As a base for visiting the villages of Haut-Var or the Gorges du Verdon, the small town of AUPS is ideal, as long as you have your own transport. It has a lot of charm and still depends to a large extent on agriculture rather than tourism. Its speciality is truffles and, if you're here on a Thursday between November and mid-March, you can witness the truffle market .

On place Martin-Bidauré , which, along with place Frédéric-Mistral (Wed & Sat market), makes up the leafy open space before the start of the old town, a rare monument commemorates the town's citizens who died in 1851 defending the republic and its laws. The year was that of Louis Napoléon's coup d'état . Peasant and artisan resistance was strongest in Provence, and the defeat of the insurgents was followed by a bloody massacre of men and women. This might explain the enormous République Française, Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité sign on the church of St-Pancrace , proclaiming it as state property. The church was designed by an English architect 400 years ago, and has recently had its doors restored by two local British carpenters.

Surprisingly for such a small place, Aups has a museum of modern art, the Musée Simon Segal in the former chapel of a convent on avenue Albert-1er (mid-June to mid-Sept daily 10.30am-noon & 4-7pm; 15F/?2.29). The best works are those by the Russian-born painter Simon Segal, but there are interesting local scenes in the other paintings, such as the Roman bridge at Aiguines, now drowned beneath the artificial lake of Ste-Croix. Just outside Aups, 3.5km along the Tourtour road, is a sculpture park by local artist Maria de Faykod (daily except Tues: June-Sept 10am-noon & 3-7pm; rest of year 2-6pm; 35F/?5.34), with dramatic human forms in marble.

The tourist office is on place Frédéric-Mistral (April-June & Sept Mon 3-6pm, Tues-Sat 10am-noon & 3-6pm; July & Aug Mon-Sat 9am-noon & 3-7pm, Sun 9am-noon; Oct-March Mon 2-6pm, Tues-Sat 10am-noon & 2-6pm; tel 04.94.70.00.80, otsiaups@easynet.fr ). All the hotels are good value: Le Provençal on place Martin-Bidauré (tel & fax 04.94.70.00.24; 220-300F/?34-46) and the Grand Hôtel on place Duchâtel (tel 04.94.70.10.82; 160-220F/?24-34) are both good inexpensive options. More comfort is to be had at L'Escale du Verdon , 1km out on the route de Sillans-la-Cascade (tel 04.94.84.00.04, fax 04.94.84.00.05; 300-400F/?46-61; closed mid-Sept to mid-June). There are two campsites close to town: the two-star Camping Les Prés , to the right off allée Charles-Boyer towards Tourtour (tel 04.94.70.00.93, fax 04.94.70.14.14; all year), which has bikes to rent, and the three-star Saint Lazare 2km along the Moissac road (tel 04.94.70.12.86; closed Oct-March), which has a pool.

For meals , your first choice should be the hotel-restaurant St-Marc (tel 04.94.70.06.08; 220-300F/?34-46; closed second & third week of June), a nineteenth-century mill on rue Aloisi. Serving local dishes, truffles and boar in season, it offers a very cheap lunch menu and evening menus from 130F/?19.83 (Sept-June closed Tues evening & Wed). For snacks, head for the boulangerie-pâtisserie at 20 av Albert 1er (closed Dec-April).