Around 3,500 hectares of forest with oak, pine, and chestnut trees surround Bagnols-en-Forêt. Alongside this expansive landscape, a viewpoint, red volcanic rocks, archaeological sites, and historic buildings shape the area’s distinct themes. The view thus ranges from a panorama over the eastern part of the Var department to tangible traces of earlier settlement and regional work.
Forest, panorama, and the Gorges du Blavet
The Table d’Orientation is located on the heights above the village. This natural viewpoint offers a panorama over the eastern part of the Var department. This is a different perspective from that of the surrounding forest: the focus here is on a wider region. The Gorges du Blavet, in turn, are carved into red volcanic rocks and highlight the geological character of the surrounding area.
The prehistoric Grotte du Muéron, inhabited in 10,000 BC, lies in the Gorges du Blavet. The rock formations and the cave thus represent two different aspects of the same place: the gorges describe the geological surroundings, while the cave connects to early settlement. If you are interested in both landscapes and prehistory, you can take this distinction into account when choosing what to focus on.
Millstones and historic buildings
There are three significant millstone sites in the Bagnols-en-Forêt area. La Forteresse is the easiest of these sites to access. Millstones were quarried there from amaranth-colored rhyolite from the Estérel. Their diameters range from 90 to 160 centimeters, and their thicknesses from 15 to 50 centimeters. The stones were intended for regional oil and grain mills. Their dimensions and intended use give a tangible impression of the pieces and their place in regional processing.
The history of the buildings can also be traced through individual sites. The Église Paroissiale de St Antonin was built between 1704 and 1707 on the site of an earlier chapel dedicated to St Antonin. The Chapelle Saint-Denis preserves old frescoes depicting the history of the Bagnols-en-Forêt community and the figure of Saint-Domnin. At the church, the construction period is the focus; in the frescoes, it is the visual depiction of the community and the saint: two different ways of approaching local history.
Rock art and archaeology at CAREX
CAREX Roc-Art showcases the diversity of rock art across five continents over the past 50,000 years. Visitors are invited to contribute to a shared, living work. The Labyrinth of Evolution focuses on a different period: set amid natural vegetation, it takes visitors seven million years back in time, placing them in the role of Pierolapithecus, a common ancestor of humans and several great apes living today.
The two CAREX themes are therefore clearly distinct: Roc-Art spans five continents and a period of 50,000 years, while the labyrinth focuses on a specific point in time and on Pierolapithecus. CAREX’s archaeological walks offer another approach, allowing visitors to discover archaeology in a natural setting. Depending on your interests, you can choose between rock art, the labyrinth’s timeframe, and archaeological walks.
Information and regional products
The Bagnols-en-Forêt Tourist Information Office welcomes and advises visitors at Espace Le Rayol. The site also has a shop selling regional products from Bagnols-en-Forêt, Saint-Paul-en-Forêt, and the Pays de Fayence. The places of origin give the selection a specific regional connection. For local information and a taste of products from the surrounding area, these are two different resources under one roof.
Discover more destinations: Flayosc, Les Bormettes, Le Castellet, Correns, Cap Bénat, Moissac-Bellevue, La Roque-Esclapon, Plan-De-La-Tour.
To the main travel overview: Var.
