Things to do in Tourtour: the village highlights

In Tourtour, the essentials are on foot and free: Place des Ormeaux and its fountains, the Saint-Denis church, the clock tower and the Grimaldi tower, the village olive oil mill, the Victor Zaneboni fossil museum, the art galleries and the viewpoint indicator, with a view from the Maures hills to Mont Ventoux. Allow half a day. Several waymarked trails start from the village, including a loop to Villecroze.

A walking tour of the village

Tourtour is best discovered on foot. The streets are steep and often cobbled: good shoes are enough. Here is a simple route that starts and ends at Place des Ormeaux.

1. Place des Ormeaux and its fountains

This is the main square, lined with café terraces. Its name recalls the elm trees (ormeaux) planted in 1638 when Anne of Austria passed through. The village has eight fountains and a wash house built in 1778.

2. The Saint-Denis church

The church is named after Tourtour’s patron saint. It hosts the Epiphany nativity play in early January, and the Saint-Denis festival is celebrated every year in October.

3. The clock tower and the Grimaldi tower

Two towers shape the village skyline. The clock tower stands in the lanes of the old centre. The Grimaldi tower, also spelled Grimaud in some sources, is the goal of a short walk suggested by the tourist office.

4. The village olive oil mill

The mill, at 10 Rue des Moulins, dates from the 17th century. It still works the old way in winter, from November to February: a millstone driven by water from the wash house and a hand press, for the olives brought in by local growers. From June to September it hosts exhibitions by regional artists, changed every fortnight.

• 2026 opening: every day, 1 June to 30 September
• Price: free entry

5. The Victor Zaneboni fossil museum

The municipal museum, at 12 Rue des Moulins, displays more than 1,000 fossils and rocks from the Haut-Var: ammonites, belemnites, nautiluses and dinosaur eggs. It is named after Victor Zaneboni, an amateur palaeontologist and ship’s carpenter who left his collection to the village.

Entry is free. The museum is not wheelchair accessible. Phone: +33 4 98 10 25 25.

6. The viewpoint indicator

This is the viewpoint that gave the village its nickname. The panorama runs from the Maures hills to Mont Ventoux, taking in the Montagne Sainte-Victoire and the Bessillons. Access is free all year, with picnic tables less than 50 m away. The tourist office recommends it at sunset.

7. The art galleries

Tourtour has long attracted artists. The painter Bernard Buffet lived here until his death in 1999, and the cartoonist Ronald Searle settled here in 1975. The municipal gallery shows drawings by Searle, and giant insect sculptures by Bernard Buffet stand on the town hall forecourt. The town hall keeps an up-to-date list of the village galleries.

8. Hikes from the village

The Lacs et Gorges du Verdon tourist office suggests several routes starting from Tourtour:

• a loop between Tourtour and Villecroze;
• a Tourtour discovery trail;
• a treasure hunt for children, “La création du cristal protecteur”;
• a walk to the Grimaldi tower.

Route sheets and maps are available from the tourist information office, 2 Place de la Trinité.

9. The remains of Florièyes abbey

The municipality still has the remains of the Cistercian abbey of Florièyes (or Florielle), founded in 1136. This community went on to found the Thoronet abbey. Ask at the tourist information office before you go.

10. The Provençal market

On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, from mid-March to mid-October, the market sets up on the Jardin Annabel et Bernard Buffet square. Days, times and nearby markets: see the Tourtour market.

Around the village

Tourtour is 16 minutes from Villecroze, 18 minutes from Aups and 34 minutes from Lake Sainte-Croix. The Sillans waterfall, 26 minutes away, is closed for works until spring 2027. For the rest of your stay, see where to eat and the year’s festivals.