The village of Bormes-les Mimosas has been called one of the most beautiful villages of the southern French coast of the Mediterranean. It is located at Côte d´Azur between Hyères and St. Tropez. Bormes is built against a hill, the foothills of the “Massif des Maures”. It has a beautiful view of the sea and the Île d’Or, the islands near Hyères. The Grand Duke of Luxembourg and the French Presidents were often guests in Bormes.
Bormes les Mimosas, a highlight during your holiday
Why is Bormes so special? In fact, everything is special about Bormes. The village is authentic and consists of narrow medieval streets and charming squares beautifully paved. In the alleys are shops, boutiques and art galleries. Due to it being built on a mountain, there are many steps and passages that make it extra beautiful. In addition, Bormes-les-Mimosas is one big flower show. The houses, alleys and squares are covered with beautiful plants and shrubs. It is really beautiful to see. Especially in the evening, when all the lights are on. It is one of the ‘plus beaux villages fleuris de France’, or one of the most beautiful flowered villages in France.
Things to do in Bormes les Mimosas
The village of Bormes is less known than the towns of St. Tropez and Ramatuelle, but it is just as beautiful. Bormes is not accessible to cars. Cars and campers can be parked for free on the Place Saint-François. Nearby is the tourist information office where you can get a map of the village. Guided tours are given to view the village. On Tuesday there is a tour that focuses mainly on the beautiful gardens. On Thursday there is a walk through the history of the village in which case you will pass the 12 fountains in the village and the castle at the top of the hill.
Other places worth seeing:
- Place St-Francois
- Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Constance
- Église St-Trophyme
- Château des Seigneurs de Foz
- Musee "Arts et Histoire"
- Roof terrace of the Maison des Associations with beautiful views over the old village
- Place de l'Isclou d'Amour
- Parc Gonzalez In this 2400 m2 botanical garden you can see Australian flowers and plants, including many species of mimosa.
Mimosa
The name Bormes-les-Mimosas shows that it has everything to do with the shrub Mimosa. This shrub, with fluffy golden yellow flowers, is abundant. There are 90 species of Mimosa in the area. The famous “Route des Mimosas” also starts in Bormes les Mimosa. This is a car route of more than a hundred kilometres long that runs along Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Raphael and ends in the perfume city of Grasse.
The scent of mimosa is sweet and smells of jasmine and honey. There are only three types of mimosa used in the perfume industry. The Acacia Farnesiana is one of them. The aromatic oil of this mimosa variety is found in well-known perfumes such as Amarige by Givenchy and Paris by Yves Saint-Laurent.
The Great Mimosa Corso
Every year there is the Big Mimosa Corso in the village. A large parade of floats full of flowers and stones drives through the streets during the last weekend of February. A different theme is chosen every year. And according to tradition, the party ends with a flower fight: the famous "bataille de fleurs".
Fort de Brégançon
Just off the coast of Bormes les Mimosas is a small island. There is a narrow dam to the island so it can be reached by car. There is a special fortress on this island: “Fort de Brégançon”. Until 2013, this was the place where the French presidents spent their holidays. Nobody in the area knew about it. In the summer of 2012, the site was discovered and became an easy target for paparazzi. That is why it was decided in 2013 to make it a national monument that can be visited by tourists.
Cabasson, l'Estaganol, Pellegrin, Favière
Bormes-les-Mimosas is located on the Mediterranean Sea. The village is located on a hill. At the bottom of the hill, near the coast, are extensive sandy beaches. Most tourists can be found during their daytime holidays on these white beaches on the Mediterranean with clear blue water. The beaches are popular with families and are close to the harbour, restaurants and shops.
For water sports enthusiasts there are also many facilities: sailing, fishing, water skiing, jet skiing, sea kayaking, diving and snorkelling.
Events in Bormes-les-Mimosas
- Mimosalia: An exhibition and sale of mimosa plants in the last weekend of January
- Flower parade: During the last weekend of February a large number of floats, interspersed with music fans, drives through the village.
- Medieval party “Medieval Bormes” during the Easter weekend: Bormes has 3 days of party and music from troubadours. There are acrobats and artists who perform various shows. There is a Medieval market, fire show, children's workshops, equestrian tournaments, Medieval fair, birds of prey at the castle, concerts etc.
- Sports and lumières: This is a weekend in which sport is central. It takes place during the first weekend of June. This is a fun event on the beach for children and teens.
Markets in Bormes-les-Mimosas
- There is a market on Wednesday morning all year round
- In the season on Saturday morning
- In July and August on Tuesdays from 5 pm to midnight