St.-Tropez: Introduction: Overview

The French seaside village on the Mediterranean has long inspired its visitors: in the 1890s, painter Paul Signac found his muse in the incandescent light; in the 1920s, Coco Chanel purportedly “discovered,” and quickly popularized, the suntan here; the writer Colette, who lived in a St.-Tropez villa in the 1930s, was drawn to the area’s gorgeous landscapes; and in the 1950s, Roger Vadim turned the town into a symbol of eternal youth and endless summer when he filmed And God Created Woman here. Today, St.-Tropez, with its pink stacked houses, continues to cast a powerful spell. And while its modern reputation as a jet-setter’s paradise may be well deserved, the natural beauty and simple lifestyle are still the main draws.