La Garde-Freinet (Provençal: La Gàrdia Frainet) is a commune in the Var department in the Côte d'Azur area in southeastern France.

Location

La Garde-Freinet is a medieval French mountain village, located in the Massif des Maures, 15 km northwest of Saint-Tropez. It is accessible via picturesque winding roads that run through forests of cork, oaks, and chestnuts.

History

The village was the site of Fraxinet, an Arab settlement of the ninth to tenth centuries. This settlement was used to demand ransoms and assassinate pilgrims and travelers going from France to Italy.

Sights

Established in the 11th century, the village has preserved its character with its field stone houses, old fashioned street names, and a village square framed with restaurants and local art galleries. From atop old Fort Freinet one can see the plains of Saint-Clément and the Argens valley, all the way to the Alps.

People