Why You Have to Visit Little Roquebrune-Sur-Argens

When I was planning our trip to the south of France, I saw dozens of tiny towns and bigger cities recommended as a great base.  But I never once saw adorable Roquebrune-Sur-Argens mentioned, which is really a shame.

So I’m here with a bunch of pictures (and some pastries) to convince you that you should give consider it as home base during your French Riviera wanderings.  It’s a great central location for a day trip the wineries of Aix-en-Provence and day trips to dozens of charming towns.

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The core old town area is filled with your typical narrow, steep little streets and colorful houses.  Stop in a one of a few fancy chocolatiers to sample their wares, or pause to warm up with a cappuccino.

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I was totally in love with all the fanciful details, from the ivy covering the clock tower to those Beauty and the Beast-esque shutters above the stone arch.

Also, these cats who wouldn’t stop staring at me…

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Every morning I went for a run and watched the sun rise.  With the big rock standing guard over the town, I wove my way around the outside of the town, downhill until I reached the town center…

…and found my favorite little bakery, Patisserie Cettier.  Remy and Stephanie Cettier are the absolute cutest, and their almond croissants are to DIE for.  Best I’ve ever had.  So every morning, panting and sweaty, I’d order a pastry (almost always an almond croissant) and two cappuccinos to go in my halting French.

Why two cappuccinos, you ask?

Well, you see, I’m a planner.  The cappuccinos were boiling hot, and so by the time I trudged all the way back uphill to the hotel, they were the perfect temperature.  And because one of those little coffees is just not enough.

We stayed at the Hôtel Club Vacanciel with a huge group, so meals were included and we didn’t get to explore the food of the town very much.  But the hotel grounds were beautiful, the staff lovely, and Dimitar at the bar was a generous pourer of my beloved rosé pamplemousse.

If you visit, make sure to wander into town around sunset some nights, because we were treated to a couple of absolutely spectacular sunsets.  Bring a bottle of wine and friend, and savor life in the south of France.

What to know about visiting Roquebrune-sur-Argens

• We flew in and out of Nice, and rented a car to get around.
• While you technically could try to use public transportation, you’d have to take a bus to Frejus to connect to the other buses and trains.  You honestly really want a rental car to explore the south of France well.
• It’s about a 45-60 minute drive to Nice (depending on what part of Nice you’re visiting).
• We stayed in the Hôtel Club Vacanciel, which was quite nice.
• Make sure to visit Patisserie Cettier and have their almond croissants, their palmiers, their pain au chocolat, and basically everything else.
• Roquebrune-sur-Argens is an easy drive to St. Tropez (15-20 minutes), Cannes (45 minutes), Monte Carlo (75 minutes), and so many other towns and cities!

Other charming old towns you’ll love:

• Exploring the Hill Towns of Northern Croatia
• A Perfect Afternoon in Piran, Slovenia
• The Medieval Charms of Kilkenny, Ireland
• Why Riomaggiore Is My Favorite Cinque Terre Town

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