Citadelle de Saint-Tropez

The Citadelle is the one place in St Tropez that puts the whole spectacle below into perspective. Built in the early seventeenth century and topped by a distinctive hexagonal keep, it sits above the town on a rocky promontory and offers the best views of the harbour, the gulf, and the mountains of the Maures behind. The ramparts are well-preserved and free to walk.

Inside the keep, the maritime museum covers the history of Saint-Tropez from its Greek founding as Athenopolis through the Roman and medieval periods, the naval battles of the 17th and 18th centuries, and the Allied landings of 1944. It is a serious collection — worth an hour if maritime history interests you. Outside, the old naval cemetery on the slopes is quiet and oddly moving, with views of the sea that the residents no longer need.

Practical: Open daily except Tuesday. Entry around €3. Ten-minute walk uphill from the port.

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A story
The citadel was built in the early 17th century to defend the port from Spanish raids, and during World War II it became a place of grim significance: on 15 August 1944, Allied forces landed on the beaches near St Tropez as part of Operation Dragoon, and the citadel saw the town change hands within hours. A monument in the old naval museum honours the 133 American sailors killed in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez during those landings.