Vars Sainte-Marie

A bit of history

Since the winter of 2004–2005 and the installation of the 6-seater detachable chairlift at Peyrol, the village of Vars Sainte Marie has taken on an increasingly important role in providing access to the ski area and for pedestrians, a role further strengthened by the completion in January 2021 of the 6-seater Bois Noir chairlift: the village has thus become the main gateway to the ski area, offering quick and comfortable access to the heart of the Forêt BlancheSainte Marie is the hub for community life and administration, home to Vars Town Hall and the post office. It is also a place of worship, thanks to its ever-active ecumenical centre.

Here you’ll find the resort’s earliest hotels, most of which were created in old buildings featuring local, traditional architecture. The restaurants welcome you beneath the vaulted ceilings of restored stables. The upper floors, once used for hay storage, now serve as hotel rooms.

It was in Vars Sainte Marie that the first ski lifts were installed in 1938. The resort’s growth continued right up to Vars les Claux as early as 1939, with development work resuming at the end of the Second World War.