Location

Bauduen is a small Provencal village in the Var department of southeastern France. It is a beautiful lakeside village, created by a major civil engineering project that dammed and flooded the valley in 1974 creating a vast reservoir of fresh water destined for Toulon and Marseille.

This transformation from valley to lake, has given the region one of France’s most beautiful lakes offering a holiday destination that combines many of the facilities of the Cote d’Azur but with the natural simplicity of rural France.

Beaches surround the lake for bathers and sunbathers alike. Sailing, windsurfing, kayaks, canoes, electric boats, paddleboards and more, can all be rented from either the sailing club or one of the other boat rental facilities in the village.

The friendly cafes and restaurants provide refreshments after a morning on the beach or a day on the lake. A cold beer, a chilled Rosè, an ice cream, a light lunch or a leisurely dinner contribute to the perfect day.

Bauduen is surrounded by small ancient towns. Aups, Riez and Tourtour. They bask in the warm sunshine just as they did in mediaeval times. Their cafes and markets colour the streets.

Further afield Les Gorges du Verdon cut their dramatic paths through the landscape. The gorge near Moustier Ste Marie is second only to the Grand Canyon in the USA. It is notable not just for its scale, but also because it is relatively unknown.

A one and a half hour trip by car will take you to the Mediterranean coast: Nice, Cannes, Antibes, St. Raphael, St. Tropez, Toulon or Marseille. It may be a short distance by car, but it is a world away by any other measure.