VISIT LA GARDE-FREINET
The name of the inhabitants is "Gardois", from "Gardeu" in Provençal. "Freinet", added later, refers to the territory of Fraxinetum (a vast plain populated with ash trees, from Gassin to Grimaud).
In the 19th century,
the village experienced a boom; a rapid and considerable increase, which accompanied the explosion of the cork industry. In 1872, the commune had nearly 660 cork makers for a population of 2687 inhabitants. Witness to the golden age of La Garde-Freinet, the new districts of "Les Aires" and "Place Neuve" were grafted onto the winding alleys of the old village, to give it the appearance it still has today.
La Garde-Freinet offers an exceptional range of walks that will lead nature lovers, by marked trails, to places full of poetry.
Hiking enthusiasts, on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback, will find the complete file of all the walks in 4 languages at the Tourist Office.
Overlooking the current village, Fort Freinet dominates the only access road that connects the Argens valley to the Gulf of Saint Tropez.
Also, La Garde-Freinet offers an exceptional panorama of the Pre-Alpine massifs, the Mediterranean, and the forest landscapes of the Maures.
Ten years of archaeological excavations have uncovered the remains of a fortified village from the Middle Ages. To access it, the path runs along the cliff to the gates of the village, where you can see the remains of about thirty houses carved into the schist.
The conditions of the destruction of Fort Freinet are known, but its origin, the challenge to the Saracen occupation, or the function of certain dwellings, fuel discussions, on a site that has not yet revealed all its secrets.
Good to know: cork, a local treasure
In the 19th century, La Garde-Freinet became a major center for cork-stopper production. Thanks to the abundance of cork oaks in the massif, local people mastered bark stripping without damaging the tree, then treated and punched the cork sheets. This activity employed nearly a third of the population and contributed to the village's prosperity. Some workshops can still be seen today, bearing witness to this rural and artisanal know-how.
