Colmars-les-Alpes

Overview

A fortified town of the Haut-Verdon, sealed off by two Vauban forts; classified as one of 'Les Plus Beaux Villages de France' (the Most Beautiful Villages of France) in 2025.

White-water sports in Colmars-les-Alpes

• Karst Rider — canyoning, via ferrata, souterrata

Rafting, canyoning, canoeing: the Verdon white-water guide →

Where to stay in Colmars-les-Alpes

Hotels, campsites and gîtes in Colmars-les-Alpes, with their real rating when available.

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

• Les Pommiers Campsite 4.5 (161 Google reviews) Checked against sources
• Gîtes Les Transhumances Gîte Checked against sources
• Aire camping-cars de Colmars-les-Alpes Motorhome area Checked against sources

Also compare on the major platforms:

Services & shops in Colmars-les-Alpes

EV charging — in the village: Rue Sainte Anne (2 points), network eborn. See the map of Verdon charging points →

Fuel: 1 petrol station in the commune. See live prices →

Last picture from 9 October 2026 (checked on 28 October 2026) — The fortified village of Colmars / the Haut-Verdon valley. All the webcams, with their broadcaster and status →

Food & groceries

• Proxi Super (general food store: groceries, fruit and vegetables, regional produce — bread and newspaper outlet; meat/fish counter on certain days)
• Boucherie-Charcuterie Martin (artisan butcher and charcuterie, local produce and short supply chain)

Bakery

• Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Le Gourmand
• Boulangerie La P'tite Rustique

Butcher

• Boucherie-Charcuterie Martin (local meat and homemade charcuterie)

Pharmacy

• Pharmacie Blanc (La Bourgade — dispensing pharmacy + parapharmacy)

Health (doctor, nurse…)

• Doctor's surgery – Pôle Médical La Bourgade (general medicine)
• Nursing practice – Pôle Médical La Bourgade (care at the practice or at home by appointment; nurses Dominique Thil, Céline Glin)
• Laurent Ionus (dental surgeon)
• Aurélien Fioretti (physiotherapist)
• Amandine Fort (osteopath)

Fuel

• Haut-Verdon Voyages (petrol station / fuel, garage and transport — in Colmars-les-Alpes)

Bank / ATM

• BNP Paribas ATM (ATM in the village)
• La Poste (financial services – Banque Postale)

Post office

• local post office in Colmars-les-Alpes

Tobacconist & newsagent

• Chez Régis (tobacco, newspapers and souvenirs)

Car garage

• Haut-Verdon Voyages (car garage and transport)

Other

• Le Chalet d'Alpage (hiking equipment and gear)
• Librairie-Papeterie coopérative Les Pléiades (books and stationery)
• L'Atelier de Naïs (haberdashery / clothing)
• Ad Montem (bike and e-bike hire)

For a wider choice: A Vauban fortified village well supplied with basic shops for its size (about 583 inhabitants), with a stronger offer in the tourist season (close to the Val d’Allos resort). For large stores and a wider choice, residents go to Allos, Saint-André-les-Alpes or Barcelonnette.

Where to eat

• Le Vauban — restaurant-pizzeria · Country and regional seasonal cooking (daube, ravioles, trout, home-made pizzas), at the entrance to the fortified town, route d’Allos
• Pizzeria Le Gaulois — pizzeria / restaurant · Pizzas and dishes of the day, terrace in summer (campsite restaurant open to all)
• Bar Le France — bar-café / ice-cream parlour · Village café-bar, ice cream in season
• Boutique Tutti Quanti — tea room / ice-cream parlour · Crêpes and artisan ice cream, at the entrance to the fortifications in the warmer months

Services verified on 7 July 2026.

What to see, what to do

Fort de Savoie

A redoubt built in 1695 to the plans commissioned by Vauban, downstream of the town along the Verdon. A particularly well-preserved 17th-century structure, it can be visited in summer and houses the permanent exhibition 'Histoire(s) d'un fort' ('Story/Stories of a fort') as well as an immersive trail devoted to Vauban.

Fort de France

A redoubt built in 1693 upstream of the town, also along the Verdon. Together with the Fort de Savoie it formed the defensive system that flanked the town; it is not open to visitors.

Fortified walls and gates

Ramparts of medieval origin (12th-14th centuries) reinforced at the end of the 17th century, punctuated by bastioned towers and monumental gates, including the Porte de France to the south and the Porte de Savoie to the north, marking the former border.

Church of Saint-Martin

The village's parish church, at the heart of the fortified town.

Old bridges over the Verdon

The Pont-Haut (17th-18th centuries) and the Vieux Pont, known as the Pont Saint-Roch, are classified as historic monuments.

Haut-Verdon house-museum

A museum space devoted to the history and life of the valley.

Ratery 1700

A cross-country skiing and mountain-activities area above the village.

History of Colmars-les-Alpes

Colmars takes its name from the Latin form 'Collo Martio', attested in 1040, meaning 'the hill of Mars'. The community received a consulate from Count Raymond Berengar V in 1233 and was attached to the viguerie of Castellane in 1342. Its strategic position, on the edge of Savoyard territory, made it a garrison town very early on: a first fortification campaign in 1382, and elevation to the rank of town under Francis I. The town endured the violence of its time — burned by Raymond of Turenne in 1390, plundered during the Wars of Religion, and struck by a great fire in 1672. The decisive military turning point came at the end of the 17th century: in 1692, Louis XIV tasked Vauban with revising the town's defences. Vauban delegated the work on site to the architect Niquet and the engineer Richerand, who built the Fort de France (1693) and then the Fort de Savoie (1695). Vauban himself, who came to inspect the site around 1700, criticised these works and proposed new plans, which his disgrace and death in 1707 prevented from being carried out. The stronghold was officially decommissioned in 1921. After a long textile-industry period (production of cordeillat cloth until 1926), the commune today lives mainly from tourism and its exceptional fortified heritage.

Getting to Colmars-les-Alpes

• Nearest train station: Thorame-Haute station (Train des Pignes, Chemins de fer de Provence), in the south of the valley

Events & highlights

Medieval festivals

Historical re-enactments and entertainment in the fortified town during the summer season.