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Perched on a rocky spur above Cabris, the former castle occupied one of the most spectacular natural belvederes in the hills above Grasse. From this natural terrace the panorama stretches endlessly: the bay of Cannes, the Îles de Lérins, the red ridges of the Estérel and, on clear days, the vast Mediterranean horizon.

 

During the Middle Ages this commanding position made it a strategic fortress overseeing the routes between the coast and the Pre-Alps. Like many feudal castles, however, it did not survive the French Revolution. Sold in 1794, it was dismantled stone by stone, its materials reused to build houses throughout the village.

 

Yet the site never lost its magnetic appeal. In the 20th century Cabris quietly became a cultural refuge where writers and artists gathered, including Albert Camus, André Gide and Roger Martin du Gard, all drawn by the light, the silence and the immense view over the Riviera.

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Today the Auberge du Vieux Château stands on the exact site of the former fortress. Its terrace corresponds to the castle’s old courtyard — a balcony suspended between sea and mountains, where visitors still contemplate the same horizon that once inspired lords, travellers and writers alike.

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