Sanary-sur-Mer is a port on the Var coast that welcomed many exiled German writers between 1933 and 1940, including Thomas Mann and Bertolt Brecht. MR Taxi takes you there from Marseille, Toulon or Bandol, with a return at the time of your choice.
Between 1933 and 1940, Sanary-sur-Mer was, for a forced decade, the German-language literary capital. Thomas Mann, Heinrich Mann, Bertolt Brecht, Franz Werfel, Lion Feuchtwanger, the greatest anti-Nazi writers fled the Reich and found refuge in this small Mediterranean port. There was something improbable and moving about this community of exiles writing in German in front of a sea that looked nothing like their lost country.
A town that carries its history with discretion
Sanary makes no noise about this heritage. A commemorative plaque, a marked discovery trail through the streets of the centre, and then the daily life of a Provençal town that carries on. The Wednesday morning market, considered one of the most beautiful in Provence, spills around the port with its colours and smells as if the decades had changed nothing. The fishing port is still active, the fishermen's pointus mingle with pleasure boats.
What is worth the detour
The Romanesque tower overlooking the port, built in the 12th century to watch the coast, offers a view of the bay that photographers know well. The fine-sand beaches east of the port (Gorguette beach, Portissol beach) are among the most pleasant in the Var. And for hiking fans, the coastal path towards Bandol crosses wild coves that are reachable by other means than the car.
From Marseille and Toulon
Sanary is accessible from Marseille and Toulon. The coastal road via Six-Fours is more beautiful than the motorway. MR Taxi can organise a day combining Sanary, Bandol and a wine tasting, with a return at your chosen time.
MR Taxi takes you to Sanary from Marseille, Toulon or Bandol. Book your driver, available 24/7.
