The Notre-Dame de Liesse Chapel

A lookout, a viewpoint

Flora

Heritage and history

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At the top of the ridges of the Var, enjoy panoramas at 360° endless forests and mysterious Chapels.

On the hills of the Haut Var, you will discover the Chapels of Notre Dame de Liesse and de Saint-Priest perched on the ridge. Up there, the trail sometimes travels between the sunny and shady sides and offers remarkable views, from the Mediterranean coast to the peaks of the Alps. The length and diversity of this hike let you discover a dozen species of orchids during spring.

5 points of interest

Patrimony and history
The Notre-Dame de Liesse
Small chapel, literally hanging over the void. The construction date is unknown, but rural chapels have often been restored or rebuilt on the same sites according to the vagaries of the municipal and religious history. Legend has it that in the Middle Ages, a noble lady of the Blacas family used to ride every day on the hill, to look out for the return of her son on a crusade.
Panorama
Viewing point from the ridges
Remarkable viewing points of the hills of the Haut Var
Patrimony and history
Saint-Priest Chapel
The Saint Priest chapel appears to have been built in 1098. Saint Priest himself lived in the 7th century. He was a bishop of Clermont and was the founder of many monasteries in his diocese. One can also say that unlike Liesse-Notre-Dame, this chapel is located in a more pleasant environment. A full carpet of grass covers the ground and some trees with generous branches provide a shade which tempts a well-deserved nap after so much effort.
Flora
Ophrys or orchis ?
The length and diversity of this walk let you discover a dozen species of orchids during spring, they are discreet bulbous plants. The labellum of the ophrys does not have any spurs and looks more or less, by its hairiness, its fleckings and colour like an insect (various Dipterous and Hymenopterans). Orchis have a labellum equipped with a spur, never resembling an insect and their petals and sepals are often gathered in a more or less loose palmate manner.
Flora
Unknown but known
One of the defining features of orchids holds in the specialization of their flower where everything tends to ensure the best possible pollination at a lower energy cost. The "best of the best" is reached among the "Ophrys" where one of the petals looks just like (for the average pollinator) the body of a female insect. In wanting to hug the female, the male gets the pollen on its head, which it will try disseminate by attempt the adventure on a nearby flower.

Description

From the parking lot Col de la Bigue, cross the road and take the path on the right from the fire water tank. Roam the path on the ridge until the intersection at 800m.

1 - Take the left path going into the woods, follow the ridge for about 1.5km to the Notre-Dame de Liesse fork with a peak at 996m. Turn right on the path going up to the chapel (round trip itinerary; remarkable view). From the chapel, come back to the crossroads and continue the path in the woods. Go down the Collet de Liesse.

2 - Don't take the left path going down to Verignon and continue straight on the ridge towards Saint-Priest. Reach the Chapel in about 3km. Go down the road for about 1.5km passing in front of a ruined barn on the left.

3 - Take the track starting on the right. It joins a path below at 900m (DFCI water tank).

4 - Follow the path on the right until the intersection at 500m. Turn right, stay on the main road for another 1.5km before reaching the intersection of the tracks of la Grave and le Brès.

5 - Follow the track on the right (la Grave) and go down the valley of the Grande Colle.

6 - Take the track rising on the right. Go up the valley for 2km. At the top, we can recognize the Notre-Dame de Liesse chapel. The path reaches a peak before a slight descent. Continue on the descending path towards the Col de la Bigue. A 800m before the pass, the trail reaches the point (1). Take a left to return to the starting point.

Departure : Col de la Bigue, Aups
Arrival : Col de la Bigue, Aups
Towns crossed : Aups and Vérignon

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

We recommend doing this hike over an entire day (remember to pack a picnic). Avoid the hot summer temperatures, leave early. Remember to pack at least 2L of water per person, a hat and proper walking shoes. In summer time, find out whether the forests are open to the public (fire risk) by calling 04 89 96 43 43 (answering machine of the Direction Départementale des Territoires et de la Mer) or by visiting the website of the Prefecture by clicking the tab "For more information".