Long even before Brigitte Bardot made known of the elegance of this jewel of Europe, it had already attracted the depraved crowd and artistic individuals to St Tropez. Thanks to Paul Signac whom artistic work attracted the mass towards the end of the 19th century, and soon the Parisian Left Bank consisting of giants such as Juliette Greco, Sartre, Boris Vian and Picasso took lead in the 40s and 50s. Only then, “And God Created Woman” was popularized by Brigitte Bardot which garnered the attention of the world to St Tropez as an island of pleasure.

Ever since, St Tropez had never been the same again. It is now always flocked by celebrities, royalties and the rich as they take on a yacht voyage or meeting up at private villas, partying till the sun rises in Le Club 55 by Pampelonne Beach, or dancing away to the sexiness of the Byblos Hotel‘s Les Caves du Roy nightclub.

And because of the popularity of St Tropez among the elite, the place soon bloom with high-end designer boutiques, expensive but superb quality restaurant, sky-high priced real estate properties , private yachts at the harbor and the beautiful decorations of the warm villages. And with the massive crowd, comes various sort of debris and driftwood along the yacht harbors, as well as all sorts of other pollution – however their arrival on the island is vital for the sake of the popularity and growth of St Tropez as a world renowned getaway spot.

Well, who can resist the beautiful and charming surrounding of St Tropez? From the rocky peninsula to the enchanting woods as well as the beautiful view of the majestic Maures mountains. And these are only a little to what St Tropez could offer. Behind the rowdy and sexy image of St Tropez portrayed by the media, lies the ardent population, whose daily life continues despite the crowd that comes to visit from time to time. The summer proves to be the most crowded time for St Tropez, with visitors all over the world come to visit for the holidays and the hot sun by the sandy beaches – St Tropez receives a whopping 100,000 visitors a day.

With how the media portrays St Tropez, outsiders might think that it is the land of the superficial. With the heroic and loyal history of the place, the folks of St Tropez prides themselves with the past. Back then in the 15th and 16th centuries, when mega powers try to rule the world and conquer lands, St Tropez stood strong, forming their own militia and fighting off any power that tried to take their land. This history is celebrated every May 16 to 18, on the day of Les Bravades, to celebrate the heroism and loyalty of St Tropez.

The locals celebrate by wearing costume of the old period, while holding rifles and wearing masks, parading St Tropez’s bust all around villages.

Slightly later on the 15th of June, the locals would celebrate the Bravade des Espagnols day where they celebrate the historic event in 1637 where they defeated the Spanish army who sent 21 attacking battleships to take over the island. However, compared to Les Bravades, this day is celebrated with less fervor.

A few days after the celebration of Bravade des Sepagnols, everything resumes back to normal at St Tropez, only to be greeted by the Giraglia Rolex Cup, where the finest sail boats race over the stretch of three days at the Mediterranean ocean. This event happens on the 17th until the 22nd of June.

Musical fans who visit there during the summer could enjoy St Tropez’s bight summer show called the Musée de l’Annonciade. For an alternative, watch the beautiful landscape designs influenced by the 1900 – 1914 Mediterranean period by Henri Manguin at Les Paysages Mediterranéens. Also look out for sculpturs by artist, Anna Chromy. Besides those two, twelve other artists contribute the the wonderful art exhibition called Les Myths de la Méditerranée which is translated as the Mediterranean Myths which would be on display around town on the 1st of July until October 10.

If you want to get away from the bohemians on those artistic exhibitions, enjoy a more chilled and relaxed situation at St. Tropez’s Nuits du Château de la Moutte Festival. From Chopin and Liszt to flamenco, be entertained by the classical music as you enjoy the atmosphere of the sunny summer of St Tropez.

Enjoy Saint Tropez!