Var |
|
| Between the department of the Bouches-du-Rhône to the west, the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to the north and the Alpes-Maritimes to the east, the Var boasts undulating landscapes of fields, gentle verdant mountains with villages perched high, thick forests and vast areas of vineyards. The most southern part of the Var is on the Mediterranean with its naval port, Toulon, the main city of the department, and the extremely fashionable St-Tropez. To the far north you will find the department’s greatest tourist sight, the wild canyon, the Grand Canyon du Verdon, with the Verdon river intersecting deep down between the steep cliffs. The Var has the largest area of forest in France and its southern part is covered by wide wood lands of cork oak and chestnuts, including France’s most southern mountain range, the dark Massif des Maures. | |
 | |
| The coast offers attractive holiday resorts like Hyères, Sanary-sur-Mer and Bandol and several islands like the idyllic Iles d’Or with their unspoilt nature. The beaches in the Var are famous for being some of the best on the coast: wide, children friendly with lots of space and good parking facilities. | |
 | |
| Inland is most interesting but without major historical sights. Nature experiences and the beautiful landscape are primary attractions, here. The region has everything so typical of Provence: old medieval villages with narrow winding alleys and stairways, idyllic squares with fountains and shady plane trees, blooming almond trees in the springtime, olive orchards, tall slim cypresses and vineyards as far as the eye can see. The Var is especially well-known for its Provencal wines, Côtes de Provence and Bandol. | |
 | |
| In the high season temperatures rise to 28°-35°C, with the highest temperatures inland. In the winter temperatures are around 11°C on the coast and a little lower inland, around 7°C. Here, it can even fall below 0°C for shorter periods. Normally the rainy season is in the springtime and in the autumn, periods also marked by the strong Mistral wind. | |
 | |
| The climatic chart of Marseille corresponds to that of the coastal region of the Var. | |
|
|