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Sights in Provence — 2 of Our Favourites

Discover and book the top Provence sights

Train Touristique du Centre-Var, Brignoles

1. Train Touristique du Centre-Var

Discover the rhythm of the central Var, situated between the Verdon and the Sainte-Victoire (painted by Cezanne) in the north and the beaches of the coast in the south, this is a truly beautiful region.

The villages of this are have retained their typical Provencal character with narrow streets, fountains and weekly markets. This journey will take you aboard a railcar 50s (Picasso), 60 (Caravelle) or 80 (X 2200). Commentary is provided that will give you local and historical information, as well as tourist tips and cultural facts.

Not counting the stop-overs the ride takes about 1 hour from Carnoules to Brignoles and 2 hours to St-Maximin.

Located halfway between Carnoules and Brignoles, the St. Anastasia station was renovated by the town hall. All of the trains stop here at lunch time. At this station you will find a souvenir shop with T-shirt, caps and postcards, plus Provençal products whose producers are installed along the line: Besse on Issole wines, jams of St. Anastasia and honey from Camps la Source (subject to availability!). You will be able to picnic along the Issole, or if you prefer the restaurant, the Bar des Amis is located just 300m away.

These tourist trains operate between April and October, although dates and times may vary so please check with them in advance to avoid disappointment.

Train des Merveilles

2. Train des Merveilles

Location
Nice

Merveilles means “marvels” and it’s hard to know whether they named the area for the stunning scenery, the beautiful old medieval villages or the archaeological findings going back 5000 years. The railway carriages are painted with designs inspired by the prehistoric rock carvings that have been discovered in the region.

The train line actually runs all the way to Cuneo in Italy, but most sightseers only go as far as the medieval village of Tende or to Breil-Sur-Roya in the Vallée des Merveilles. To go all the way to Cuneo takes about 3 hours, with Tende being just 2 hours from the beginning of the line in Nice. Some of the services do not go all the way to the end of the line, so be careful when planning your journey or you may find yourself stuck somewhere in the middle!