Les Chemins Parfumés

3 ways to discover the art of perfume in Grasse

Grasse, the historic cradle of perfume, listed in the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, opens its doors to visitors who wish to smell, pick and create with its Chemins Parfumés. Here are three ways to plunge into the art of perfume, from harvest to creation.

Visiting and meeting

One of the best ways to understand the world of perfume in Grasse is to visit the emblematic venues which comprise it, such as the workshops, museums and fields, and meet those who carry on this scented savoir-faire..

Immerse yourself in the works and the fields filled with cultivated flowers

Enter the production workshops of the great perfumery houses and discover the distilling facilities, the maceration alcoves and the extraction labs. In the springtime, some of the houses even offer visits to the fields to observe the perfume plants (roses, jasmine, etc.) in blooming time.

Meet perfumers

Whether they are figures of the great houses of perfumery or independent creators, the artisan perfumers invite you regularly to conferences, get-togethers or visits to share their passion and their secrets. Check out which activities are available for the date of your arrival!

Visit museums dedicated to the world of perfume

The Musée International de la Parfumerie (MIP) is one of the absolute museum musts to visit in Grasse. It traces the history of perfume, its techniques and olfactory materials, and exhibits rare collections. Moreover, houses such as Fragonard also have a museum area dedicated to perfume, often associated with visits to their workshop. A cultural and sensory itinerary to find out all there is to know about the world of perfume.

The harvest

If you want to discover the savoir-faire of perfumery, you must also understand the raw material, the flower, and how it is grown. In addition to visits to the gardens in the spring, some estates also offer the opportunity to take part in the harvest.

Harvesting Centifolia

The Centifolia rose, which is sometimes called the « May rose », is one of the star flowers in Grasse perfumery. If you want to understand how important it is to have a delicate touch when picking these roses, where each petal counts, you can sign up for the manual harvesting, which takes place at dawn in May, when their scent is at its purest.

Jasmine harvest

Another emblematic flower in perfumery, the jasmine harvest also takes place from July to October. Picking jasmine requires a great deal of precision and is often carried out at first light, to keep all the sophistication of its scents.

Visite et cueillette de la fleur - Domaine Terre de Jasmin - Grasse

À la découverte de la rose Centifolia et du savoir-faire Grassois - Le Jardin du Petit Jas - Grasse

Visite et cueillette au cœur des Roses Centifolia – Domaine La Clef des Roses - Grasse

Production

After the visit and the harvest, now that you have pierced the great secrets of the savoir-faire of perfumery, it’s your turn. Learn perfume-producing techniques and compose your own fragrance with an artisan perfumer! Whether it’s the workshop of a great house or an independent artisan, the principle is the same: to guide you step by step in the process of perfumed creation. During these workshops, you will learn about the olfactory families, to identify the raw materials, explore the chords, dose the head, middle and base notes, and finally make a fragrance to suit you.

And if suppose feel particularly attracted by the world of perfume, you can live the experience from A to Z: “De la fleur à l’atelier” by Maison Fragonard invites you to follow the whole process, from harvest to distillation, creation and composition for a full immersion in the cycle of perfume, along the Chemins Parfumés.