As a base for visiting the villages of Haut-Var or the Gorges du Verdon, the small town of AUPS is ideal, as long as you have your own transport. It has a lot of charm and still depends to a large extent on agriculture rather than tourism. Its speciality is truffles and, if you're here on a Thursday between November and mid-March, you can witness the truffle market.On place Martin-Bidauré, which, along with place Frédéric-Mistral (Wed & Sat market), makes up the leafy open space before the start of the old town, a rare monument commemorates the town's citizens who died in 1851 defending the republic and its laws. The year was that of Louis Napoléon's coup d'état and establishment of the Second Empire. Peasant and artisan resistance was strongest in Provence, and the defeat of the insurgents was followed by a bloody massacre of men and women. This might explain the enormous République Française, Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité sign on the church of St-Pancrace, proclaiming it as state property. The church was designed by an English architect 400 years ago, and has recently had its doors restored by two local British carpenters. Surprisingly for such a small place, Aups has a museum of modern art, the Musée Simon Segal in the former chapel of a convent on avenue Albert-1er (mid-June to mid-Sept daily 10.30am–noon & 4–7pm; €2.30). The best works are those by the Russian-born painter Simon Segal, but there are interesting local scenes in the other paintings, such as the Roman bridge at Aiguines, now drowned beneath the artificial lake of Ste-Croix. Just outside Aups, 3.5km along the Tourtour road, is a sculpture park by local artist Maria de Faykod (daily except Tues: June 2–7pm, July–Aug 10am–noon & 3–7pm; Sept–June 2–6pm; closed Nov; €5.35), with dramatic human forms in marble.
Pages in section ‘Aups’: Practicalities.
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