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Tuesday, April 23, 2024
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Ste Maxime (Sainte-Maxime)
Church of Sainte-Maxime, France
Ste Maxime (Sainte-Maxime)
Ste Maxime lies roughly halfway between Saint Tropez and Fréjus. It is a large town, with a population of more than 11,000, and relatively new by local standards. It was formed in the mid-17th century by linking two domains – the “Seigneurie” of Revest and the “Seigneurie” of the Bastides de Sainte Maxime and Saint-Pierre de Miramas. At the time, it is said, the only building between them was the 16th-century Tour Carrée, or square tower, which still stands – today housing the local history museum.
Ste Maxime, sheltered from the Mistral by the Massif des Maures, has several miles of warm, south-facing beaches. One of its most curious claims to fame, however, is that Jean de Brunhoff, creator of the Babar the Elephant stories, lived here. The first of the Babar series, Voyage de Babar, was written and illustrated in Ste Maxime. One of the town’s beaches, now known as Elephant Beach, is pictured on pages four and five of the book. It’s an apt association, since Ste Maxime is a bit more sedate and family-oriented than its near neighbors.
The town has a range of lively shops and modern shopping areas as well as a garden promenade and a pier overlooking the gulf. Beaches to the west of the town, particularly La Nartelle, are considered the best.
Last updated March 15, 2012
Posted in France | Western Côte d’Azur
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