Fréjus is a beautiful town in the South of France, near Saint-Raphaёl. The old town with its colored houses is very much worth a visit, as well as the roman ruins, and walks in nature around it.
When you are driving there, you will probably pass by the impressive roman ruins, and see the well-preserved amphitheater. The amphitheater can be visited and hosts some big events in summer.
On Saturday’s, the old town center of Fréjus has a really nice market which is lively all year round. It is located around the main square, which has a lot of terraces, restaurants, a creperie, a smoothie bar, and other shops. In summer time, the market is even bigger and the stalls go all the way from the main square to the bigger streets of the town center. A wide variety of products can be bought at the market: typical food from the Mediterranean area such as olives, tapenade and dried tomatoes, but also non-food products, such as the famous soap ‘Savon de Marseille’, clothes, and products like kitchen towels or table cloths with a ‘Provencal design’ on it.
When you are at the market, you can easily visit the Cloisters, the cathedral and see the baptistery since they all are located on the square where the market is held. The Cloisters are very beautiful and a peaceful place. The wooden ceiling is quite unique in France and has hand painted images of imaginary animals and scenes of daily life on it.
We like walking around in the old town of Fréjus, looking at the colored houses with the nice decorated balconies and colored shutters that are so typical of the south.
Parking: as in summer all towns in the south of France can get a bit crowded, we would recommend you to follow the signs of the Parking Aubenas. We actually have always found a spot there!
Once you have visited the the city center of Fréjus, there is still much to explore in the surroundings of the town.
Chapelle Cocteau, a hidden chapel
A lovely discovery is the somewhat hidden chapel called ‘Chapelle Cocteau’. The octagon shaped chapel is in a forest just outside of Fréjus. The chapel is decorated by the artist Jean Cocteau. It is very small, so a visit is quite quick, but the paintings and the stained glass windows and doors are impressive.
How to get to Chapelle Cocteau: the official name of the chapel is ‘Chapelle Notre-Dame de Jérusalem’. Type that in on Google maps as there is no real address, you will see signs as you get closer.
Villa Aurélienne
The Villa Aurélienne in Fréjus is a villa built in 1889 and is located in a park with mediterranean plants and trees. You will see parts of the Roman aqueduct before entering the park. We love the architecture of the building, who got its name from its proximity to the Via Aurelia which led from Rome to Arles. Art exhibitions are sometimes held in Villa Aurélienne.
Winery: You can for instance taste some wine at the winery ‘Clos des Roses’ outside of Fréjus, which not only sells wine, but also has a very nice restaurant with a beautiful terrace and good food! Clos des Roses is located on a beautiful property with plenty of modern art pieces in its garden. Have a look at their website.
Hike: If you like hiking and history, have a look at our blog post on a walk towards the: Broken Dam of Malpasset.
If you would like to read all my recommendations on what to do for families in the Cote d’Azur area, click HERE to see the entire article.
And how about it if you would get the taste of the Provence at home to get in the mood for the trip and learn an easy to make recipe of a local? If you like cooking, then read how to make Denise’s ‘Poulet Provençal au citron de Menton’ here.
Wow, looks beautiful! I’d love to visit the Côte d’Azur one day. I love the market photos.