Vars Sainte-Marie

A little history

Since the winter of 2004-2005 and the installation of the new Peyrol detachable 6-seater chairlift, the village of Vars Sainte Marie has played an increasingly important role in access to the ski area, hiking and mountain biking, a role reinforced by the completion of the Bois Noir 6-seater chairlift in January 2021: the village is now the main gateway to the ski area, with fast, comfortable access to the heart of Forêt Blanche. The Sainte Marie is the administrative and community hub, home to the Vars town hall and post office. It is also a place of worship, thanks to the ecumenical center, which is still very active.

Here you’ll find the first hotels, most of which were built in old buildings featuring traditional local architecture. Restaurants welcome guests under the vaulted roofs of restored cowsheds. The floors once dedicated to hay storage are now hotel rooms.

The first ski lifts were installed in Vars Sainte Marie in 1938. The resort’s expansion stretched as far as Vars les Claux from 1939 onwards, with an effort to equip the resort that would resume at the end of the Second World War.