Top 5 must-see guided tours in Saint-Tropez

CLASSIC TOUR OF SAINT-TROPEZ: GO BACK IN TIME WITH YOUR GUIDE

Saint-Tropez is a charming fishing port on the Côte d’Azur. It is named after Tropez de Pise, an official of the tax authorities, who was put to death by Nero at the end of the 1st century AD for refusing to renounce Christianity. Popular legend has it that the body of the deceased was preserved by the local people, who named their village Saint-Tropez after Tropez de Pise. This is the subject of processions and various celebrations every 17 May. Les Guides de France take you back in time on a tour of the town packed with anecdotes. You’ll be able to admire the church of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, where the relics of the saint are preserved, the Place des Lices, famous for its playing fields, and various institutions that contribute to the cultural life of the town, such as the musée de l’Annonciade, for its 19th century canvases, or the musée de la gendarmerie, which brings together various objects that took part à la sage des gendarmes incarnée par Michel Galabru et Louis de Funès.

OElig;NOLOGICAL VISIT: THE SAINT-TROPEZ VINEYARDS

Winegrowing is an essential activity in Saint-Tropez, along with fishing and tourism. It was first developed in the 5th century BC by the Greeks at a time when the town was not yet called Saint-Tropez but Héraclea. The Romans then continued to clear the land and increased the size of the plots. The various populations that followed did the same. Today, the vineyards of Saint-Tropez cover almost 300 hectares, with around twenty estates producing around 30,000 hectolitres a year. Some of them, such as Domaine Bertaud Beaulieu, have made their mark by hosting the activities of the Fondation Léonardo-di Caprio, which is dedicated to protecting the environment. Les Guides de France show you the best wines from the Gulf of Saint-Tropez: rosé and white wines made from grenache, cinsault, rolle and syrah. Follow them on a wine tour.

VISIT THE VILLAGES OF THE TROP&EACute;ZIEN Hinterland WITH YOUR GUIDE

Saint-Tropez works in symbiosis with the perched villages of its hinterland, which through the centuries have represented places of refuge for populations exposed to enemy attacks. Among these villages, three stand out: Grimaud, Gassin and Ramatuelle. The one with the best view of the gulf is undoubtedly Grimaud, with the ruins of its medieval castle, which the Guides de France recommend you visit. As for Gassin, it’s a hilltop village with a view of the Massif des Maures and a well-prepared bâti with the Saint Laurent church and an alleyway that features in the Book of Records: the Androuno. Ramatuelle is an archaic Provencal village with narrow, cobbled, shady streets leading up and down to numerous small craft shops.

Restart your tour of the villages of the tropic hinterland with the Guides de France: