Lagarde

La Garde-Freinet was a base for Muslim occupation of the Maures from the eighth to tenth centuries. The foundations of their fortress are still visible above the village beside the ruins of a fifteenth-century castle. Today occupiers of the village include Oxbridge professors and other leisured Brits, but it still belongs to locals. It has medieval charm; easy walks to stunning panoramas; markets twice a week; and tempting food shops like La Voute, selling organic produce and good local wines.