A place fled to for safety. A refuge is defined by what it is away from.
Old French refuge, from Latin refugium (a place of flight): re- (back) + fugere (to flee); a refuge is defined entirely by what it is fled from, never by anything it offers on its own terms.
A place fled to for safety. The root defines it only by the fleeing — a refuge is understood by what it is away from, not by any virtue it claims for itself.