The village
Tourtour, the village in the sky of Provence
A hilltop village in the Haut-Var, north-west of Draguignan, listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France.
A hilltop village
Perched high above Provence
Tourtour is built along a ridge. The village sits at around 635 metres — high enough for the summer air to be cooler than on the plain, and open enough for the view to stretch across miles of wooded hills, from the coast near Fréjus to Mont Sainte-Victoire.
Its position explains everything else: narrow lanes climbing uphill, houses huddled together, terraces turned to the south.
- average altitude
- 635 m
- Var department, Provence
- Haut-Var
- Most Beautiful Villages of France
- Listed
Heritage
What to see in Tourtour
- Square
Place des Ormeaux
The heart of the village. Two great elms stood here for centuries; tradition links their planting to a visit by Anne of Austria. Olive trees have since replaced them and now shade the terraces.
- Stone
Lanes and fountains
Narrow cobbled lanes, vaulted passages, old doorways and fountains that never stop running. The village is easy to explore on foot, no map needed.
- Church
Saint-Denis church
A Romanesque church standing on high ground away from the village centre. The path up to it offers one of the finest views over the valley.
- Tower
The Grimaldi tower
A reminder of Tourtour’s seigneurial past, alongside the village château and traces of the old ramparts.
- Mill
The old olive mill
A witness to the Haut-Var’s olive-growing past, echoed today by the olive trees on the village square.
- View
The viewpoints
You have to climb to earn them. Late in the day, when low light skims the hills and mist rises from the valley, is the best time.
A visit
Lanes in the morning, the square at night
Tourtour can be seen in half a day and savoured over a whole one: the lanes in the morning light, the square at noon, the panorama in the late afternoon and the string lights after dark.
The village is a lovely base for exploring. Villecroze and its caves, Salernes and its terracotta tiles, Aups and its market are all around 10 km away; Draguignan about 20 km. The Verdon Gorge and Lac de Sainte-Croix are a little further, but easy to reach in a day.
After your visit
Meet us at La Farigoulette
The restaurant is at 7 Place des Ormeaux, in the heart of the village, with two terraces: one on the square under the olive trees, the other facing the Haut-Var panorama. Seasonal, family-style cooking, served every day.