Saint Raphael | French Riviera Saint Raphael
Saint Raphael is a coastal town on the French Riviera and commune in the Var department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southern France.
First record, 1703 Sanctus Raphael.   Back to top.
Prehistoric habitation have been found in many places in and arouond the commune of Saint Raphael, most especially in the nearest part of the Massif de l'Estérel, where over a hundred archeological sites have been located. Many Stone-Age megaliths and dolmens remain from the paleolithic and neolithic. The dolmens de Suveret can be seen north of the center, at Valescure, near the hotel Latitudes and the Golf de Valescure. There's a menhir to the east of there, at the entrance to the Parc de Veissieres. A more ornate example is the "Pierre Levée" (or "Pierre Guérisseuse") in the area of Les Ferrières: it's an elipitical megalith about 2 metres high, with 219 small cavities.   Back to top.
During the Roman period, the area now occupied by St Raphael was popular for the wealthy families(patriciennes de Forum Julii), where they built their Gallo-Roman villas. One example was located at the site of the town's casino, where it had a view across the bay towards Saint Aygulf. Excavation showed this villa was decorated with mosaics, had a vivarium to stock live fish, and have thermal baths. The area at the north of the current town, Valescure, was named Vallis Curans for the curative properties of the climate. The ruins of one are at the site of the Golf de l'Estérel club house.  Back to top.
The current town was established in the 11th century by the Monks of the Lérins Islands and in the 12th century the Templiers established and important commanderie.   Back to top.
Saint Raphael was a fishing port from the 15th to the 19th century, as it is to a much lesser extent today. Its popularity as a tourist destination began at the end of the 19th century: the writer Alphonse Karr, who moved from Paris to Nice in 1855. He visited Saintt Raphael often, along with other writers and artists, including Georges Sand, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Frédéric Mistral and Guy de Maupassant. Karr died here in 1890.
In 1799, an even more important Frenchman put the town on the map a bit earlier, when Napoleon Bonaparte landed here on his return from Egypt.
  (Please click on the Play Button above and be patient, the video may take a minute to load. It is hosted on You Tube.) 14th July 2008 - Fireworks  (Please click on the Play Button above and be patient, the video may take a minute to load. It is hosted on Dailymotion.) Jump from a cliff - Dramont - Saint Raphael   (Please click on the Play Button above and be patient, the video may take a minute to load. It is hosted on Dailymotion.) Sailing school Saint Raphael video (and other different locations on the French Riviera). Video courtesy of VRMAG Project for this page.  Back to top.
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Between the Mediterranean and calcareous Provence, the Esterel Mountains are 32,000 ha. of volcanic rack. 13,000 ha. are classified and protected. This domain offers all kinds ot sports including hiking, horseback riding, climbing, and mountain biking. With 5 different harbours, Saint Raphael the sailing resort is the ideal place for boating enthusiasts. Along its 36 kilometres of coastline you can discover sandy beaches, creeks, and inlets, all carved out of the famous red rock ot the Esterel Mountains. It is also the city ot Var where tourism and business are one. There are seven reception areas and a municipal conference hall (Palais des Congres) which can be adapted to different types of functions such as seminars, conferences, gala evenings, etc.
You will discover traditional festivities in every season. There are joust tournaments, celebrations of Sainte Baume and Saint Pierre, Mimosa Week, Jazz festivals, and other local typical entertainment. Be a part of Saint Raphael, come here and have fun; it is a great place! Hey, you know what ? This is where I was born and I come back now and again, having relatives here...   Back to top.
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