Between Olive Trees And Elegance: A Provençal Gem

Aups is a medieval village in the Haut-Var, sitting at roughly 500 metres elevation on the southern edge of the Verdon natural park. It is one of the principal truffle markets in Provence, with a Thursday market that draws producers and buyers from across the region each winter. The village retains its original medieval street plan, its 15th-century collegiate church, and a central square shaded by plane trees that anchors daily life in a way that larger Provençal towns have largely lost.

The weekly Thursday market on Place Martin Bidouré covers local produce, truffles in season, and regional specialities. Aups has a handful of reliable restaurants and a well-stocked village centre within walking distance. The Gorges du Verdon are approximately 30 kilometres north, and the Lac de Sainte-Croix is around 20 kilometres away.

Aups sits roughly 90 kilometres northeast of Toulon and around 100 kilometres west of Nice. The nearest motorway access is via the A8 at Brignoles, approximately 45 kilometres south. Toulon-Hyères Airport is around 80 kilometres away, handling domestic and some European routes. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, the main international hub for the region, is approximately 120 kilometres east, with a drive of around 90 minutes under normal conditions.