About Vars

Vars is an idyllic southern French ski resort situated in the centre of the Hautes Alpes department in France, between Provence, Dauphine and Italy. The Hautes Alpes have a mediterranean climate, but at the same time alpine-like winters and around 300 days of sunshine a year. This is the ideal winter sport resort for your ski hire booking. Since the 1990s, it belongs to the immense Vars and Risoul skiing domaine that is called "The White Forest" and actually represents the fourth-largest skiing area in France (with 180 km, 109 ski pistes et 50 ski-lifts). Its altitude differs from 1650 to 2750 m. Vars is larger than its neighbour Risoul and comprises four nice little villages: "Saint-Marcellin" as the oldest part of Vars, "Sainte-Marie", "Sainte-Catherine" and "Les Claux". The last one is situated at the bottom of the mountain "Crêtes de l’Eyssina". Its traditional village atmosphere is characterized by the surrounding larch woods.

Show sights

There are several good reasons to book your ski hire in Vars. The whole ski season comprises the time between early December and May. Vars will particularly charm you with its excellent winter sport and ski hire conditions: Indeed, this resort offers excellent ski hire possibilities because there are qualified Vars ski hire shops. The union of Vars and Risoul is also reknowned for its unique "snow guarantee". Moreover, from the middle of December to the end of April, the main pistes are covered by artificial snow so that there is never a lack of snow. In Sainte-Catherine, you can admire the traditional architechture of Vars, with a stony groundfloor, a wooden upper floor and traditionally built balconies. You can also make a dog-drawn sledge ride throughout the winter season with your whole familiy. Because of its nice sledge dogs, Vars is also named the "Canada of the French Alps".

Show destinations

At a distance of around 15 km, you can visit the impressive military fortress named "Mont Dauphin" because it is situated on a hilltop. The "Chateuau Queyras", a famous fortress in the town of Guillestres, is also not far away (18 km) and worth visiting. Guillestres is the northern gateway of the "Col de Vars", a famous moutain pass in the Alps. In the town of Embrun, which is 33 km far away, you can visit the old town and the Palace of the former Archbishop, named "The Brown Tower" ("La Tour Brune") and build in the 13th century. Finally, the medieval "Embrun cathedral" which is a representative of gothic art, is also worth seeing. The nearest international airport is Marseilles which is 250 km far away.