Archaeology : historical immersion in the Maures

Contact us
Office de tourisme de Collobrières
Boulevard Charles-Caminat
83610 Collobrières
(0033) (0)4 94 48 08 00
http://www.fabrearcheo-var.fr/
See the access map

Collbrières, the chestnut country
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Collobrières is well worth the effort of getting there. A little village, tucked away in the hills, it was once a hub of the cork industry. It is pretty much the geographical centre of the Maures massif. There are several ways of reaching it, the quickest being the road from Pierrefeu-du-Var, to the west. Although its architecture is simple, the village has a certain charm, with its old bridge across the Real Collobrier river, its low houses, its shops selling cork items, and La Confiserie Azuréenne, a confectioner of sweet delights.

In the land of the flying donkeys
Collobrières is appreciated by hikers of all levels, who cross it on the long distance hiking trail, followed by the botanic trail, before "conquering" the La Verne Charterhouse. It is also a favourite with horse-riders through the land of the "flying donkeys" (Topo-guide available in the Tourist Office), and cyclists exploring the untamed countryside of the Maures, in the shade of the chestnut trees, green oaks and cork oaks.
The same chestnut trees are the pride and joy, and the symbol, of Collobrières, where the Chestnut Days take place on the last three Sundays of October. Counting La Garde Freinet, chestnut groves in the Var cover almost 2,000 hectares of forest, only a quarter of which is still exploited today. The present-day yield is significant: in 1950, local chestnut production totalled 4,000 tonnes, and in 2000, a mere 150. It has fallen even more now, due to several years of drought. The chestnut groves have suffered the same fate as the oak groves, due to diminishing interest and lack of know-how.

Saving the chestnut groves ?
Private forest owners, not necessarily cultivators themselves, are nonetheless very attached to their forests. Over recent years, as members of the Union of chestnut producers in the Var, with the support of the local authorities, they have set about pruning, cutting, felling and renewing the plantations, seeking to revive the production of the Maures chestnut, with its well-know quality taste. Collobrières is not about to abandon its emblem!

Office de tourisme de Collobrières
Boulevard Charles-Caminat
83610 Collobrières
(0033) (0)4 94 48 08 00
 Website

La Farigoulette
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La Farigoulette, bed and breakfast and restaurant. A pleasant spot, with appetising food.

La Farigoulette
2, boulevard Lazare-Carnot
83610 Collobrières
(0033) (0)4 94 36 64 26
(0033) (0)6 82 22 19 91
De 59 à 69 € la nuit.
 E-mail contact
 Website

La Bastide de la Cabrière
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A goat breeder, cheese maker and organic farmer to boot. His produce is also on sale on the market in Saint Tropez on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

La Bastide de la Cabrière
Route de Gonfaron (à 6 km de Collobrières)
83610 Collobrières
(0033) (0)4 94 48 04 31
 E-mail contact
 Website

The medieval site at Fort Freinet
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Fort Freinet: in the Middle Ages, a large moat, houses and a chapel were carved out of the rock. The remains are now classified as a historical monument. Fort Freinet offers a breathtaking panoramic view over the Mediterranean slopes of the Maures, the Argens plain and beyond, as far as the foothills of the Alps (signposted walking trail starting at the Tourist Office). The fort was later abandoned in favour of La Garde Freinet, the present village.

Guided visits are organised by the Conservatoire du Patrimoine du Freinet (Heritage Preservation Society). Gorgeous view over the Maures plain to the north, and the Gulf of Saint Tropez to the south and west.

Conservatoire du patrimoine du Freinet
Chapelle Saint-Jean
83680 La Garde-Freinet
(0033) (0)4 94 43 08 57
 E-mail contact
 Website
 Réservation en ligne

Le musée des Arts et Traditions populaires
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Has some remarkable oil presses, which in Provence, from the 18th century on, were housed in "chapels" built into the mill walls.

Musée des Arts et Traditions populaires de Grimaud
Route départementale 558 (à 100 m de l’office de tourisme)
83310 Grimaud
(0033) (0)4 94 43 39 29
(0033) (0)4 94 55 43 83
Parking Place neuve, dans le village. Ouvert de mai à septembre, du lundi au samedi (en juillet-août du mardi au samedi) de 14 h à 17 h 30. D’octobre à avril : du lundi au samedi de 14 h à 17 h 30. Ouvert le dimanche pendant les vacances scolaires de 14 h à 17 h. Entrée libre.
 Réservation en ligne

The Gaoutabry dolmen
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The Gaoutabry dolmen dates from the end of the Neolithic period. Of rectangular shape, with a surface area of 9 square metres (ca. 100 square feet), it is devoid of a capstone, which is assumed to have been broken, or even inexistent: indents on the stones suggest that logs were used to support a vegetal roof. Situated on the Notre Dame des Maures trail, at Londe les Maures. Can also be discovered on a guided nature walk.

Office du tourisme de La Londe-les-Maures
Avenue Albert-Roux
83250 La Londe-les-Maures
(0033) (0)4 94 02 53 10
 E-mail contact
 Website

La confiserie azuréenne
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Candied chestnuts, chestnut cream, jam, liqueurs, chestnut ice cream.

Confiserie azuréenne
Boulevard Kœnig, face au Pont Vieux
83610 Collobrières
(0033) (0)4 94 48 07 20
 E-mail contact
 Website