Village houses, traditional bastides, farms either renovated or waiting to be restored, contemporary villas and agricultural and viticultural properties – it would be almost impossible not to find that rare gem. Particularly in the part of the département known as “La Provence Verte”, a region bordered by Montagne Sainte-Victoire to the west and the gorges of Verdon to the north, and irrigated by the river Argens and its tributaries, earning it the nickname of the “château d’eau du Var”, the region’s water tower. The omnipresent forests here give a feeling of permanent greenery that tugs at the heartstrings of nature lovers, while its plains and terraced areas have been planted with vines and olive trees that produce rosé wines and oils in vast quantities since the Roman era. The region certainly lives up to its name, given that everything in La Provence Verte is centred around the protection of nature. It is no coincidence that this is where you’ll find Correns, France’s first organic village whose economy is based on vineyards, olive oil, honey, market gardening and tourism. La Provence Verte is also an image fitting of its villages, such as Pontevès, Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, Entrecasteaux and Cotignac, all of which hold the promises of walks through countrysides untouched by time. Each has its own personality and history, as well as its own closely guarded traditions respected by its residents. And its own top-quality property portfolio at prices that are still reasonable compared to the market on the French Riviera and even compared to the Alpilles and Luberon.

The reflection of a lifestyle choice

Dracénie is a case in point, encompassing twenty-three towns in the Var département including Draguignan, from which it takes its name (the inhabitants of Draguignan are known as Dracénois). Dracénie has a whole host of cultural, tourist and natural qualities, its terroir and Provençal markets, its craft professions and its villages tucked up against the foothills of the Verdon with its forests and museums. Higher up in the Var you’ll find Les Arcs, Flayosc, Lorgues, Montferrat, Le Muy and La Motte. As well as the village of Tourtour, listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France with its 360° panoramic vista spanning 100km (62 miles), Cotignac, at the foot of a troglodyte cliff face, and Le Thoronet, with its extraordinary Cistercian abbey. Not forgetting Les-Arcs-sur-Argens, a former medieval city whose little streets wind up to the château, reputed for being one of the hotspots of wine making in the Côtes de Provence appellation. 
The north of the Var département, known as the Haut-Var, is the perfect fusion of wild nature and traditional, sustainable crops set against a breath-taking landscape and immersed in a sometimes harsh Mediterranean climate but with abundant sunshine. Buying a property here is often a reflection of a lifestyle choice, a search for authenticity that can lead to unearthing a dream home among this multitude of villages that have stayed true to their roots.