Toulon suffers from an unfair reputation. People often drive past without stopping, in a hurry to reach the Riviera or to get back to Marseille. That is a mistake. The Toulon roadstead, which Vauban considered the most beautiful in the Mediterranean, deserves better than a glance from the motorway. And the city, since its revival in the 2010s, has something to offer anyone who takes the time to settle in.
Old Toulon and the Lafayette market
The Cours Lafayette hosts one of the liveliest markets on the Var coast every morning. Fruit, vegetables, fish from the roadstead, cheeses from the hinterland: this is everyday Toulon, far from the renovated façades. The old town around it has kept its working-class Mediterranean character, with its lanes, fountains and neighbourhood shops that hold on.
Mont Faron: the view that changes everything
At 584 metres above the roadstead, Mont Faron offers a 360° panorama that reconciles you with Toulon. The city on one side, the roadstead and its islands on the other, the Alps in the background in clear weather. You can go up by road or by cable car from Boulevard Amiral Vence. At the summit, a memorial to the Provence Landings reminds you that the roadstead has one of the most eventful military histories in France.
The National Navy Museum
Housed in the former great armoury hall of the royal arsenal on Place d'Armes, the Navy Museum traces the history of the French fleet since Louis XIV. The ship models, paintings of naval battles and navigation instruments form an exceptional collection, one of the richest in France in this field.
Getting there by taxi
Via the A50, the journey depends on traffic. MR Taxi takes you to Toulon from Marseille, Aix or your starting point, drops you off in the morning and picks you up in the late afternoon at the time of your choice.
