Once a peaceful fishing village on the Mediterranean, St Tropez needed Brigitte Bardot to transform it into a hot jet setters’ playground when she came in 1956 to film And God Created Woman. Celebrities come to be seen, tourists come to see the celebrities, the million-dollar yachts show off in the marina, and the village is bustling with crowds and buzzing with excitement.
In the winter when tourists are gone, St. Tropez reverts to its real nature, and you can stroll peacefully through its charming narrow cobblestoned streets, watch fishermen bring in the catch, and enjoy watching old men playing petanque, and you will understand why this quintessential French coastal village inspired greats such as de Maupassant.