Vars Sainte-Catherine

This south-facing hamlet is the highest of the three mountain villages. Formerly known as “la Fortune” because Sainte Catherine enjoys exceptional sunshine, the village’s location is a real draw. Even today, Vars Sainte Catherine is said to be the former granary of Vars, as it is still the village with the most arable and cultivated fields. Hay, rye, hemp, oats and vegetables (cabbage, potatoes…).

The Balcony of Vars

Choosing Sainte Catherine for your vacation means treating yourself to one of the most beautiful balconies in Vars, with, on one side, the Crêtes de l’Eyssina, the real backdrop to the Vars destination, and on the other, the Ecrins massif culminating at over 4000m altitude. You’ll be the last to enjoy the setting sun, thanks to a south-western exposure that’s just right for sunset lovers.

The narrow, sloping streets of this mountainside village, known as “charrières”, are the perfect place to stroll and discover the treasures that even the most inquisitive can reveal: the sundials bear witness to the strong relationship between the locals and the sun, a natural clock for them, whose illustration on the walls of farmhouses was often accompanied by moralist phrases full of wisdom.

Here, you’ll find magnificent traditional larch wood balconies running along all the facades, as well as gruates (haystack pulleys).
The communal oven used to bake bread backs onto one of the village’s wash-houses, a handy place to get water for bread-making. It is relit twice a year in July and August to perpetuate the tradition of bread-making at village festivals.