Les Plus Beaux Villages de France: Bormes-les-Mimosas—Part 4/4

This is a wonderful series where you can discover villages you may never have heard of and never visited. In this, the last of a four-part series, Betty Carlson is taking you to one of the three most recently labeled “Most Beautiful Villages of France”, or Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – Bormes-les-Mimosas.

From here you can navigate easily to read the entire series:

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France: What’s behind the precious title—Part 1/4

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France: Villeneuve—Part 2/4

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France: Marcolès—Part 3/4

Part 4/4 (this one)

It’s really beautiful, but is it really a village?

Welcome to Bormes-les-Mimosas

Eschewing the multi-level garage, a feature I’d rarely seen in French villages, I found a free parking space – barely. But after a circuitous drive, up and up and up from the French Riviera coast, at least I arrived.

Image credit: Bormes-les-Mimosas by Betty Carlson

Bormes-les-Mimosas – a beautiful town with a beautiful name

Originally called “Bormes,” the city council added “-les-Mimosas” in 1968 as a nod to the 90+ varieties of mimosa plants found there—and in hopes of attracting more tourists.

Image credit: Mimosas by Betty Carlson

Not just a village, Bormes-les-Mimosas is actually a small yet sprawling town of 8,361 inhabitants. The city limits cover 97.32 square kilometers, just a bit under Paris’s 105.4!

So how did it manage to capture the prestigious “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France”, or LPBVF, label on its first try? The title was awarded to “the medieval village perimeter” – a much smaller area of the town.

The official LPBVF communiqué on the label award assures the population that “the town isn’t aiming for more tourists, but to extend the [tourist] seasons.” Indeed, reviving winter tourism has become a goal for the Côte d’Azur, packed to its gills in the summer months.

I went in February, and by late morning, the joint was already jumping.

Getting started

Le Village, as the old town is known, features several attractions that the Office de Tourisme will immediately direct you to. I strayed from those and started by just poking around, enjoying a few quiet moments in a few special places.

Les Cuberts

Le Village is built on a steep hill, and these medieval passageways were designed to link different street levels as well as to protect inhabitants from the punishing, relentless wind known as Le Mistral. Thus, a feature so charming and scenic in our era served merely a utilitarian purpose in the past.

Image credit: les Caberts by Betty Carlson

Some of les cuberts aren’t that simple to locate, but the biggest one, Lou Portaou, is definitely worth seeking out and snooping about. Although this area is open to the public and houses a café-restaurant, few tourists dare to stroll around there—it feels like private property! I imagine the atmosphere is different in the summer: a delicious, shady place to enjoy a coffee or a glass of rosé.

Image credit: Lou Portaou by Betty Carlson

Bright little buildings

Off the main streets, one finds unusual and enchanting homes. This house that had set up a garden of sorts right along the sidewalks especially intrigued me.

Image credit: Mansion #1 by Betty Carlson

Image credit: Mansion #1 by Betty Carlson

What would it be like to live in one of these little dwellings in the middle of historical pedestrian streets? It seemed calm enough in the winter, but I could only cringe at what the summer must bring.

The main attractions:

As I spent most of the day in Le Village, I was able to observe the flow of tourists, which tended to be around these areas:

1. The ruins of the Château Fos

Built in 1257, what’s left of this castle dominates the village and is just a quick walk up from the main square. Only the tower and a few walls remain:

Image credit: le chateau by Betty Carlson

But it’s what’s below that will catch your eye. I eavesdropped on one group of French visitors discussing whether the village had been labelled mainly for its views. Harsh.

Image credit: View from Château by Bertty Carlson

2. Rue Carnot

The main shopping street, la Rue Carnot, offers a number of shops purveying local food and craft specialties:

Image credit: Rue Carnot by Betty Carlson

But one needs to veer right and left, up and down, to find les cuberts and other treasures, for example this early 19th-century olive oil mill, or moulin à l’huile.

Image credit: Moulin à l’huile by Betty Carlson

3. L’Eglise Saint Trophyme

A relatively modern church, built between 1775 to 1783, Saint Trophyme is famous for hosting French Presidents for mass. Jacques and Bernadette Chirac were regulars when they stayed at the nearby Fort de Bregançon, one of the official holiday homes for French presidents.

     Image credit: Eglise Saint Trophyme by Betty Carlson

Is this beautiful village really a village?

Beautiful as Bormes-les-Mimosas is, it never quite gave me that unmistakable, cozy, “I’m in a beautiful village” feeling. And that’s because it’s so clearly a town. The real city map indexes over 150 streets and 60 public spaces; the numerous viewpoints serve as a constant reminder that thousands of Borméens and Borménnes live below.

But not to be negative – bien au contraire! There is so much to do in Bormes besides just visiting the tiny area recognized as one of France’s most beautiful villages.
For example, the town has created two Provence wine routes, one along the water and another in the back country, where wine-lovers can visit producers and taste wine in castles with breathtaking views. It is also home to over 20 beaches and 7 marked hiking trails.

I left with a tinge of regret, as I had done none of that.
I guess I was too busy taking pictures of doors.

Image credit: Betty Carlson

Have you ever visited Bormes-les-Mimosas, or any other of the ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages de France’? Do you enjoy seeking places off the beaten path? Please share your experiences below.

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