Montauroux
Montauroux is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France.
Its neighbour town is the smaller, picturesque Callian, which can be seen across a small valley.
Geography
Montauroux is situated in the east of the Var and at the border of the Alpes-Maritimes. Montauroux rises in tiers of altitudes from 150 m to 400 m. The village has a southern exposure, facing the Esterel massif and the St Cassien Lake. Montauroux is located midway between the sea which is away and the first ski resort which is, away. Montauroux benefits from an exceptional amount of sunny days and is visited by tourists in the summer months, many hotels are often fully booked for the summer by mid-April or earlier.It is also part of the Pays de Fayence, a communauté de communes.
Demographics
Its inhabitants are called Montaurousiens in French.Climate
In 2010, the climate of the commune was a clear Mediterranean climate, according to a study by the French National Centre for Scientific Research based on a series of data covering the period 1971-2000. In 2020, Météo-France characterised this as abundant rainfall in autumn and winter, very good sunshine in summer, and a mild winter with little fog.For the period 1971-2000, the average annual temperature is 13.2 °C, with an annual thermal range of 15.7 °C. The average annual cumulative precipitation is 1,003mm, with 6.3 days of precipitation in January and 2.7 days in July. For the period 1991-2020, the average annual temperature observed at the nearest Météo-France meteorological station, “St Cézaire sur Siagne”, in the commune of Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne, 4 km as the crow flies, is 13.3 °C and the average annual precipitation is 970.5mm. The maximum temperature recorded at this station is 36.4 °C, reached on 28 June 2019; the minimum temperature is −8.1 °C, reached on 12 February 2010.
Routes of communications and transport
Road network
Montauroux is accessible by the departmental road RD 562, linking Draguignan to Grasse, as well as the RD 37, then the national road 7, towards the coast. This road crosses the A8 motorway, at exit 39.Rail network
- The town had two stations which are now disused:
- * Montauroux Station,
- * Tanneron Station.
- The closest SNCF stations are those of Cannes and Saint-Raphaël-Valescure station, for high speed trains to Paris, Nancy and Nice, and regional trains to Nice, Marseille and Toulon.
Public Transport
Air Transport
Montauroux is accessible via Nice [Côte d'Azur Airport], in the Alpes-Maritimes.Seismicity
There are three seismicity zones in the Var:- Zone 0 : Negligible risk. This is the case for many municipalities on the Var coast, as well as part of the municipalities in the center of Var.
- Zone Ia : Very low risk. Mainly concerns the municipalities included in a band going from the Montagne Sainte-Victoire, to the Massif de l'Esterel.
- Zone Ib : Mainly the 21 municipalities in the north of the department.
Toponymy
There are two different theories on the possible origin of the name “Montauroux”:- a historical theory is it derives form the placing of a fort on the mountain by knight Peter of Aurosa in 1040 ;
- a more local and more popular theory is it derives from the Provençal words for 'the mountains exposed to the wind'. Indeed, the west-facing limestone rock bar on which the old village rests, turns pink when the mistral blows in the distance.
Business and Commerce
Agriculture
- The breeding of cattle, goats and poultry.
- Farmers.
Tourism
- Restaurants.
- Hotel Le relay du lac, Les Bastides des Chaumettes,
- Operation of rural lodges.
- Campsites, Lake leisure camp,
- Guest rooms.
Commerce
- Local shops and services.
- The Montauroux glassworks: created in 1970, its originally manufactured glass paste mosaics, but is now a glass blower producing a variety of decorative products, jewellery and glass tableware.