The 10 most beautiful castles in Var
10 châteaux
Chosen among 51 recorded castles
What to see in Var when you only have a weekend: the 10 most visited castles according to their visitors’ reviews, among those open to the public whose visiting conditions we checked on the official website. For each: what you see, the entry price, the link to the full entry.
Ranked by renown: how often their name is searched on Google each month, and how many reviews visitors have left. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Château de Grimaud (Grimaud Castle)
Grimaud
Above the village of Grimaud, in the Var department, the remains of a medieval stronghold overlook the town and the bay of Saint-Tropez. What survives today is only a ruin, but it dates back to at least the 11th century.
No. 2
Château du Rayol (Rayol Castle)
Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer
On the corniche des Maures, facing the Îles d'Hyères, the Domaine du Rayol is a landscaped garden spanning several hectares devoted to the world's Mediterranean-type climates.
No. 3
Château de Trigance (Trigance Castle)
Trigance
Set on a rocky spur above the village of Trigance in the Var, this castle overlooks the Jabron valley within the Verdon regional nature park. First recorded in 1037, it was rebuilt around the turn of the fifteenth century and altered again in the sixteenth, before falling into ruin during the Revolution.
No. 4
Château d'Hyères
Hyères
Perched on the Castéou hill, the ruins of Hyères castle overlook the town and the surrounding bay. This medieval fortress, now in ruins, dates back to the 11th century and reflects the old defensive network along the Var coastline. The climb rewards visitors with an open view over Hyères and its hinterland.
No. 5
Château Miraval
Correns
In Correns, in the Var region, the Château de Miraval is a 17th-century Provençal bastide set within a 600-hectare estate of pine forest, olive groves and vineyards.
No. 6
Château de Forbin (Forbin Castle)
Solliès-Ville
In Solliès-Ville, the ruins of the château de Forbin stand above the village that once bore this powerful Provençal family's name. The site owes much of its interest to Louis de Forbin, lord of the estate, a magistrate of Provence's sovereign courts and later a royal ambassador in the early sixteenth century.
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No. 7
Château de Saint-Martin-de-Pallières
Saint-Martin-de-Pallières
Perched on a hillock overlooking the village and the Pallières plateau, the château of Saint-Martin-de-Pallières keeps the outline of a square keep flanked by four towers, a legacy of a feudal dwelling first recorded in the 13th century.
No. 8
Château d'Entrecasteaux (Entrecasteaux Castle)
Entrecasteaux
Overlooking the village of Entrecasteaux in the Var department, this château stands on the foundations of an 11th century fortress reshaped during the 15th, 16th and 18th centuries.
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No. 9
Château d'Aiguines (Aiguines Castle)
Aiguines
The château d'Aiguines, built in the early seventeenth century by Balthazar de Gauthier, overlooks the Var village that bears its name. Its original architecture underwent substantial modification in the mid-eighteenth century, when the terraced gardens that are now integral to the site were created.
No. 10
Château de Vaucouleurs (Vaucouleurs Castle)
Puget-sur-Argens
The Château de Vaucouleurs stands on a flat rocky outcrop above a vineyard estate in Puget-sur-Argens, in the Var region of France. Its medieval appearance, with crenellated towers, actually dates from the late 19th century, added to an older Provençal farmhouse.
Every castle in Var (51)Which ones open this weekend?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Var?
- The most visited in Var is Château de Grimaud, first in this selection according to its visitors’ reviews. All 10 castles listed are open to visitors with checked hours.
- How much does a visit cost?
- The adult entry price is shown under each castle when the official website publishes it; 1 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 51 castles recorded in Var, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.