While foreign tourists flock to the south of France in summer, locals in the know prefer to save Provence for the autumn.
When the beach crowds fade, the Var region transforms. In Cotignac, some 230 metres above sea level, the air cools and life slips into a slower rhythm.
October brings food festivals and markets brimming with seasonal delicacies to what is known as one of the most beautiful villages in France.
Here’s how to make the most of prime season in a Provençal village.
Visit one of France’s most beautiful villages this autumn
Cotignac is a clutch of 16th and 17th-century houses painted in warm ochre and yellow tones with light blue shutters.
The village is surrounded by luxuriant forest and backed by a soaring cliff face known as the Rocher (the rock).
This limestone crag is an imposing 400 metres long and 80 metres high, and run through with troglodyte caves.
From the Stone Age, nomadic tribes of hunter-gatherers settled on the heights of the cliff, using its vantage point to dominate the valley below.
The first inhabitants of Cotignac settled on the land above the rock, but in the Middle Ages the population decided to relocate to the foot of the cliff.
The hamlet grew, and the main church, the Église de l’Annonciation, was built in 1266, notable for its atypical facade and its grand organ.
In the Middle Ages, two Saracen towers still visible today were built on the clifftop as lookout points to protect from invaders.
Quince festivals and truffle markets
In October, food is a serious matter for the inhabitants of Cotignac. Markets overflow with figs, chestnuts, and late-harvest grapes, while the end of the month brings the much-awaited annual Quince festival.
This beloved tradition sees the village square filled with stalls cooking and selling the fruit, which has been cultivated locally for hundreds of years, in all forms imaginable.
You can find quince baked into cakes, made into jam, strained into jelly, and brewed into alcoholic beverages.
There are also tastings, a boules competition, a concert, and a parade with participants dressed up garishly as quinces.
As the year moves into November, truffles take centre stage. The season is unofficially opened by the Aups Truffle Market on the 21st, just 20 minutes from Cotignac.
Here, locals, chefs, and gourmands gather to taste and buy the year’s first “black diamonds”.
Discover seasonal cooking at a historic hotel
Epicurean travellers can delve further into the region’s seasonal produce at Cotiganc’s Lou Calen, which first opened as a hotel in the 1970s and was recently transformed into an eco-resort.
The historic stone walls and rustic features belie the forward-thinking environmental policies of the property, which include using renewable energy.
Sustainability also defines Lou Calen’s culinary offerings. The onsite restaurant, Jardin Secret, received a Green Michelin star this year, which recognises eco-responsible gastronomy.
Chef Benoit Witz sources all his products within a 60-kilometre radius.
In October, the hotel joins the village in exalting seasonal delicacies with various events. On 9 October, France celebrates Le Grand Repas, a nationwide culinary event, and Witz will offer a one-off menu that honours the region’s autumn harvest.
During the same month, the saffron flowering begins. Guests can take part in the harvest and learn how the delicate flower is prepared for preservation.
Later in the year, guests can venture into the forests of Aups with truffle producer Lisa Canut. Guided by her dogs, they learn the art of truffle hunting before returning to Lisa’s home for a tasting.
“Summer shows you Provence’s beauty,” says Graham Porter, Lou Calen’s owner. “Autumn and winter show you its soul.”