Most of us have a place somewhere in the world where we would love to travel instantly, where we feel at home. For me that place is Saint-Tropez. Not because it’s a world famous jet-set destination but because Saint-Tropez reminds me of my hometown. I don’t see the yachts, the sports cars, or the rivers of Dom Pérignon. I see what Saint-Tropez used to be and what it still preserves to this day: the nostalgic charm of a fishing village and its unparalleled allure.

What makes Saint-Tropez one of the most famous places in the world is the special energy it radiates. You can truly feel it here – I’ve never felt so rejuvenated and recharged after a vacation as I have in Saint-Tropez. It’s no wonder this place attracts global celebrities. My favorite author, Françoise Sagan, along with other artists and intellectuals from the Parisian bohemian scene, contributed to the transformation of Saint-Tropez from a fishing village into a favorite retreat in the early 1950s. Soon after, the Parisian elite and creative circles followed. The definitive moment in the village’s transformation into an exclusive hotspot came with the famous film And God Created Woman, directed by Roger Vadim and starring Brigitte Bardot, which was filmed here.

Even today you can sit at Café Sénéquier just as people did in the 1950s. The café has been around since 1887, witnessing a lot over the years. Having coffee here feels like becoming part of Saint-Tropez’s spectacular history – time has stood still at Sénéquier, with everything looking almost exactly as it did back then. Many recognize the café’s red awnings from the series Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez featuring the famously irritable gendarme, Louis de Funès. Only the yachts in the harbor remind me of the times we’re living in now.

I wanted to capture all of this and used my old film camera, a Minolta I found on eBay, which has accompanied me on many of my trips. The beauty of analog black-and-white photography lies in the surprise: you never know how the photos will turn out. The viewfinder on my Minolta doesn’t work quite right – the horizon is always a bit crooked, no matter how straight I hold the camera. But this imperfection, along with the grain typical of film, makes the photos lively and authentic. This is how I captured the most beautiful moments of this trip: the old port of Saint-Tropez and the waiter who served me tea at my favorite café La Tarte Tropézienne. By the way have I had the most delicious tarts there, which inspired me to recreate them back home in Munich.

SAINT-TROPEZ – IDENTITY SHIFT AND 100% RELAXATION

Saint-Tropez is one of my favorite places, along with Mykonos and Lisbon – these are my top three destinations. Here, I feel light and carefree, seeing many things that weigh on me in everyday life from a different perspective, finding solutions and inspiration. Every time I come here, I feel like I did when I was a child – a curious girl, eager to discover the surprises and experiences life has in store. And I use this time as a break to let go of all the thoughts that were tied to my life in Munich. Everything that weighs on me, I throw away, and that’s how I recharge the most. That’s what I call a vacation – when I return to Germany feeling refreshed and full of energy.

By the way, this is the house where And God Created Woman was filmed in 1956. It still looks exactly the same as it did back then, and that’s what I love most about Saint-Tropez – that everything has been left as it was. The town still feels like a fishing village and hasn’t been transformed into a modern shopping boulevard made of glass and concrete.

Something special about Plage de Pampelonne: It’s one of my favorite beaches on the Côte d’Azur. For sure, the entire coast of southern France is full of small, beautiful coves with turquoise water, like the beach at Le Lavandou, which lies between Saint-Tropez and Toulon. But Pampelonne Beach is something truly unique – more than just a beach, it’s a legend. Several iconic figures have found the perfect place to relax and party here, after all, the 4.5-kilometer-long beach has a lot to offer: Le Club 55, Nikki Beach, Jardin Tropezina, and many more. And it’s here that I’ve seen the most beautiful sunsets at the entire Côte d’Azur.

The old charm, the spectacular natural setting, the vineyards where wild boars play in the dust and nibble on the ripe, lush grapes, the chirping of the crickets late into the night – all of this has made Saint-Tropez my second home. Simply sitting on the sand at the beach, watching the waves and the purple sky at sunset, and later maybe dining at Couleurs Jardin where a huge olive tree grows in the center of the restaurant – nothing more is needed. That’s what I call happiness.

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