Saint-Tropez is the most luxurious resort on the French Riviera. Despite the ubiquitous luxury and wealth, it’s still a small fishing village.

Saint-Tropez is just over 100 km from Nice in the direction of Marseilles. The village is located a little off the beaten path and you cannot get there by train, so you will have to use a car or take a ferry, for example, from Nice.

The biggest advantage of Saint-Tropez is that despite the multitude of tourists and rich people, it still retains the climate of a small fishing village. Of course, this is also a disadvantage, because in the summer too many people are gathered in this small space.

Saint-Tropez, French Riviera

Saint-Tropez, French Riviera

Saint-Tropez – holidays surrounded by luxury

Saint-Tropez became popular after the First World War, when artists began to come to the village. It quickly gained a reputation as a seaside resort, to which not only French and English began to arrive, but also Americans. The second wave of the village’s popularity began in the 1950s when the movie “And God Created Woman” was filmed on the nearby Pampelonne beach. This extremely popular movie was directed by Roger Vadim, and his wife, Brigitte Bardot, played the main role. Thanks to this movie, the actress gained international fame.

On the Pampelonne beach, where the movie crew ate lunch back in 1955, today you can find one of the most popular beach clubs in the world – Club 55. An exclusive place where international stars and the richest people spend summer evenings.

The second exceptionally popular movie made in Saint-Tropez was “The Troops of St. Tropez” (1964) with the spectacular role by Louis de Funes. This production continued over the following years and the village is still associated with the hilarious gendarme.

Saint-Tropez, French Riviera

Saint-Tropez, French Riviera

What to do in Saint-Tropez?

Saint-Tropez is a tiny village, but you can spend a whole day there, or even a weekend. There are many attractions in the village and its surroundings and these are definitely what you should be doing there:

  • Go for a walk through the historic center of Saint-Tropez. A charming port is waiting for you with its expensive yachts and fishing boats right next to them, as well as colorful tenement houses, restaurants, and cafes. The most popular restaurant in the port is the Senequier red restaurant, which is known to be visited by French presidents.
  • Visit the Old Town. Just behind the port is the historic Old Town with its narrow cobbled streets. There is also a tiny beach surrounded by tenement houses that stand literally by the shoreline.
  • Admire the panorama of the village from the hill where a citadel was built centuries ago. It is from this place that you will be able to make an iconic picture of the panorama of the village with its famous belfry in the center. In the citadel is also where the Maritime Museum is located.
  • Visit Place des Lices and play Pétanque under a natural umbrella of plane trees.
  • Visit the Museum of Gendarmerie and Cinema in Saint Tropez (Musée de la gendarmerie et du cinéma). It is located in the historic building of the gendarmerie at Place Blanqui. For over 100 years this building housed the local gendarmerie, and it is here that the famous movie “The Troops of St. Tropez” was shot.
  • Eat the famous Tarte Tropézienne – yeast dough filled with velvet cream and sprinkled with pearl sugar. The original can be found only at A. Micka confectionery with the red logo. The recipe for this dessert comes from Poland and is a closely guarded secret. The dessert was named by Brigitte Bardot herself. Today it is one of France’s national desserts.
  • Sunbathe on one of the sandy beaches near the village. Pampelonne is certainly the most popular.
  • Take a tour of the nearby village of Port Grimaud, also called the Venice of the French Riviera. This private village was built at the mouth of a river and indeed resembles Venice. Each house has access to a channel and place for a yacht. The village is best seen from the deck of an electric motor boat, which can be rented before entering the area.
Saint-Tropez, French Riviera

Saint-Tropez, French Riviera

Luxury hotels in Saint-Tropez

Saint-Tropez is one of the most luxurious places on the Cote d’Azur. The richest people from around the world, movie stars, and politicians – all of them have their summer residences here. There are also many very luxurious hotels in Saint Tropez. The most popular are: