©2020 160720095646 Rémi Morel Ot Vars|Remi Morel

Heritage celebrations

The authentic mountain

A bit like family reunions, the heritage festivals take you into the thatched cottages of history, the past and mountain traditions. Conviviality, sharing, encounters and know-how are all part of the program at heritage festivals in the heart of Varsinc villages.

©2019 150819114919 Rémi Morel Ot Vars|Remi Morel

©2019 150819112640 Rémi Morel Ot Vars|Remi Morel

©2018 190718105003 Rémi Morel Ot Vars|Remi Morel

Heritage

a strong history

They say you had to be born there to stay there: living in the high mountains meant a life of hard work, with the harsh climate and farm chores. But a life always marked by humanity and solidarity. A population cut off from the rest of the world for months at a time, who had to organize themselves: making bread in the communal oven, carpentry, carpentry… in the words of an old-timer: “We knew how to do nothing, but we did everything ourselves” (Paul Rostollan).

©2020 160720092823 Rémi Morel Ot Vars|Remi Morel

©2020 160720100144 Rémi Morel Ot Vars|Remi Morel

©2020 160720101203 Rémi Morel Ot Vars|Remi Morel

©2018 190718105144 Rémi Morel Ot Vars|Remi Morel

©2019 150819110914 Rémi Morel Ot Vars|Remi Morel

©2019 150819102832 Rémi Morel Ot Vars|Remi Morel

©2018 150818113044 Rémi Morel Ot Vars|Remi Morel

©2018 240818102956 Rémi Morel Ot Vars|Remi Morel

Villages and encounters

A curious stroll through the valley will give you an idea of what life was like in the past: Vars was not always the summer and winter sports resort it is today. It is above all a valley with a centuries-old history: take a look behind the scenes. On a fine summer’s day, take the time to stroll through the villages of Vars. Watches used to be sundials: look up and search the walls of old farmhouses for sun markers with meaningful mottos: time makes love pass, but love makes time pass.

There are no washing machines, but there are laundries in every village where women used to wash their clothes in room-temperature water: give it a try! The church and temple of Saint Marcellin bear witness to the sometimes turbulent religious history of the Alpine valleys, and the wooden crosses that line the villages are adorned with the attributes of Christ’s Passion.

©Alpesphotographies.com Vars Sainte Catherine (60)

Bread Festival
Fête de Sainte-Marie

Friday, July 25, 2025

Relive the traditions of mountain life.

The communal oven in Vars Sainte Catherine used to bake bread for the whole village, and each village had its own oven. Today, only this one remains, and it is restarted every summer, offering a bread with a unique flavor.

The bakery is back in operation 2 times a summer, making bread according to traditional rites. From the kneading trough to the sale of loaves, this tradition is reborn from the ashes, offering a moment of sharing and entertainment in the heart of the Varsinc village.

Friday, August 15, 2025

An unmissable part of the Varsinc summer, August 15 is the village’s day of celebration of its patron saint: workshops, village tours, entertainment and dance shows, garage sales, pétanque competitions – it’s the popular festival par excellence, with its conviviality and traditions, religious procession and end-of-day ball, ending with a fireworks display.

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The villages of Vars

Discover the charming mountain villages of the Vars resort!

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