Saint Bernard Festival in Castellar: pistou soup

On 15 and 16 August the mountain village of Castellar above Menton will host its traditional festival in honour of Saint Bernard — with a mass, a procession and a free tasting of pistou soup offered by the municipality.

Traditions of Castellar

Castellar is one of the highest villages above Menton, where Saint Bernard is venerated as patron. On Sunday 16 August at 11:00 there will be a mass and procession at the Clemenceau square, after which the town hall traditionally holds a formal reception with congratulations for the residents.

Pistou soup for everyone

In the evening of the same day the municipality will treat anyone who wishes to the traditional pistou soup (soupe au pistou) — a Provençal vegetable dish with a basil sauce. Guests are asked to bring a plate and cutlery.

Music and dancing

The festival opens the day before: on Saturday 15 August there will be a foam party and a ball in Castellar in the evening. On Sunday live music and dancing will continue until midnight right on the Clemenceau square.

How to get there and what to bear in mind

Entry to all events is free; the festival takes place on the Clemenceau square in Castellar (06500), 20 minutes from Menton. The separate mountain celebration at the Chapel of Saint Bernard at an altitude of 700 metres, which is usually held on 30 August, has been cancelled this year — the Menton tourism office marked the date as postponed, so it is not worth going up there on that day.

The schedule is confirmed by the Menton, Riviera and Merveilles tourism office. Another reason to visit the area — why the water at Sablett beach in Menton has turned green and how the region is coping with heat up to 40°C.

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Photo: Abdelmoughit Lahbabi / Pexels