48 hours in the Var valley, departing from Nice
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur - Corsica - Monaco/2026
The Var is one of the few rivers not to flow through the department to which it gives its name. Starting at an altitude of 1,790 m near the Col de la Cayolle, this 114 km-long river flows into the Mediterranean at Saint-Laurent-du-Var, in the Alpes-Maritimes, where it follows most of its course, with a brief incursion into the Alpes de Haute-Provence, around Entrevaux.
It's true that Saint-Laurent, just outside Nice, is not strictly speaking a nature destination, but rather a pleasant seaside resort close to Cagnes-sur-Mer and Villeneuve-Loubet, the birthplace of Escoffier. Here, you can stroll along the harbour or sit out on the terrace, where there are plenty of tables for a good-natured dinner.
To really get started on your "green" tour, you'll have to travel a good 20 km in the direction of Grenoble - Digne. The first contact with vegetation is at Saint-Martin-du-Var, with the park and promenade of Lac du Broc, a peaceful stretch of water surrounded by woodland, where the people of Nice come to put their feet up thirty minutes from home.
You're now on the right bank of the river. If you're in the mood for a bit of height, you can make a detour to Carros, famous for its vegetables and strawberries. The landscape becomes a little wilder at the junction of the Vésubie and Var rivers. Continue along the latter to the old bridge, a charming landscape reminiscent of Corsica, before turning back to the valley.
As it rises a little upstream, the river takes on its mountain colors, gushing over its white rocks to take on a turquoise hue. One bend after another leads to Villars-sur-Var, a typical Provençal village with its beautiful Saint-Jean-Baptiste church. The road crosses the river, with views of the mountains in the background.
A little further on, Touët-sur-Var, which stretches for some twenty kilometers along the road, offers an impressive "haut village", clinging to the rock and dominating the surrounding area. The highest point in the commune is over 1000 m.
Skiers from Nice know this road well, as it's the one they take to reach the famous Valberg resort. The road to Valberg can be reached shortly after Touët-sur-Var, just after crossing the River Cians, which joins the River Var.
from Touët-sur-Var onwards, city-dwellers forget about the town: the scenery is superb, the valley is more or less incised and the mountainous setting is beautiful. We reach Puget-Théniers, a lively little town of 1,800 inhabitants. It's also the first stop where you'll find food shops, even if local products are not in the majority.
A little further on, Entrevaux, in the Alpes de Haute-Provence, is a little gem. Its walls were reinforced by Vauban on the orders of Louis XIV. A statue in the village parking lot pays tribute to the great builder. Pass through the gate of the old drawbridge into the historic part of the village, wandering through alleys that have remained untouched for three centuries. The bridge over the Var is the oldest construction of its kind along the river, dating back to the mid-17th century.
Entrevaux is also famous for a culinary specialty, the secca d'Entrevaux, developed by an Entrevaux butcher: dried beef, which is eaten as a delicatessen.
