Visit the Massif des Maures, at 1 hour 30 minutes from Le Clos Geraldy, charming guest house in Provence, means traveling a magnificent winding road.
Visit the Massif des Maures also means stopping at the Monastery of La Verne. This marvelous building is lost in the middle of the vegetation.
Close to the typical village of Collobrières – regional capital of chestnuts, this former priory has been listed as a historic monument since 1921.
It is built on a rocky promontory. High ramparts built to limit external intrusions. The serpentine stone door – volcanic marble from the Massif des Maures, is monumental.
In the 17th century this stone adorned the whole monastery. It is extracted in a nearby village, in Cogolin, in the quarry of La Môle.
In addition, since 1983, the building has housed a community of nuns from Bethlehem, Ascension and St Bruno. Some sisters make porcelain and sandals which they sell to the public.
And the Chartreuse de la Verne can also be visited all year round.
As for Collobrières, there is an annual chestnut festival where hundreds of exhibitors offer a variety of products made from this fruit. You can also taste local specialties such as chestnut ice cream, candied chestnuts or chestnut jams at any time.