Le Bar-sur-Loup

Le Bar-sur-Loup is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.

Originally known simply as Le Bar, the commune become known as Le Bar-sur-Loup by a decree dated 27 March 1961 published in the Journal Officiel on 1 April, with effect from 2 April 1961.

Its inhabitants are known as Aubarnais - Aubarnenc in Occitan - or simply Barois.

Geography

The commune gets its name from the Loup, a coastal river that runs through it. The Loup flows into the Mediterranean near Villeneuve-Loubet.

History

Famous ruins of a viaduct are located in a village near Le Bar-sur-Loup. The viaduct was destroyed by German soldiers who occupied the village during the Second World War. The construction of the viaduct took two years, starting in 1940 and finishing in 1942. Towards the end of the war, the Germans evacuated the village and blew up the viaduct. Later, la Compagnie des Grands Travaux de Marseille (a public construction company at the time) ordered the destruction of remaining parts of the viaduct that were close to collapse. On the other hand, pillars that were considered as non-dangerous were left in place, and serve as a reminder of the time for local inhabitants.