View of Gulf of St Tropez from Messardiere hotel garden. Copyright Informationfrance.

The Haut Var with its ancient villages perched high up from Montauroux in the east to the Gorges du Verdon, is a tranquil area beloved by hikers and ramblers. Vast forests proffer truffles, mushrooms, and occasionally even a sighting of a wild boar. The lakes and rivers are popular for both canoeing and swimming. In the arrière pays varois, surrounded by the hills and valleys, are pine forests and agricultural land with vineyards. Brignoles is the capital of the Central Var and in the 12th Century, the Counts of Provence built their palace here.