Nathan Sawaya: ‘Art can be anything, there are no rules.’
The exhibition The Art of the Brick has arrived in Switzerland! From October 4th until January 6th 2019 you can enjoy art in a fun way in Geneva’s Palexpo. Over a million bricks of the famous Lego toy are used to create all these amazing pieces of art.
The Art of the Brick is a great way for children to discover how their favorite toy can be transformed into art recognized worldwide. It is also a fun way to make them enjoy art and make it acessible to everyone. The stories behind the pieces of art reminds everyone to follow their dreams! The artist himself had gone to law school and became a lawyer, but he felt he needed to use his creativity after office hours and started making his Lego art works. Until one day, when he decided to be an artist full-time… The exhibition is fun for both adults and children.
‘Dreams are built… one brick at a time!’
The expo is divided into several sections. There is the part showing Humans and their expressions, like sitting, dreaming, kissing and hugging. There is the part showcasing Lego Brick reproductions of famous Old Masters! Paintings of Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh, and famous sculptures like David by Michelangelo. There are also historical art works like an image found in the Lascaux caves in France, or the Tapisserie de Bayeux. I actually never thought it was possible to make the old masters paintings with Lego Bricks!
Children will definitely also love the big dinosaur. All the signs at the Expo tell you exactly how many bricks were used and the size of the art work. The dinosaur is definitely the biggest one. 80.020 bricks were used to make this huge T-Rex!
At the end of the exhibition there is a Playzone with both Lego bricks and interactive games.
The exhibition is one not to be missed in Geneva!
General information:
Opening Hours: from 10:00 – 19:00, daily from October 4th until November 4th. From November 5th until December 23rd from Wednesday until Sunday, and from December 24th open again daily. Different opening hours on December 24th, 25th and January 1st.
To order your tickets, go to the Ticketcorner website. And for more information visit the The Art of the Brick website: https://www.aotb.ch/
Our Top 5 of Family Friendly Ski Resorts in Switzerland and France!
Skiing gives us energy! Being active, high up the mountain, watching the children progress, and spending time as a family! But where to go?
A family friendly resort, a good ski school, an apartment not too far from the cable car, or from the ski school meeting point. It can sometimes be difficult to find and, searching the internet for it can take quite some time. Reading the experience a family has already had can be helpful, and so I’m sharing our favorite ski resorts with you that we have tried out so far!
1. Grächen, Wallis, Switzerland
We thought Grächen was fantastic! Grächen is a resort that does everything to make families feel welcome. They organize a lot of activities and they have their own town mascot, a snow bird called Sisu, who often comes to visit the children in the special kids’ part of the restaurant on top of the mountain, or on the slopes. There are day care facilities (included in your ski pass!), there is a good ski school with friendly staff, and…. they have a cool cable car which tells you stories as you go up… (in German). In the evening, you can also eat cheese fondue in the cable car.
The car-free town center itself is very cute, and since it is not so big, you can never be too far from the cable car that leaves from the town center.
There is one specific family hotel in Grächen which is known to be very child friendly! You have to be fast though as they fill up quickly.
If this hotel is already booked, then you could give this hotel (with swimming pool!) a try!
2. Les Gets, Haute Savoie, France
One of our favorite French ski resorts and really family friendly!! Les Gets even has two specially designed kids slopes with fun elements. One is the Milka slope (piste Mauve), and the other one is a ski slope with Indian theme.
Watch our video to see what a day of skiing in Les Gets with kids could look like 😉.
Les Gets also offers other activities, particularly during high season. There is an ice-skating rink, and there are real nice restaurants. A restaurant we particularly like is restaurant ‘Le Grand Cry’, up with the cable car, to the left, and you will find it at the bottom of the slopes.
As we mostly go to Les Gets on a day-trip, we do not have a specific recommendation on where to stay, but you can find all the hotels here.
3. Saas-Fee, Wallis, Switzerland
We totally loved Saas-Fee! A typical Swiss mountain village with beautiful sun burnt wooden houses, which is big enough to have supermarkets and all the facilities you would need, but too big to just book an apartment and end up too far away from the ski school meeting point, especially when the kids are still small. In Saas-Fee, it is important to look where you book, but once you are well located, you will have the best skiing holiday!
We very much liked walking through the main street with all its shops and restaurants, and the ski school staff members were really kind! We were there during the Carnaval week and that was quite a happening in Saas-Fee.
We were very happy with the apartment we rented as we could just ski back to the house, and the blue slope was just behind the building.
Another hotel in Saas-Fee which is known to be family friendly, is this one. It has a pool and they organize activities for children.
To see our full article on Saas-Fee:
4. Thyon 2000
We’ve been to Thyon several times already. The slopes are fantastic, and when skiing or in a lift, you will have beautiful views on the Dixence Dam and the Matterhorn mountain top! There are beginners’ slopes, and bigger children will love the Central Park ‘snowpark’. The ski school is great, and we looooove a particular restaurant on the slopes called Restaurant de l’Alpage.
In the winter of 2018 Thyon had a very cool ice cave on its slopes, which was a real nice experience to just ski, stop and visit the beautiful ice sculptures, and continue downhill on your skis again 😊.
For apartments in Thyon 2000, best is to go through the Tourism Office website, as they have the apartments for rent right on the 2000 meters height, which means almost no walking with your kids and their equipment :-). Thyon is really a place where you come to ski, for beginners and advanced skiers. There is not a lot else to do at 2000 meters, and there are no big grocery shops, so if you rent an apartment there, best is to do some meal planning ahead!
5. Les Mosses
We love Les Mosses for several reasons… One of them is the fact that they have relaxing sun loungers everywhere around the small kids slopes, so that parents can sit and watch their little ones go up the magic carpet, and down again…
Another reason Les Mosses is great, is because of the ski card system which works with points. So you do not need to pay for a full day ski pass, if both parents want to ski for a bit separately while the other parent watches the little ones. Also, with little ones you are sometimes not sure they will ski the whole day, so this system of points can actually be a money saver, since they stay valid!
We have had our children in private lessons in Les Mosses occasionally and the ski teachers were nice and helpful.
There are small shops besides the road in Les Mosses. One of them is a ‘Bazaar’ which is really incredible, because in their small space, well, they sell everything! I guess you would have to go several times to really see all they have 😊.
If you are looking to do something else for a change during your holiday: Leysin and its big snowtubing park are close by.
This Hotel is conveniently located on the main road, right in front of the access to the slopes. The access to the slopes is flat for a couple of hundred meters.
We are looking forward to another great skiing season with our kids!
Heatwave! Where to cool off at day trip distance from Geneva or Vaud?
With temperatures like these, you need water, shade, or the frozen food section of a supermarket! But if you don’t want to spend your days shopping, here are some quick suggestions to cool off
1. A day trip to Zoo et Piscine Les Marécottes in Salvan in Wallis
About an hour and a half by car from Geneva.
In Salvan, near Martigny, is a zoo and swimming pool in a nice natural environment. The zoo is the highest zoo in Europe, and it only hosts animals that you would be able to find in Switzerland. It is a zoo with fairly big spaces for the animals who live here and it has a lot of trees for shade, and so on warm days, the picnic tables will be very convenient so that you can eat outside. There is also an on-site restaurant and all you need for refreshments.
The swimming pool is quite extraordinary because you could think for a second that you are in a more exotic place! The pool has a sort of natural look with rocks on the side where some bigger kids and adults jump off. The water can be a bit cold, so the best day to visit the Zoo des Marécottes and enjoy the pool would be on a hot summer day! When it is busy it is sometimes a bit difficult to find a spot to put your towel down as the space around the pool is not very big.
Their website: http://www.zoo-alpin.ch/fr/piscine.html
2. Lac de Montriond and Ardent waterfall, Haute Savoie, near Morzine
About an hour and a half by car from Geneva.
Lac de Montriond is near Morzine in France. You can swim in the lake. Walk around the lake through a forrest and near the Ardent waterfall which is beautiful. Close by to this lake you will find the ‘goat town’ Les Lindarets where goats walk around the village freely. To see the website of the lake: https://en.valleedaulps.com/montriond-swimming-area.html and for information about the town with the goats: https://en.valleedaulps.com/lindarets-village.html
3. Mountains
When you go higher up, it usually gets a bit cooler! Read my suggestions for family hikes at day-trip distance from Geneva:
4. Go Camping in the lake region of the Jura
About 2 hours by car from Geneva.
The French part of the Jura has some nice lakes, towns and caves to visit. We loved camping around the ‘Lac de Chalain’, on a camp site with direct access to the lake and a nice swimming pool. It is close to the ‘Cascades du Hérisson’ which makes a beautiful walk in the shade with waterfalls (less water in summer of course). The town called ‘Baume les Messieurs’, a bit further away is beautiful as well and has really nice caves to visit and to cool off in. Website of the camp site near Lac de Chalain: https://www.chalain.com/fr/
And of the caves in Baumes les Messieurs: http://www.baumelesmessieurs.fr/les-grottes-de-baume/
5. Swimming
If you do not want to go too far away… there is swimming around Geneva of course… The lake, the beaches. When sometimes on the weekends it gets a bit busy, you can also escape to the rivers, either the Versoix river or the Allondon river, depending on where you are located. And the beach in Divonne-les-bains in France could be good as well!
Stay cool everyone!
Are you spending some time on the French Riviera and would you like to do some sightseeing? Here is our Top Ten of suggestions for a day trip!
1. Nice, the old town
Nice is a beautiful city and you could easily spend a few days here! If you are elsewhere on the Cote d’Azur, you should at least come to Nice for a walk in the beautiful Old Town which has nice colored houses and a typical Mediterranean feel. There are a lot of restaurants, bars with terraces and shops with local products. Of course, a walk on the Promenade des Anglais where early morning you will see all the people doing their sports workout is also always beautiful! The big car parks right in the center, make Nice easily accessible for a day trip.
2. Saint-Paul de Vence
A nice mixture of a medieval town center and modern art galleries. Saint-Paul de Vence makes an excellent place for some sightseeing in the Provence. And why not have a lunch in this beautiful setting, in one of the many local restaurants? Click on the image to see my blog article on Saint-Paul de Vence.
3. Broken Dam of Malpasset, and Fréjus
There is a lot to see in Fréjus and this town therefore makes an excellent destination for a daytrip! On Wednesdays and Saturdays, you could visit the nice market in the town center, as well as the beautiful Cloisters. In the afternoon, you could have a walk in the beautiful nature surrounding the historic site of the Broken Dam of Malpasset. To read more about this walk, or about the town of Fréjus:
4. Massif de l’Esterel
We love exploring the beautiful red rocks! You can go up (near Agay) and enjoy the view of the coast line and the beautiful color of the mountains which change a bit depending on the light and the time of the day you will be visiting. The same rocks go all the way down, and a lot of beaches and creeks are surrounded by the same red stones. You can visit the red rocks by water from below by taking a boat tour with one of the boating company’s.
5. Callian, a small town on a hill
Sometimes, when it gets a bit crowded on the coast, a little trip more inland could be a perfect alternative. We visited the small town of Callian, which is beautifully located on top of a hill. It has nice small cobbled streets and the typical feel of the Provence. There are beautiful churches and some cafés and restaurants. It is a small town, and it could be combined with a trip to the close by lake of Saint-Cassien.
6. Saint-Cassien lake
The Saint-Cassien lake is a beautiful and very big lake that you will pass by on your way to villages like Callian. There are small beaches and a lot of places that rent pedal boats, kayaks or stand-up-paddles. There are restaurants and beach bars everywhere around the lake and because the lake is so big, this is an excellent place to escape the crowds. Just jump in a canoe and find your perfect quiet spot for a picnic!
7. Saint-Tropez
A classical day trip while you are on the French Riviera. Saint-Tropez is a town you would need to visit at least once! In high season, the best would be to either go early by car, or to take a boat from another town like for instance from Saint-Raphael. Once in Saint-Tropez, you could of course visit the famous Museum of Police Men (‘Gendarmes’) and Cinema, walk around on the beautiful narrow streets, and eat the local famous dessert ‘La Tarte Tropézienne’.
8. Islands in the bay of Cannes, les iles de Lérins
From Cannes, you can take a ferry boat to visit one of the islands that are right in front of the city, ‘Les Iles de Lérins’, who are composed of two islands: Ile Saint Honorat and Ile Sainte Marguerite. We chose to visit one of the two islands, Ile Sainte Marguerite and it only takes 10 minutes to get there by boat. You can walk around on the island and follow the walking path which is mainly in the shade of beautiful trees, or visit the Fort, which once served as a prison. The most famous prisoner here was the Man in the Iron Mask. There are some beaches on the island, but it is recommended to bring your water shoes. There are some nice restaurants as well who have the beautiful view on Cannes and all the boats.
9. Gorges du Verdon
This is worth a full day trip! The Gorges du Verdon is a famous and very picturesque gorge in the Provence, with its beautiful Lac Sainte-Croix, on which you can stand-up-paddle or kayak. From Saint-Raphael it was about an hour and a half to drive there. You can go through the beginning of the Gorge by pedal boat or kayak, you can stand-up paddle on the beautiful lake, and visit historic villages like Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. Soak up the beautiful scenery, and don’t forget your camera!
10. Monaco
Another classic for a day trip. If you like Formula 1 races, it is always cool to be able to walk around and see the curves of where this typical race is often held. The old town center on top of ‘the rock’ is beautiful to walk around in, and the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco (Aquarium) is beautiful and a popular visit for families.
Of course, there is still much more to explore on the Cote d’Azur!
The Grand Canyon of France! A spectacular and beautiful nature spot in the South of France with turquoise waters, impressive cliffs, a beautiful lake for all kinds of water activities and cute towns. If you heading to the South of France, you should definitely visit the Gorges du Verdon!
Gorges du Verdon activities
Pedal boat, kayak or stand up paddle through the famous part of the Gorges, head towards the waterfall and find a safe spot to jump off a cliff.
The most accessible part of the gorges on the water can be found at the Pont du Galetas near Salles-sur-Verdon, on the road leading to Moustiers Sainte-Marie. You will find rental spots for pedal boats, electric boats and kayaks on both sides of the river near the bridge. We crossed the bridge first, coming from the Cote d’Azur and then parked at the ‘Base de l’Etoile’, one of the boat rental spots near the entrance of the Verdon gorge. Like most beautiful sites… beautiful means you will not be the only one to visit… so coming early is recommended to enjoy the Verdon gorges without too many people on the water.
We rented a pedal boat for our family and went for 2 hours of pedaling and swimming. The colour of the water in the Verdon gorge is amazingly turquoise! After pedaling for about an hour at a calm pace you will reach a beautiful waterfall. We had a water-resistant bag with us that we use when we go stand-up paddling so we had no problem navigating right through the waterfall which was fun and refreshing!
Villages around Gorges du Verdon and Lac Sainte Croix
When we were finished we left for the beautiful town of Moustiers Sainte-Marie. A historical, medieval town, known for their porcelain craft work. A lot of little local shops, restaurants, and a scenic entrance bridge with a waterfall.
Another small town we liked walking around in was Salles sur Verdon.
Lac Sainte Croix activities
The lake has several spots where you can rent equipment for water activities, or beaches to relax on. We decided to go stand-up paddling on the beautiful Lac de Sainte Croix.
The artificial lake is huge, and the water has the same turquoise color as the water in the Verdon gorge. The water is very clear and we saw some nice fish. We decided to go to the Surf Center in Salles sur Verdon. What a cool spot! Hammocks, a slack line for kids to play on, a cool beach bar and a rental place for paddles and boats of all kinds. We already have 2 paddle boards of our own, so we just rented 1 extra board for us to paddle as a family, as our little one still likes to sit in front of one of our boards 😊. After the crowd in the Gorge, peace and quiet reigns at the Sainte Croix lake. The lake is so big, you just paddle away and you can find quiet spots on islands or on the lake shore where you can have the feeling your family are the only ones that exist. Our children called it ‘playing Robinson Crusoe’ when we had a little break on the island 😊.
The town of Salles sur Verdon also has loads of restaurants, and the Surf Center is really highly recommended as the staff is super friendly and they have re-created a tropical island atmosphere here. The beach bar sells smoothies, snacks, pasta salad and cocktails. Need we say more? 😊
Hotel Verdon Gorges
If you would like to stay overnight near the Verdon gorges, we would suggest you stay in the town Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. There is a beautiful hotel located right on the main square, at easy walking distance to all the restaurants and shops.
Lavender fields Provence
An easy day trip from Gorges du Verdon is to visit the famous french lavender fields. The closest place to visit some of the spectacular purple fields which are in bloom in summer, is around the town of Valensole, which is about 35 minutes by car from Moustiers-Sainte-Marie.
The Verdon Gorges and Lac de Sainte Croix as seen from above in the video made with our drone:
Would you like to read more on our trips to the South of France, then these articles might interest you as well:
Are you on a holiday near Saint-Raphaёl on the Côte d’Azur and would you like to know which beach to go to? Here’s our selection of 5 best beaches near Saint-Raphael for you to try out!
1. Calanque du Petit Canereit, Antheor
A beautiful, natural spot away from the crowds, without facilities. This beach is located between Agay and Théoule-sur-Mer, just after passing Antheor Plage and the train bridge. You will see a small parking lot on the right side of the scenic road. Come early in the morning to have a parking spot, and if you are really lucky, to have the beach all to yourself like we had one morning. Steep stairs lead you down to the beach, do-able with children, bring water, your water shoes, and your picnic! Snorkeling gear is also really good to bring as it is a beach with stones and a lot of fish can be seen! The second time we were there, at around 13 o’clock, at boat stopped to sell drinks and ice-cream, just in time for our dessert after the picnic! The captain of the boat said he came there every day, so do bring some money just in case. This beach is definitely one of our best beaches near Saint-Raphael!
2. Plage du Débarquement, Saint-Raphaёl
This beach is one of our top best beaches in Saint-Raphael for snorkeling! An amazing amount of fish can be seen, even very close to the beach. It’s certainly because this beach has no sand but big rocks, so bring your water shoes and your snorkeling gear! We had never seen so many fish in one place in the Mediterranean before! You will see a lot of people walk around with the Decathlon snorkeling masks that have become so popular 😊. There are lifeguards on this beach, public toilets, and there is a restaurant. The view on the famous landmark of Saint-Raphaёl, l’Ile d’Or, is best from this beach, and we like to bring our stand-up paddles and paddle around the island. Paddling around the island and back to the beach takes about 35 minutes and my husband has done it with our 10 year old. The island is private property, so you cannot go on the island.
3. Tiki plage, or Plage de Camp Long, Agay
This beach, located between Agay and Saint-Raphaёl, is also known as the ‘Plage de Camp Long’. It is a creek with a nice beach with a mixture of sand and small stones. You can walk around the creek on a small foot path carved into the typical red rocks of the Estérel mountains that end up in the sea. The parking lot is relatively big compared to smaller creeks located along the well-known ‘Route de la Corniche d’Or’. The beach has a restaurant, a snack corner, a small shop, showers, public toilets, and rental of stand-up paddles, kayaks and pedal boats. Children are at ease to swim here as the water does not go steep down immediately. They can of course also search for crabs along the rocks around the creek. Tiki plage is definitely one of our preferred beaches!
4. Calanque des Anglais, Agay
Another beautiful, small beach, with typical red stones from the red rocks of the Estérel mountains. If you go all the way to the ‘official sign’ indicating the ‘Calanque des Anglais’, access to the beach is a bit more difficult then when you park at the stairs just before. From those stairs, the beach is accessible with children as well. Like all the ‘calanques’ beaches, come early and don’t forget water shoes and snorkeling gear!
5. Saint-Aygulf, sand beach near Saint-Raphael
This wide beach is our best spot for real sand and building sand castles! It is also the perfect beach with small children as the water is very shallow for a long while. There are parking lots along the road on both sides (payed parking). Since it is quite a long beach, there are several different beach bars and restaurants. What we like to do after a couple of hours on the beach, is go to the beach front where there are several restaurants and bars right on the beach. Some have really nice terraces! The little center also has a big shop with everything you would need for the beach, inflatable toys, beach towels, they have everything! Just don’t go to the beach near the center, as it tends to get too crowded at the end of the day. The beach is long enough to pick a spot before the town center.
Would you like to see some of the beaches as seen from above? Check out our drone video of the beautiful coast line:
Would you like to know our other tips on visiting Saint-Raphael and Fréjus, then you may be interested in our other articles as well!
Saint-Raphaël is a beautiful coastal town that lies between Cannes and Saint-Tropez. You can walk along the sea shore, but you can also visit the old town, the archeological museum and its tower with a view over the city.
On the streets of the old town, you will find a covered market, little shops with typical products of the South of France, restaurants and cafés.
The archeological museum is located in the old town center and combines historical treasures of the region’s Roman times, with the remains of a church and a medieval tower.
Art exhibitions are sometimes held inside of the museum and when we were there, nice paper art was shown inside of the church part of the museum, which perfectly combined old bricks and modern art.
If you go up the stairs to the top of the tower, you will have a remarkable view of the coastline, the town center, and the Estérel mountains, also known as the ‘red rocks’.
You can take stairs down to a lower level which shows you the crypt of the church.
Of course, there is more to do in Saint-Raphael. If you get up early, you can buy your fish right from the fisher men when the boats come back at the ‘Marché des Pecheurs’ in the harbor, at the Kennedy public parking. The market opens at 8:00 so for the best catch of the day, you will need to come early! Boats leave all day from Saint-Raphael for various excursions, amongst others to Saint-Tropez. In Summer, a lively market is held every night!
NEW: Opening on July 31st of 2019, a museum dedicated to the French Actor Louis de Funès, famous from amongst others the movie ‘Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez’.
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.
If you are in Saint-Raphael, then be sure to check out our list of our favorite beaches to go to! You will not be dissappointed!
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.
Saint Paul de Vence is a beautiful medieval town in the South of France, close to Nice. It has nice narrow streets, terraces, restaurants and breathtaking views of the surrounding area. We loved walking around in this picturesque place!
The main square of the town is just outside of the city walls and it is the place where people play ‘pétanque’. It has terraces with a view on the pétanque court, so you could sit here and watch the game be played.
If you continue, you access the town through an old stone entrance tunnel which takes you to the other side of the ramparts and then you just wander on the small cobbled pedestrian streets.
A lot of artists are known to have been to Saint Paul de Vence in the past. Chagall, Picasso and Matisse, just to name a few. The small town still attracts art lovers as the town has plenty of galleries, mostly with modern art. We liked looking at the contrast of the old and historical streets and buildings, combined with all the modern and colorful artwork we saw while walking around. There are also a lot of shops with local food from the Provence area, like for instance the shop called ‘Aux saveurs sucrées’ where we bought nice local jam.
Windows and doors
Street full of plants
We had lunch at Restaurant ‘Le Tilleul’ which is located on your left after entering the medieval town center. It has a nice terrace outside and really good food!
Later on, we also saw Restaurant ‘La Térrasse’ which has a small terrace at the back (so reserving a table could be worth it) but with a really remarkable view. We haven’t tasted their food, but the terrace is a beautiful place for drinks.
Of course, you can end your visit to Saint Paul de Vence with a stop at the Fondation Maeght, a museum of modern and contemporary art, which is located very close to Saint Paul de Vence.
If you would like to read 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.
Fréjus, Cote d’Azur, France
An incredible walk through nature and history.
Have you ever heard of the broken dam of Malpasset?
I hadn’t before I went there, but it is quite an impressive site.
The area of the ‘Site de Malpasset’ is a beautiful, natural site, but which unfortunately has a sad history. On one evening, in December 1959 the Malpasset dam, which was built to supply water in the Var area, broke due to the heavy rainfall in the days before. What happened next is known as one of the biggest disasters of the 20th century in France. The water behind the dam created powerful floodings and a wave of water carried big cement blocks of the dam with it for more than one kilometer. You can still see the big cement blocks lying around while you walk towards the remains of the dam.
The water went as far as the town of Fréjus and even derailed a train. Of course, there have been many victims at the time, and that is why the ‘Site de Malpasset’ is a place of respect, a monument. The remains of the dam are quite impressive to see and make you realize what a disaster the break of it must have been.
The surrounding nature is very beautiful and that is why nowadays, the ‘Site de Malpasset’ is mainly used by cyclists and pedestrians. The walk from the small parking lot towards the dam can easily be done with the entire family. We were there in spring and beautiful wild flowers were in bloom and the nice smells that are so typical of the vegetation of the South of France was all around.
Our children like family hikes and love exploring around and searching for treasures. They have found beautiful rocks, one of which heart shaped, and they liked to play next to the water. They too were quite impressed by the ruins of the dam.
Besides the sad history, the ‘Site de Malpasset’ really is a beautiful environment to walk around in.
Where? Right next to the highway exit Fréjus / Saint-Raphael, follow the signs: Site de Malpasset.
Would you like to know what else you can do in Fréjus? Have a look here.
Would you like to read my full article on what to do for families in the Cote d’Azur, you can read about that here.
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.
Cloisters
the baptistery
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.
Fréjus town center
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.
Let's Explore 