Seillans, a little corner of Provence

This week, we’re heading to Seillans.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time here and it remains one of those places that I never quite tire of. In the hills of the Var, around 50 minutes from Nice, it feels wonderfully removed from the busier side of the Côte d’Azur. Seillans is officially one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, although I think the village is at its best when you forget about the title and simply wander.

There isn’t really a need for a plan. Follow the cobbled lanes uphill, turn down one that looks interesting, stop for a coffee, peek through an old doorway and eventually you’ll find yourself looking out over the hills, olive groves and vineyards below.

The old stone houses, faded shutters and small squares are beautiful, but what I like most are the discoveries along the way: La Grande Dame de Seillans, its unexpected artistic history, and some really good places to eat.

A little bit of art

One of my favourite things about Seillans is its slightly unexpected artistic history. Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning lived and worked here for many years, and you can still find traces of them in the village at Maison Waldberg.

I love these kinds of discoveries, things you might easily walk past without knowing they are there. Even if Surrealism isn't particularly your thing, it’s worth having a look.

📍 Maison Waldberg, Seillans

Two shops I always like to pop into

Seillans is small, so there aren't endless places to shop, which is perhaps part of the charm. But there are a couple I always like to visit.

Des Deux Rocs
@hoteldesdeuxrocs

A lovely little shop, part of the hotel, filled with brocante finds and objects. You always leave with something you hadn't planned on buying.

Les Collines
@lescollinesboutique

For beautiful ceramics, woven baskets and contemporary Provençal pieces. Everything is carefully chosen and the shop has an easy, understated feel.

Where to stay

If you want to stay right in the village, I’d go for Des Deux Rocs.

The house is a 17th-century private mansion sitting directly on the village square, beneath a canopy of enormous plane trees. At the centre is the old Amont fountain, which has been running for generations and still provides the soundtrack to village life.

Julie and Nicolas Malzac now look after the house, and what I love is that it still feels like a family home as much as a small hotel. There is none of that anonymous hotel feeling. Instead, you arrive in a house with a history and a very personal sense of place.

The little yellow salon is probably my favourite corner, filled with family furniture, books, artists’ work and things collected over the years. Vintage linens, old carafes and Terre de Fer ceramics appear throughout the house. Nothing feels too perfect, and that is precisely what makes it so inviting.

And then there is the location.

Step outside and you are immediately in village life. Coffee under the plane trees, the fountain running in the background, church bells marking the hours, and crickets coming from the hills as the day warms up.

It’s a very particular kind of Provence, and one that doesn't need much embellishment.

If you prefer to stay just outside the village, Centifolia Provence is another lovely option: a French country cottage with a magnificent view, a pool and ancient olive trees surrounding the house.

Where to eat

For such a small village, Seillans has a surprisingly good choice of places to eat. These are three I wouldn’t miss.

Des Deux Rocs

Also the hotel and shop mentioned above, and one of my favourite places for a long, lazy lunch. Sit beneath the plane trees with the fountain nearby and order something seasonal and Provençal.

Chez Hugo

A tiny restaurant in the heart of the village and a little more refined. The cooking is seasonal and contemporary, while still rooted in Provençal flavours. The menu changes with the seasons, which is part of the appeal.

La Gloire de Mon Père

A more traditional option, with the kind of generous, comforting food that suits a Provençal evening. Named after Marcel Pagnol’s famous novel, it sits around the fountain on Place du Thouron, making it particularly lovely when the village starts to cool down at the end of the day.

And then, just wander

Perhaps my best advice for Seillans is simply to get lost in the streets and alleyways.

Come for lunch or stay for dinner. Sit in the shade. Browse the shops. Stop for a coffee. Look up at the old houses. Follow the sound of the fountain.

📍 Seillans, Var, Provence
Around 50 minutes from Nice