Var (river)

The Var (Latin Varus) is a river located in the southeast of France. The name Var originates from the Ligurian word for waterway.

The Var flows through the Alpes-Maritimes département for most of its length, with a short (~15 km or ~9 mi) stretch in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence département. It is a unique case in France of a river not flowing in the département named after it (see Var).

The Var rises near the Col de la Cayolle (2,326 m/7,631 ft) in the Maritime Alps and flows generally southeast for 114 kilometres (71 mi) into the Mediterranean between Nice and Saint-Laurent-du-Var.

The Var flows through the following départements and towns:

  • Alpes-Maritimes: Guillaumes
  • Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Entrevaux
  • Alpes-Maritimes: Puget-Théniers, Carros, Saint-Laurent-du-Var