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Grasse's charms lie in its cobblestoned streets and its reputation as the perfume capital of the world. Fragrance making in Provence started about 500 years ago, and the temperate climate of the small town makes it ideal for growing flowers including jasmine, centifolia roses, violets. No visit is complete without a visit to one of the many factory/museums that offer free tours about the history and process of perfume making. Some interesting facts from the tour (from my memory)-- it takes 1 ton of roses to make 1L of oil (which costs 25 000 euros!) which is crazy to think about. How about the difference between eau du toilette and perfume? The former has alcohol, oil and water and stays on your skin for a few hours only, whereas perfume has a high conc of oil and alcohol, so it stays on the entire day! Eau du parfum is in between. Another crazy thing is that there is someone known as "le nez" or the nose (aka the perfumer), who can recognize over 3000 different scents, and apparently it takes 10 years to get there! The tour is fascinating and you definitely don't have to be a perfume wearer to appreciate it. 

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