Villecroze

Overview

A village of the Haut-Var known for its developed troglodyte caves and its waterfall in a communal park; joined the PNR in 2025.

Where to stay in Villecroze

Hotels, campsites and gîtes in Villecroze, 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

• Au Bien Etre piscine chauffée Hotel 4.6 (504 Google reviews) To be confirmed
• Camping Club Les Cadenières Campsite 4.4 (1880 Google reviews) Business’s own website
• La maison des arcades Short-term rental ★★★ 5 (1 Google review) Business’s own website

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Services & shops in Villecroze

EV charging — in the village: VILLECROZE (4 points), network ELECTRIC 55 CHARGING. See the map of Verdon charging points →

Food & groceries

• Village grocery shop (local produce, village centre)
• Chez Karine (grocery and snack bar)

Bakery

• Le Pain Doré (2 place Gabriel-Péri, heart of the village — branch of the Maison Nervi / St-Roch bakery in Lorgues)

Health (doctor, nurse…)

• General practitioner (practice in the commune; on-call doctor on 15 or 116 117)

Post office

• communal post office, place Victor-Espitalier (at the town hall; reduced opening hours)

Tobacconist & newsagent

• Bar-Tabac des Grottes (bar-tobacconist in the centre)

Other

• Several wine-estate cellars and shops (Château Thuerry, Domaine Saint-Jean de Villecroze, Domaine de Valcolombe, Château de Majoulière, etc.)
• Hairdressers, beauty salon, launderette and craftspeople (ceramicists) in the village

Spa, massage & wellness

• Épisode Bien-Être (massage studio, Villecroze)

For a wider choice: A Provençal village of the Haut-Var (troglodyte caves, waterfall and municipal park) with the essential local shops: a bakery, two grocery shops, a bar-tobacconist, a communal post office agency and several restaurants. No pharmacy or butcher in the commune (the nearest are in Salernes, about 4 km away); supermarkets and a full range of services in Salernes, Aups or Draguignan.

Where to eat

• Le Colombier — hotel-restaurant · carefully prepared cooking with Provençal touches, veranda and terrace, 185 route de Draguignan (D557)
• Le Cercle de l'Avenir — village bar and restaurant · café-restaurant in the centre
• Le Bouddha Givré — fruit bar / smoothies · juice bar and fresh fruit shakes (seasonal)

Services verified on 7 July 2026.

What to see, what to do

Troglodyte caves (fortified caves) of Villecroze

Cavities carved into the tufa, formed by the slow calcification of plants and mosses beneath a former waterfall. Originally used by Benedictine monks as a refuge during the Saracen raids (10th century), then fortified around 1566 by the lord Nicolas d'Albertas, who fitted out a defensive residence there taking advantage of the impregnable site. Across five levels one finds mullioned windows, loopholes, a passage behind the waterfall, two small basins and fine rock formations. Classified as a natural site and monument since 1924. Paid visit with mandatory online booking (full price €5); access forbidden to children under 6 for safety reasons.

Waterfall and municipal park

A waterfall about 35 m high at the foot of the cliffs, in a municipal park of about 2 hectares laid out at the foot of the limestone hills.

Old medieval village

An old core with arcades and narrow lanes, with several fountains. A campanile set on a former keep.

Clock Tower

A bell tower carrying a bell dated 1509.

Chapel of Saint-Victor

A 12th-century chapel, a former dependency linked to the religious orders; it now hosts concerts.

Former church of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs

A Romanesque building of the 11th-12th centuries.

Commandery of the Ruou

A former Templar commandery (founded around 1150-1155), later turned into a ceramics workshop (terracotta floor tiles and glazed tiles); today a private estate.

History of Villecroze

The area has been occupied since prehistoric times (Neolithic sites) and then in the Gallo-Roman period, near the road connecting Fréjus to Riez. In the 11th century, Villecroze belonged to a joint seigneury shared between the Castellane family and the Saint-Victor Abbey of Marseille. In 1150-1155, neighbouring lords gave the Ruou estate to the Templars, who established a commandery there; the property later passed to the Hospitallers (Order of Saint John of Jerusalem). Until the Revolution, the joint seigneury combined the Saint-Victor Abbey and the Order of Saint John. In 1566, the lord Nicolas d'Albertas fortified the caves. The commune experienced a demographic decline until the end of the 20th century (about 1,384 inhabitants in 1793, a low point of around 1,087 in 1999) before a recovery; population of about 1,514 inhabitants in 2023.

Getting to Villecroze

• By road: The departmental road D557, linking Flayosc with Aups.
• Served by the Zou! regional network (on-demand transport).