| GRASSE, 16km inland from Cannes and with some stunning views over the Côte, is the world capital of parfumiers and has been for almost 300 years. These days it likes to flaunt itself, promoting its perfumed image as a chic eighteenth-century village with a medieval heart surrounded by hectares of scented flowers. Making perfumes is presented as a mysterious process, an alchemy, turning the soul of the flower into a liquid of luxury and desire, and the industry is at pains to keep quiet about modern innovations and techniques. Grasse is the official starting point of the Route Napoléon but is equally easy to visit as a day-trip from the coast.
Pages in section ‘Grasse’: The Town, The perfume factories, Practicalities.
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