#Perfume🌸 Perfume area of the world
The Côte d’Azur has a lot to offer — sunshine, sea views, colourful markets — but one thing that often surprises visitors is how much the region smells.
From the perfume capital of Grasse to the lavender hills behind Nice, from fresh herbs in your lunch to the scent of salt and sunscreen at the beach — this part of France has its own rhythm, and it travels through the air.
In this blog, I’ll take you along some of the region’s more fragrant stops: not just for the photo, but for the memory that stays behind.
How to explore this blog comfortably:
Click below to jump to a section — or just scroll through at your own pace:
🧴 Grasse: The Scent Capital of France
If you’re looking for the heart of perfume on the Côte d’Azur, Grasse is the place. This small hill town, about 1 hour inland from Nice, has been at the centre of French perfume-making since the 17th century.
You don’t have to be a perfume expert to enjoy it. The streets smell of jasmine and citrus, the buildings are full of character, and the scent of the town — quite literally — lingers with you.
🧭 Getting there
Train from Nice: the TER (local train) takes just over an hour. And click if you want more daytrips from Nice
The station is outside the historic centre — from there, it’s about a 20-minute walk uphill into town
Buses and taxis are available, but the walk is scenic (though steep in parts)
- 🔍 TravelGlaze Tip: Once you arrive in Grasse, signs for the perfume houses are not always clear. Don’t expect a big welcome sign — bring a map or ask a local for directions.
🧪 Perfume houses: Fragonard & more
Grasse is home to three main perfume houses that are open to the public:
🏛️ Fragonard
The most famous, with both a museum and working factory
Offers free guided tours in multiple languages (approx. 30 minutes)
Includes a shop, old distilling tools, and a brief explanation of how perfume is made
Located just below the old town
🧴 Galimard
One of the oldest perfume houses (since 1747)
Known for its “make your own perfume” workshops
Also offers tours and has a more traditional, family-run feel
About 10 minutes from Fragonard on foot
🌿 Molinard
Another historic brand, with bold Art Deco interiors
Slightly less busy, good if you prefer a quieter experience
Also offers workshops and a well-curated perfume shop
🌼 Did you know?
Grasse became a perfume town thanks to its leather industry — perfumes were originally used to scent leather gloves
The area around Grasse still grows roses, jasmine, orange blossom and lavender, mostly for luxury perfume brands like Chanel
Real jasmine for Chanel No. 5 is still harvested by hand here — early in the morning, flower by flower
🌾Flower Harvests: Slow Mornings in the Hills
Behind the perfume bottles and museum tours lies a quieter story — one that starts in the early morning, in the hills around Grasse. Here, flowers are still picked by hand, often before the sun gets too warm. It’s slow, seasonal work that still shapes the scent of luxury.
🌸 What grows near Grasse?
Jasmine (especially Jasminum grandiflorum) – harvested from August to October, before 10:00 AM
May rose (Rosa centifolia) – blooms in May, as the name suggests; a key note in Chanel No. 5
Lavender – found in higher areas inland, usually cut in late June through August
Orange blossom – harvested in April, delicate and slightly bitter-sweet
Most flowers are grown in family-run fields in nearby towns like Pégomas, Plascassier, or Opio — just a short drive from Grasse.
🧑🌾 Can you visit during harvest?
Some flower fields are open to visitors, but access is often limited to guided tours or seasonal festivals. For example:
Jasmin Festival in Grasse (Fête du Jasmin) – held in early August, with parades and flower-themed events
Domaine de Manon (near Pégomas) – offers pre-booked tours of rose and jasmine fields, sometimes including a picking demo
Local perfume houses like Fragonard and Molinard sometimes organise harvest visits or farm experiences
🌿 TravelGlaze Tip: Want to see blooming fields? Plan your visit in May (roses) or late summer (jasmine and lavender) — and check ahead if farms are open. A quiet path along the edge of a field smells better than any souvenir.
🌍 Fun fact:
It takes about 800 jasmine flowers to make one gram of absolute (the concentrated essence used in fine perfumes). That’s roughly one small handful — and hours of careful picking.
🚶♀️ A Scent Walk Through the Côte d’Azur
You don’t need a ticket or a tour guide to experience fragrance here. Sometimes, a slow walk is enough — if you pay attention to what’s in the air.
Here’s a simple route idea: from the centre of Nice, through the gardens and hills, to a gentle viewpoint over the sea. Along the way, it’s not just the sights that change — it’s the scents.
🌿 Start: Jardin Albert 1er
Right near Place Masséna, this park is full of citrus trees, herbs, and open grassy areas. The smell depends on the season — orange blossom in spring, warm grass in summer, and sometimes even sea air drifting in.
Try sitting on a bench after light rain — the whole garden smells like crushed leaves and stone.
🌸 Climb: Castle Hill (Colline du Château)
From the Promenade des Anglais, take the stairs or the lift up. The path winds through planted terraces and old stone walls — often with jasmine, oleander, or lavender along the edges.
At the top, the smell shifts again — more wind, salt, and pine needles.
🧭 End: Cimetière du Château (optional, peaceful)
Few people visit this quiet cemetery, but the view is stunning — and the air feels still, with a dry, mineral scent from the stone and the earth. A surprising final note to the walk.
🌸 TravelGlaze Tip: Fragrance changes with light, wind, and memory. Try walking the same path in the morning and again at sunset — it won’t smell the same.
🧪 How Perfume Is Made: From Flower to Bottle
It may look simple — a little glass bottle with a pretty label — but making perfume is a detailed and careful process. In Grasse, where traditions still guide the craft, each step is done with intention: slow harvests, expert blending, and a deep respect for scent.
Here’s how perfume comes to life, in five gentle stages:
1. 🌸 Gathering the raw materials
Everything starts with a scent source. This can be:
Flowers (like jasmine, rose, orange blossom)
Leaves & herbs (mint, rosemary, patchouli)
Wood & bark (cedar, sandalwood)
Spices (clove, cinnamon, cardamom)
Animal-based scents (like musk or ambergris — now mostly synthetic)
In Grasse, flowers are still grown nearby and picked by hand, often in the early morning before the sun fades their oils.
2. 🧪 Extracting the essence
The goal here is to get the scent molecules out of the plant and into a usable oil or “absolute.” This happens in a few different ways:
🔥 Steam distillation
Plant material is placed in a still
Steam passes through it and carries the scent particles
The steam is then cooled and condensed into a liquid
This works well for lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus
🧊 Cold pressing
Mostly used for citrus fruits
The peel is mechanically pressed and spun to release oil
No heat is used — which keeps the smell fresh and light
🧴 Solvent extraction
For delicate flowers (like jasmine or tuberose)
Petals are washed in a solvent that draws out the scent
The result is a waxy substance, then purified into a thick oil
Gives us rich absolutes
🧈 Enfleurage (rare and slow)
Old-fashioned and hardly used today
Flower petals are pressed into fat and replaced daily
Over time, the fat absorbs the fragrance and is then washed with alcohol
Romantic, but not practical on a large scale
3. 🧴 Blending the notes
This is the creative core of perfume-making. A trained nose (or nez, in French) chooses and combines different extracts into a layered scent:
Top notes – what you smell first: bright, fresh, quick to fade (like lemon, mint, bergamot)
Heart notes – the “body” of the scent: floral, spicy or herbal
Base notes – what stays longest: wood, vanilla, musk
Each perfume has a formula, often kept secret, built from these notes in careful balance.
4. 🍶 Maturing & filtering
After blending, the perfume mixture is usually left to age for a few weeks to a few months. This helps the different oils settle and blend fully.
Then the liquid is filtered, and alcohol is added — usually between 60% and 95%, depending on the type of fragrance.
5. 💧 Concentration: perfume or eau de toilette?
The difference between perfume, eau de parfum, and eau de toilette is simply how much fragrance oil is used:
Type | Oil concentration | Lasts for… |
---|---|---|
Parfum (Extrait) | 20–30% | 8+ hours |
Eau de Parfum (EdP) | 15–20% | 6–8 hours |
Eau de Toilette (EdT) | 5–15% | 3–5 hours |
Eau de Cologne | 2–5% | 1–2 hours |
🌼 Fun fact:
The human nose can detect more than 1 trillion scents, even if we can’t name them. Memory is deeply linked to smell — more than to sight or sound.
✨ A Personal Note
Before my trip, I had read that it was possible to do a perfume-making workshop in Grasse — and that sounded like something I had to try. I booked a tour through a large travel platform and made my own way from Nice to Grasse by train. That part was easy. What came next… a bit less so.
Fragonard, the perfume house where my workshop was planned, has three locations in Grasse, including a museum. I had hoped to visit both the museum and the workshop. But when I arrived in town, there were no signs to be found.
Two kind local women helped me — and offered two helpful truths.
First: the museum is too far from the factory to fit into a short visit.
Second: if I wanted a real recommendation, I should visit Molinard — their favourite perfume house.
I found my way to the right Fragonard building, and I have to say: the workshop was fascinating. Though… I don’t think I’ll ever be a nez. Once I had the base notes in my nose, they were stuck there all day — I couldn’t smell anything else!
Still, after the session I walked over to Molinard, just to take a peek — and wow. It felt completely different. Elegant, calm, and beautifully curated. I didn’t have time (or nose power) for another workshop, but if you’re going to do one?
👉 My TravelGlaze Tip: Go for the workshop at Molinard.
It’s a small detail — but sometimes, scent is all about the details.
🗺️ Practical Info: Planning Your Fragrant Day
🚆 How to reach Grasse
From Nice, take a TER train to Grasse (approx. 1 hr)
The station is outside the centre — it’s a 20-minute uphill walk, or take bus line A
Check train times on SNCF Connect or the TER Sud app
🕒 Best time to visit
May–October is ideal: flower fields are blooming, and most perfume houses are fully open
For rose harvest: May
For jasmine and lavender: late summer
Avoid midday heat if walking — mornings smell better anyway
💡 Bookings & Tours
Many perfume houses offer free entry, but workshops must be booked ahead
Domaine de Manon (flower fields) requires advance reservations
Bring water, a hat, and curiosity — there’s more in the air than you expect
🌙 Final Thought
Scent travels differently than sight. It doesn’t ask for attention — it finds you quietly, and it stays longer than expected.
Walking through Grasse and the Côte d’Azur, I noticed that many of my strongest memories had nothing to do with what I saw — but everything to do with how the air smelled.
From factory tours to flower fields, from sun-warmed citrus to a stranger’s perfume in a narrow street — this part of France leaves a trace that’s hard to forget.
What’s a scent you’ve taken home from your travels?
👇 Share in the comments — or just take a deep breath and carry it with you.
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