The
region north of Sainte Maxime offers beautiful Provencal landscapes with typical villages.
I suggest you visit the hinterland of the Cote d’Azur. Leave early,
because there is a lot to visit…
- Draguignan: a nice town with a lively medieval quarter. As you are interested in
local history, then you should visit the Musee des Arts Populaires (old farm tools,
costumes, furniture, photos of peasant life…)
- North of Draguignan, drive to Bargemon. It is a nice village with shady avenues and
squares with fountains.
- Seillans, one of my favorite hill villages, located a bit further north. It has
paved alleys, fountains, a 12th century ruined chateau.
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- A bit further north, the village of Mons (another
village worth seeing) has a
spectacular setting. The locals say that it is possible to see Corsica on a clear day.
Also worth visiting: the ‘Massif de l’Esterel’.
It is an area of red rocks (maybe not as impressive as the Grand Canyon, but it is the
strangest sight in Provence) located East of Sainte Maxime. The ‘Massif de
l’Esterel’ is a great area for hiking. Driving is not easy since the roads are
quite narrow, but if you don’t mind rough driving, take one of the narrow hill roads
into the wild heart of the Esterel. Then you can walk to the top of the main peaks:
‘Pic de l’Ours’, ‘Pic du Cap Roux’ (near the coast), ‘Pic
Vinaigre’. The views are beautiful.
On your way back to Sainte Maxime, you can stop in Cannes:
It is one of the most glamorous seaside resorts in Europe, mainly because of the
International Film Festival.
While you are in Cannes, you should have a nice walk on la Croisette (along the
coast).
Other interesting places to visit around Cannes are Mougins and Biot, which are two
typical hill towns. See attached Map 6 for locations.
Your hotel tonight (for three nights) is: |
