An interesting day out could be spent in the hills west of Draguignan, taking in the spectacular scenery, visiting unspoilt villages and sights and even a vineyard with a difference!  This is very much undiscovered hinterland, but the views are great, particularly from Tourtour, the most northerly stop on the tour.

An excellent starting point for your mini tour would be Draguignan itself, chosing either of the market days (Saturday or Wednesday mornings) for your visit, enabling you to stock up on regional supplies for a picnic lunch – if you don’t fancy splashing out on lunch in either of the villages en-route.l

First of all head west on the D557  to Villecroze (a drive of approximately 21kms). On the edge of this small village in a sheltered, tufa amphitheatre you will find some beautiful gardens (open all year round) as well as troglodyte caves which one can visit (summer only). A small stream, running from a waterfall, meanders through the site and is suitable for paddling. Added to all this, an excellent children’s playground will keep everyone happy. The medieval, arcaded streets of Villecroze, along with several cafés/restaurants can also be visited.

Next stop involves a short 6km drive north-east to Tourtour on the D51 (also known as ‘le village dans le ciel’).

The road wends its way upwards, with the views getting better and better. There are several opportunities to pull over to the side of the road, get out of the car and stretch your legs and admire the views southwards. Toutour itself must be one of our favourite small villages in France and not surprisingly it is classified as L’un des plus beaux villages de France. For such a small village there are numerous restaurants and hotels as well as craft shops and old streets to wander around. Don’t miss the Church at the top of the village, next to which an orientation table helps you locate some of the sights visble on a clear day. It is said that the vista extends to 300km on a good day, to include The Luberon, Mont Ste Victoire and The Med. The location of the next stop on the itinerary – The Chateau de Berne can also be seen. Beyond the Church is the entrance to the very salubrious hotel La Bastide de Tourtour (featured in the film The Day of the Jackal), where lunch can be had – at a price!!

The final stop of the day is at the vineyard, Chateau de Berne. Leave Toutour by the D77 and at the junction with D557, turn right and after 1½ kms take the D10 on your left towards Lorgues. The vineyard entrance is off this road on your left after about 4kms. While wine tours, tasting and buying are the obvious attractions here, there is much else on offer as well, including walks and a children’s playground – a useful ‘bribe’ for younger members of the family! The site has an hotel and a couple of restaurants and many activities from VTT and quad-biking to watercolour courses are available.

It's a long time since we visited the Côte d'Azur with the children and they don't remember much about it.  So we can't offer a list of their favourites here.  If you would like to propose some, please send us your feedback.