Le Lavandou

Many ways lead to Le Lavandou (Provençal: "Lou Lavandou"). You will surely find the best one for you soon. It is convenient to pass through La Favière. You can park on the coastal road or at the big car park outside Le Lavandou.
Within the season it nearly feels like winning a prize in the lottery by getting one of the few parking places in the centre.

The word "Lavandou" first makes you think of "Lavender".
This is not surprising since the names lavender and Lavandou are very close.

A variety of lavender (lavandula stoechas) does in fact grow on the Maures hills but the Provençal name for it is Queirélé.

And we shouldn't forget that barely sixty years ago, Provençal was the only, or almost the only, language spoken in the village. How on earth could we have got lavandou from queirélé ?!

What seems most certain is written in Le Félibrige by Frédéric Mistral, the great Provençal poet and Nobel prize winner.

Lavadou - LAVANDOU (Var) synonym of the word " lavoir " (washhouse).
In support of this theory is a painting by Charles Ginoux belonging to the Lavandou town hall depicting the hamlet of The Lavandou in 1736 with in the foreground the washhouse where the wives of the fishermen washed their linen.

Not only Sanary is known as an exile for German man of letters during the Second World War. Some of them have also been in Le Lavandou occasionally.
Walter Hasenclever, native of Aachen, was fascinated by this place for a long time.
One of the most famous writers who lived - together with Kurt Weil, Carola Neher and Elisabeth Hauptmann - in Le Lavandou in 1930 and 1931 for several months was Bert Brecht. One year before, he had just finished his "Dreigroschenoper" in St. Cry. He spent his time in "Hôtel de Provence" which has been located at the place "La Meridienne" where you nowadays can find boutiques (in front of Av. General de Gaulle). During his time in Le Lavandou Brecht also met the writers Walter Benjamin and Bernhard von Brentano. He was regular guest in the "Café du Centre", today known as "Brasserie du Centre" (see recommended restaurants). Brecht wrote about himself and Le Lavandou the little poem "Brecht und die alten Mauren" as well as a story about the minstrel from Naples he had watched in Le Lavandou. If you have bad luck you might see the minstrel today.

Before his migration to Bandol also Thomas Mann spent some days in the "Hôtel des Roches Fleuris" together with his family in May 1933. Hôtel des Roches today (see recommended restaurants).

A walk in the old town of the former fishing village is always worthwhile. You pass by restaurants, galleries and shops which offer a variety of regional handmade products.

Before buying such a souvenir please be aware that it might be the same when drinking "Pastis" - you can only enjoy it in the Mediterranean midday sun but not at home where it is rainy and stormy.

There are different exhibitions in the town hall from May to September.
Behind the market and parking place you will find the "Grand Jardin". This is a generously created park offering a number of sport activities.

The new harbour of Le Lavandou is very attractive. Beside modern yachts and old fishing boats you may also be fascinated by the chime created by the symphony of the different sail masts during a moderate breeze. The "Musée du coquillage" (shell museum) which you can find between all kinds of shops is also located there.

A typical tourist attraction is the so called "Le petit train des plages". They offer 2 longer trips during the day and a shorter one early in the evening. The 2 longer trips take about 50 minutes offering a visit of "Centre Ville" and the 12 beaches to Pramousquier. The shorter tour takes only 30 minutes offering a shortened program.

A miniature harbour for the young and and the young at heart has been opened in the district Cavalière. You take the coastal road to the roundabout in Cavalière and then choose direction "Bassin Beaumont".

Children aged 9 or more are allowed to drive small electric boats like tugboats, ferry boats and fishing boats on their own. At the age of 3 they have to be accompanied by an adult.

A Crêperie and a snack bar sweeten the breaks and the children can do pony or donkey riding.