The old port of Saint-Tropez has a story to tell!

9 hectares, 2 pools, 734 moorings, a wealth of dazzling yachts; this is the face of the Vieux Port (Old Port) of Saint-Tropez today. It’s a rejuvenated Old Port, but one which bears its name well, having witnessed a long and fascinating story. Those who wish to know it, please read on ...

 

Once upon a time...

…there was a port. In those ancient times to which we take you, it was still young. Brand new, in fact. We are at the end of the 15th century and the port has just been established by Genoese seamen. It is here that the heart of the settlement beats. On its quays and from its pontoons activities are in full swing; fishing, transport of goods and passengers, long-distance navigation, and even shipbuilding. The trade enriches the port to the point where it fills up with merchant ships and warships, pushing aside the fishermen so that they must moor in the adjacent quiet coves. Fortunately, all remain under the protection of the fortified towers built to protect the port from attack.

 

...a small fishing port becomes a marina

Wine, cork and wood make the port's fortunes in the 18th century. The jetties continue to grow, the quays resound with the hubbub of the fishermen, the sound of cork production and the laughter of the students of the hydrographic school. At the dawn of the First World War, Saint-Tropez ranks among the 20 most important merchant ports in France. But economic models change and, after the two World Wars, the port gradually abandons its commercial activities and then its shipyards. In 1965 the town’s first pleasure pool is built on the west side of what, that same year, becomes known officially as the Vieux Port.

The Prud'homie, red lighthouse, slipway, floating wooden wharves, and stone docks testify to a past still so alive; one which will always tell its story to those who wish to know. Listen...

 

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For more information :

- City of Saint-Tropez
- Port of Saint-Tropez

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Sezz Saint-Tropez, a 5-star hotel in the heart of Saint-Tropez