The village of Collobrières
Charming village nestled in a bend of the Real Collobrier the heart of the Massif des Maures, Collobrières is surrounded by vineyards and dominated by a dense forest of chestnut and oak trees. Considered the capital of the chestnut village Collobrières organizes an annual festival around the fruit. It houses a famous family factory of candied chestnuts, present on the town since 1945. With its cobbled streets and steep alleyways, the small village of Collobrières is a charming destination for a stroll to discover the rural heritage of Provence. The territory also includes the sites of importance: among the essential Collobrières include in particular the chartreuse of Verne, the menhirs of the farm Lambert, and geological interpretation center of the Maures.
The Charterhouse of La Verne is a monastery founded in the 12th century on the site of a former priory yet. Built around a Romanesque church, the monastery experienced many ups and downs over the centuries: fires in the 12th, 13th and 14th century, and multiple looting during attacks of Saracens and religious wars. The last Carthusian left the site after the revolution. The monastery and its lands were sold as national property and left in the state of abandonment until the mid 20th century. Classified as relics in 1929, the ruins of the monastery were the subject of a restoration that will from 1969, under the leadership of the association "Friends of La Verne." Important work permit places to receive new monks in 1982. The restoration project has revived the Roman church and the great cloister. The Carthusian monastery visit today, and also includes a monastic craft store.
Accessible on foot, Plateau Lambert site in the territory of Collobrieres houses two monumental monolithic blocks probably dating from the late Neolithic. With respective heights of 3.15 m and 2.82 m, these are the highest in the Var menhirs. The site is popular with walkers as passionate about history and prehistory.
At the heart of Collobrières, the Center for geological interpretation of the Maures massif presents a wide variety of minerals and fossils Var. The site offers a general introduction to paleontology and geology own the Massif des Maures.
The ideal starting point for walking and hiking in the Maures, Collobrières is surrounded by many hiking trails that winds through the vineyards of the Côtes de Provence and chestnut groves. The heart of the village also invites you to relax and linger in its charming streets or on one of the lively terraces shaded square Rouget-de-L'Isle. It can also cool off in the beautiful fountain in the square of the Town Hall or on the edges of Real Collobrier, the small river spanned by a charming stone bridge humpbacked.
The shops and workshops of the village begin to honor three local specialties which include wine, chestnuts and cork. The local know-how, especially the castanéiculture, are celebrated for decades in October, during the three days of festivities. A unique opportunity to discover the many artisan products from chestnuts such as beer, biscuits, creams or ice. The annual fair is hosted by folk groups and many family activities are offered. An unmissable event for this Provencal village called "capital of the chestnut", whose territory is the only space castanéicole Var.