains casting broad shadows.

We had started this post while here before going to Monaco. Back in this area a few weeks later we realized that it had not yet been published.

The tiny hill-top village of Gassin (meaning steep place), wrapped around its medieval church and remants of ramparts, is often referred to as the watchman of the bay. From its ramparts you can see all of the Gulf of St.-Tropez including Ste.-Maxime, Grimaud and Port Grimaud, Cogolin and the city of St.-Tropez.





This is a village built for pedestrians and the small carts of the medieval era. While you will see a few cars driven by locals on the very narrow streets, it is best viewed by foot. Ample parking lots at both ends of the village encourage the visitor to get out and enjoy the adventure at a walking pace.

The first written reference (as “Garcin”) appears in 1234-1235. The castle occupied much of the top and its ramparts form the foundations of many of today’s houses.




















Nôtre Dame de l’Assomption church on the village square was completed in 1558. Its battlements were destroyed in 1793.
















Gassin also boasts what is probably the narrowest alley in France. Not everyone would be able to get through here.


Despite the summer crowds, that is the best time to visit Gassin, when it is in full bloom. This promenade is filled with restaurant tables in summer and an evening meal just before sunset is a memorable event and a great way to “look down” on St.-Tropez, an over-rated destination.


On the way down from Gassin is to take the winding road to Ramatuelle. This sheltered village, at about ½ the elevation of Gassin, dates to an earlier period as a Celtic-Ligurian settlement. By the 9th century it was occupied by the Saraccens and “freed” by the Duke of Provence in the 10th century.

Its medieval architecture remains largely intact today as does ample evidence of its period as a walled town.


The wiring is strictly 20th century – let’s say 1950’s. Clothes dryers are very hard to find here – effective ones are even harder to find. This is still the more common way to dry laundry.

The 16th century Nôtre Dame church built against the ancient ramparts, includes gold-leafed wooden statuettes from that era and some nice frescoes.