Jardin des Parfums et des Plantes

Grasse owes its fame to flowers. The hills and plains around the town, a short way inland from Cannes, were once covered with fields of jasmine, rose, tuberose, lavender and orange blossom, grown for the perfume houses that processed them in the town below. Gardens of scented plants matter in Grasse for that reason, and visitors should check with the tourist office or the perfume museum for the current opening arrangements.

The tradition goes back to the sixteenth century, when the town's tanners began to scent their leather gloves, and by the eighteenth century perfumery had become the leading industry. The plants that thrive in the sheltered, sunny climate of the area produce some of the finest raw materials in the world. The most celebrated is the rose centifolia, the cabbage rose, which is picked by hand in May, and the Grasse jasmine, harvested in the late summer, which is picked in the early morning when the scent is strongest. The tuberose, orange blossom, mimosa and violet leaf add to the range. Perfumers prize the flowers of Grasse for their quality, and large houses such as Chanel have secured their own supplies of roses and jasmine here. The skills of the growers, the extraction of aromas and the art of composing perfumes were recognised by UNESCO in 2018 as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage.

A garden of perfume plants helps visitors to understand the link between the plant and the finished product. The Musée International de la Parfumerie, in the centre of Grasse, runs a garden of aromatic plants a few kilometres away, in Mouans-Sartoux, where rose, jasmine, lavender and many other species are grown in the open and visitors can rub the leaves and smell them, to learn about the sources of scents. The best time for a visit is in May and June, when the roses bloom, and in August and September for jasmine, though the garden has interest throughout the growing season.

In Grasse itself, the perfume houses give guided visits of their factories and exhibitions, among them the Fragonard factory and museum, and several offer workshops where you can compose your own fragrance. The Musée International de la Parfumerie shows the history of the trade from antiquity to the present, and the Église Notre-Dame-du-Puy, the Place aux Aires and the old streets of the town are a good setting for a walk.

The visit suits garden lovers, families and anyone curious about scent. Wear sun protection, and bring water in summer.