A getaway in the Haut-Var
Aups, old gates and markets in the Haut-Var
Text and photographs by Vincent Flachaire
The capital of the Haut-Var, Aups is a lively small town where people come to shop and browse the markets. Walk through its old gates to enter the historic centre.
Through the old gates
At the foot of the Espiguières hills, several gates in the former town walls still lead into Aups. Their thick walls and narrow openings helped control entry to the town. Houses have since been built against the ramparts, and the vaulted passages now connect the streets of the centre.
The Tour Sarrasine takes its name from the “sarrasine”, the metal portcullis that closed the gate, rather than from any Saracen occupation. This former main entrance is also called the Porte des Alpes, as it opened towards the north.
The fountain on Rue du Marché
Shops and their displays line Rue du Marché. On Place Louis-Gauthier, the fountain retains a detail from the days when people came to collect water: the bars around its column supported their containers as they filled.
Through the lanes to the Porte des Aires
Leave the shopping street for the stepped lanes climbing towards the clock tower. Low doorways and closely spaced façades line these passages; above the roofs, the wrought-iron bell cage shows the way.
The Porte des Aires belongs to an extension of the town walls built after the Middle Ages. Wider than the older entrances, it takes its name from the threshing floors laid out beyond the old town. After threshing, the wind helped separate the grain from its husks.
Saint-Pancrace collegiate church and the Republic
Saint-Pancrace collegiate church was built outside the town walls at the turn of the 16th century, replacing a church that had become too small. Its interior lies below the square: steps lead down into it because deposits left by floods of the Grave gradually raised the ground outside.
On 10 December 1851, troops confronted opponents of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte’s coup in Aups. Some insurgents took refuge in the collegiate church. A monument unveiled in 1881 honours the victims of the uprising.
Above the doorway, the inscription “République française — Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” is an unexpected sight on a church façade. It was added in 1905, when Church and State were separated in France.
Marianne above the fountain
On Place Frédéric-Mistral, the bust of Marianne atop the Fontaine du Cours faces the town hall, with its back to the church. Installed in 1877, it crowns the obelisk of an older fountain. Plane trees shade the basin and the surrounding café terraces.
Markets and Haut-Var truffles
On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, the Provençal market fills the square and nearby streets. In winter, truffle growers come to sell their black truffles on Thursday mornings.
Housed in the former Saint-Jacques hospice, the Maison de la Truffe d’Aups et du Verdon offers the exhibition “L’Aventure de la truffe”. Films, accounts from truffle growers and interactive games explain how truffles are found and the different methods of gathering them. Materials to touch and scents to identify make the visit engaging for children and adults alike. Activities and tastings are offered according to the programme, including outside the winter market season.
On to the lake and windmills
From Aups, roads lead to the shores of Lake Sainte-Croix and the Verdon Gorges. At Sainte-Croix-sur-Verdon, the beaches lie below the village; in Régusse, stop at the two windmills.
Practical information
Visiting Aups
- Route and duration
- Allow an hour and a half to two hours to walk around the historic centre and take photographs. Add time for the market or a museum visit.
- Collegiate church and Maison de la Truffe
- Admission to the collegiate church is free, subject to opening times and services. There is an admission charge for the exhibition at the Maison de la Truffe; check opening hours before you come.
- Markets
- Provençal market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Black truffle market on Thursday mornings in winter, from late November to late February, with possible extensions depending on the harvest. Check announcements from the Maison de la Truffe for market dates and the programme of activities.
- Parking
- Park on the outskirts of the centre and continue on foot. To locate car parks and plan your walk, see the map and village trail on the official Aups visitor page; check signs and restrictions on market days.
- What to bring
- Wear comfortable shoes for the paving, steps and sloping streets, and bring water and sun protection in summer. Mornings are a good time to browse the shops; for a quieter walk, choose a day without a market.
To plan your stay: Lacs et Gorges du Verdon tourist office.
Extend your stay
Guest houses around Aups and the Verdon
These properties listed on the Portal are within 25 km as the crow flies of the location featured in this getaway. Visit their websites to plan your stay.
Ecolodges en Provence
Huts and yurts
Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume
Visit website