l33g0's video: Grasse Hopping Beautiful Streets and Alleys of World s Perfume Capital C te d Azur France

Our Citroën C4 Aircross was fun to drive on the beautiful streets and alleys of historical Grasse. There were tight corners and a little surprise on our way. The Grasse city and region is located in the Alpes-Maritimes (”Maritime Alps”) department in France’s southeast corner, on the Italian border and Mediterranean coast. Grasse is uphill from Nice and Cannes, ideally located between sea and mountains. The area is part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It encompasses the French Riviera alongside neighbouring Var. The distance from Nice to Grasse is 45 km (28 mi). It takes about 45 minutes to drive and about one hour to travel by train from Nice to Grasse. Grasse is known throughout the world for its perfume industry. It is regarded as the perfume capital of the world. Three major perfume factories can be visited: Fragonard, Molinard and Galimard. About 300 years ago, Grasse was famous not for perfume but for its leather and tanneries. Perfume came along as a way of hiding the scent of animal skins. Parfumerie Fragonard is the most centrally located, in its glorious old yellow walled factory at the entrance to the historic part of Grasse. Fragonard perfumery is one of the oldest perfumeries in Grasse. Created in 1926 by Eugène Fuchs, it takes its name in honour of the painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Molinard, based in a building designed by Gustave Eiffel, is a short walk from the old town. Molinard, perfumer since 1849, is one of Grasse’s longest-standing perfumeries. One of Europe’s oldest perfumeries, Galimard, was founded in 1747 and provided fragrance to the court of Louis XV. Its factory and museum is located on the outskirts of Grasse. Grasse is also a city of art and history. The city center is home to architectural gems such as the cathedral, the 13th century episcopal palace, 17th and 18th century mansions, beautiful fountains, and picturesque medieval streets and alleys. Grasse has the charm of the Provençal towns and villages. You can hop on to Grasse’s Little Tourist Train, “Le Petit Train de Grasse” - Fragonard Train, and explore the historic streets and narrow alleyways of the city center.