December in Provence: culture and tradition in and around Cotignac
As the Christmas rush settles in, Provençal tradition restores meaning to the season, colouring the festivities with a touch of soul. In Provence Verte and the Haut-Var, villages shine with their finest lights and the streets come alive with a magical atmosphere.
From Christmas markets to artistic and cultural events, discover a selection of activities in and around Cotignac to fully experience the magic of the festive season in Provence.
Cotignac in Festivities!
As every year, Cotignac puts its heart into the celebrations with a rich programme kicking off on Saturday 6 December with the market of local artisans, shopkeepers and producers (Zone Loup à Loup). At 6 pm, the village will reveal its full splendour with the official lighting ceremony.
A Provençal Nativity scene competition will take place at the Cercle des Arts from Saturday 13 December. Tradition takes centre stage on this second weekend of Advent, as the unmissable Christmas market fills Cours Gambetta on Sunday 14 December, concluding at 6 pm with a magnificent firework display launched from the two medieval towers overlooking the Rocher.
As the long-awaited day draws near, the magic continues at the Cercle des Arts on Saturday 20 December. The association Coti Art Music hosts a conference followed by a harp and flute concert, performed by Cécile Maudire (harp) and Florent Bontron (flute) — a poetic and elegant musical moment echoing the refinement and lightness of the French court in the 18th century.
Christmas market dates in Provence Verte and Haut-Var
Saturday 6 December 2025 : Cotignac, Entrecasteaux, Le Thoronet, Montfort-sur-Argens, La Celle, Saint-Julien le Montagnier, Tourves
Sunday 7 December 2025 : Correns, Aups, Carcès, Néoules, La Celle, Vins-sur-Caramy, Esparron de Pallières, Forcalqueiret, Rougiers, Pourrières
Saturday 13 December 2025 : Barjols, Brignoles, Nans-les-Pins
Sunday 14 December 2025 : Cotignac, Bras, Tourtour, Brue-Auriac, Garéoult, Sainte-Anastasie-sur-Issole
Sunday 21 December 2025 : Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, Varages, Brignoles
Cultural activities for the whole family
The ‘santons’ of Provence
This was after the French Revolution so that the “santoun” were created to enable every Provencal family to celebrate the nativity. Several events celebrate them, such as the Nativity scene competition in Cotignac or the Santon Fair in Pierrefeu-du-Var. You can also visit local santon makers: Au Plus Près de la Provence in Brignoles, Santons Paul Garrel in Rocbaron, and Santons Denizou in Tourves.
Musée des Gueules Rouges
The Musée des Gueules Rouges in Tourves traces the history of the bauxite miners, nicknamed for the red dust that covered their faces. Set inside a reconstructed mine gallery, it immerses visitors in the daily life of the workers — their tools, working conditions, and the significance of bauxite mining in the region. Through testimonies and evocative displays, the museum offers a deep dive into an industrial heritage that helped shape the local landscape.
The Prehistoric Museum in Quinson
The Musée de Préhistoire des Gorges du Verdon offers a fascinating journey through more than a million years of history, featuring reconstructed habitats, life-size animals and striking prehistoric scenes. The experience continues at the Baume Bonne cave, a 400,000-year-old site that has revealed some of the oldest traces of human presence in Provence. Together, they form an essential duo for understanding and imagining the lives of our distant ancestors.
Inspiring places for art lovers
La Falaise Art Center in Cotignac
The La Falaise Art Centre exhibits works by artists from all backgrounds throughout the year. In partnership with the schools of Cotignac, Carcès, Barjols, Brignoles, Monfort sur Argens, Salernes and IME Haut-Var, the current exhibition “Les Niki en herbe” on view from 5 to 20 December 2025. The students freely reinterpret the world of Niki de Saint Phalle, a visionary artist whose works celebrate femininity and freedom.
The Cistercian Abbey in Le Thoronet
The Thoronet Abbey is one of the three Cistercian wonders of Provence. Founded in 1146 by an order of monks from Ardèche, the simple architecture of the abbey and its surroundings expresses the purity and the humility of their spiritual life. From 3 October 2025 to 31 January 2026, the photographic exhibition “Archilumen” by Michel Eisenlohr explores the fundamental importance of light in the way we perceive and understand architecture.
HDE Var Art Center in Draguignan
Located in a 19th-century building in the heart of Draguignan, the Hotel départemental des Expositions du Var presents two exhibitions a year about history and civilisations. From 13 December 2025 to 22 March 2026, the HDE Var presents “Carnivals from Here and Elsewhere,” an exhibition showcasing the richness of Carnival celebrations and masquerades through ethnographic objects and their many artistic representations.
Peyrassol in Flassans-sur-Issole
Founded in the 13th century by the Knights Templar, the Commanderie de Peyrassol covers almost 850 hectares of oak, olive and garrigue trees, protecting a vineyard of great renown. Featuring some of the great names in twentieth- and twenty-first-century art, the Philippe Austruy collection takes visitors on a journey through contemporary buildings, vineyards and undergrowth. A museum-style experience from Monday to Saturday.
The Chateauvert Art Centre
The Châteauvert Contemporary Art Centre is a wonderful arts apace along the Argens river. Stroll between the exhibition room, the media library and the collection of sculptures exhibited in the garden room, in the midst of nature. Free and open all year round, 24/7, the sculpture garden welcomed this autumn the three “Cerberus” by Elias Kurdy, a sculptural triptych crowned with floral heads.
Jas de la Rimade in Carcès
Set between vineyards and pine forest, the Jas de la Rimade is a former Templar estate carefully restored. Its art gallery hosts exhibitions by international artists, blending established names with emerging talents. The venue features several exhibition rooms and a sculpture garden. From 6 December 2025 to 1 February 2026, the “Pépites sur Papier” exhibition brings together fifteen artists around a selection of delicate, expressive works.
Experience the magic of Provence in December!
Lou Calen has a program that is as festive as it is delicious.
