Today in Bargème
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Weather in Bargème
Live forecast — data by MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Coordinates 43.728, 6.570, elevation 1097 m.
No upcoming event recorded for Bargème.
Health in Bargème
The Annuaire Santé directory (file dated 1 October 2026) lists no health professional in private practice or in a health centre in Bargème. This does not mean that no care is available there: the directory does not cover every way of practising.
- Nearest doctor listed: Comps-sur-Artuby, about 6 km as the crow flies
- Nearest pharmacy listed: Castellane, about 15 km as the crow flies
Among the communes LiveVerdon covers. Straight-line distance between commune centres: the road can be much longer.
Emergency numbers, on-duty pharmacy, hospitals: Health and medical emergencies →
Overview
Commonly described as the highest village in the Var (main settlement at ~1,100 m), listed among the Plus Beaux Villages de France. The ruins of the Château de Sabran, medieval lanes and a panorama over the Haut Var.
Where to stay in Bargème
Compare and book on the major platforms. Hotels, campsites and gîtes in Bargème will soon have their verified listing on LiveVerdon.
Services & shops in Bargème
EV charging — in the village: Parking Du Chateau (2 points), network eborn. See the map of Verdon charging points →
Where to eat in Bargème
The best tables, ranked on the quality of their Google and Tripadvisor reviews, how many reviews back them up, and how far the two platforms agree.
- Le Maya Kafée Local produce grocery5 12 Google reviews 4.6 29 Tripadvisor reviews
Reviews collected on 4 July 2026 — Google and Tripadvisor shown separately, never merged into a single score.
What to see, what to do
- Château de Sabran de Pontevès (Château de Bargème)
- A castle of dressed stone mentioned as early as 1225, built on the rocky spur overlooking the village. Cradle of the powerful Sabran-Pontevès family, lords of the place. Partly destroyed and plundered during the Wars of Religion (dismantling from 1579 onwards), never rebuilt; it retains its outer defensive elements (ruined towers and curtain walls). Bought back by the commune of Bargème on 17 January 2008; municipal property.
- Church of Saint-Nicolas
- A 12th-century Romanesque building restored in the 1990s-2000s, along with its altarpieces — including a half-relief altarpiece of Saint Sebastian from 1525. Bells dated 1504 and 1702.
- Chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs
- An expiatory chapel built in 1607 following the murder of the Pontevès lords during the Wars of Religion; its construction was ordered by the Parlement as reparation.
- Chapel of Sainte-Pétronille
- A Romanesque chapel where worship continues; the blessing of bread and salt on 31 May.
- Chapel of Saint-Laurent
- A chapel overlooking the hamlet of Saint-Laurent.
- Chapels of Saint-Antoine and Saint-Romain
- Other small religious buildings in the commune's territory.
- Ramparts and fortified gates
- A partially preserved medieval wall, with two fortified gates and a network of narrow lanes characteristic of the hilltop village.
- Fountain-wash house and communal oven
- Features of the traditional village heritage.
Culture, markets & festivals in Bargème
Festivals & events
- Fête de la transhumance — early June
- Ascent of the flocks; the highest village in the Var (1,097 m)
- Sainte-Pétronille (bénédiction du pain et du sel) — 31 May
- Celebration at the Sainte-Pétronille chapel
Culture & living heritage
- Sabran de Pontevès castle — heritage
- ruined feudal castle (keep, round towers, curtain walls) destroyed during the Wars of Religion; overlooks the village
- Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs chapel — heritage
- built in 1607 by the inhabitants in atonement for the massacre of members of the Pontevès family
- Medieval village of Bargème — heritage
- classified as one of the “Plus Beaux Villages de France” and as a Village de Caractère du Var
History of Bargème
The site is mentioned in the form 'Bergemulu' in 814; the name, of Indo-European origin, is thought to evoke a fortifiable height. The seigneury belonged to the Pontevès family (which became Sabran-Pontevès) from 1220. In the 16th century, during the Wars of Religion, the lord Jean-Baptiste de Pontevès came into conflict with the inhabitants of Callas. In April 1579, a Huguenot commando entered the village: Pierre de Pontevès was murdered and the castle was plundered and then largely demolished; Jean-Baptiste de Pontevès was captured and killed on 24 May 1579, and several of his sons were executed in the following years. In 1607, the Parlement condemned those responsible and ordered the construction of an expiatory chapel — the present-day Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs. The commune then went through a long depopulation from the 19th to the 20th century (356 inhabitants in 1793, about 92 in 1946), before stabilising thanks to rural tourism. Population of about 207 inhabitants in 2023.
Getting to Bargème
- By road: The departmental road RD 21, linking Comps-sur-Artuby with La Bastide and La Roque-Esclapon.
- A mid-mountain village with a winding approach; free car park at the entrance. Not easily accessible for people with reduced mobility.
Events & highlights
- Blessing of bread and salt — 31 May
- A celebration at the chapel of Sainte-Pétronille.
Addresses in Bargème
Accommodation, restaurants and activities listed on LiveVerdon — an independent Verdon directory.
Listings marked “Ad” (LiveVerdon plan) or “Recommended by the publisher” are ranked ahead of the others: plans first, then the publisher’s clients, then addresses recommended with no commercial link. How listings are ranked
Restaurants in Bargème
- Le Maya Kafée Épicerie de produits locauxGoogle rating 5/5 · 12 reviews 07 78 04 51 85
Managing one of these businesses? Your Google reviews, managed and boosted by Livada Cockpit.