Toulon

Toulon by the Mediterranean Sea

Can I tell you a secret? But you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay? I LOVE living in Toulon!

That’s because Toulon is the “real deal” – it’s a slice of the genuine Provence. It’s not all doodied up, and it hasn’t turned into one of those “fake” villages that are really tourist traps in disguise.

Toulon is a place where real people live and work and go about their daily lives… It’s also a town where you can find the best that the French Riviera has to offer – beautiful beaches, wonderful shops, a huge daily open air market (mostly closed on Mondays), and plenty of activities whether you like the mountains or the sea.

That’s why I don’t want you to tell anyone – because we’re also not completely overrun by tourists. You can still drive, go to restaurants and get your shopping done without feeling like you’ve become a sardine in a can! Toulon has a reputation for being a kind of “shady lady” – because France’s largest naval base is here (and you know the reputation that sailors have)…

But the truth is that Toulon has quietly been undergoing a makeover the last several years, under the determined hands of Mayor Hubert Falco. And her true beauty is being revealed little by little as the restoration takes place in stages. You’ll find cobblestone streets and marble squares, 18 lovely fountains, each one with its own personality, all carefully restored, surprising little squares, authentic cafes, unique little stores and delicious provencal cuisine…

A Brief History of Toulon

Back when Louis XIV turned Marseilles into a kind of Cinderella by deciding it would be crowned the main

The City of Toulon

port of France, Toulon became a kind of ugly stepsister. With its protected bay, and well-trained and able workforce, Toulon became the home of the French navy, and ships were built and harbored here. (It’s still that way today - the aircraft carrier “Le Charles De Gaulle” calls Toulon home and the French navy is still based here.)

That’s how Toulon got her reputation as a “shady lady”, and that reputation has more or less stuck with her. (And for those of us who are lucky enough to live here, we’re more than happy to go along with what’s become an “inside joke” now – because it keeps us under the radar of tourists and the hoards of people who are looking for the chic places to come on the French Riviera.

Earliest Inhabitants

Archeological excavations, such as those at the Cosquer Cave near Marseilles, have revealed that the coast of Provence has been inhabited since at least the Paleolithic era.

The Greeks and Romans

Amphores in Toulon Naval Museum

In the 7th Century BC, Greek colonists came from Asia Minor and established trading posts along the coast, including one, called Olbia, at Saint-Pierre de l’Almanarre (south of what is now Hyères), east of Toulon.

A Celtic people, (called the Ligurians), settled in the area around the 4th century BC.

The Rade of Toulon became a shelter for trading ships, and the name of the town gradually changed from Telo to Tholon, Tolon, and eventually Toulon.

In the 2nd century BC the residents of Massalia (present-day Marseilles) called upon the Romans to help them gain control over the region. The Romans defeated the Ligurians and began to start their own colonies along the coast.

A Roman settlement was founded at the present location of Toulon, under the name Telo Martius – Telo, either for the goddess of springs or from the Latin tol, the base of the hill – and Martius, for the God of War.

Telo Martius became one of two principal Roman dye manufacturing centers, which produced the purple color used in imperial robes. The dye was made from the local sea snail called murex, and from the acorns of the oak trees.

Construction on this Catholic Church started in the 11th century

Christianity Comes to Toulon

Toulon was Christianized in the 5th century, and the first cathedral built. Honoratus and Gratianus of Toulon (Gratien), according to the Gallia Christiana, were the first bishops of Toulon, but Louis Duchesne gives Augustalis as the first historical bishop. He assisted at councils in 441 and 442 and signed in 449 and 450 the letters addressed to Pope Leo I from the province of Arles.

Early Modern Era of Toulon

1486: Provence becomes part of France.
1494: The first military shipyard of Toulon is constructed by Charles VIII of France.
1497: A fleet from Genoa blockades Toulon for several months.
1524: The Tour Royale in Toulon is completed to protect the harbor. In the same year, the new fort is sold by its commander to the attacking Imperial Army of the Connetable de Bourbon, and the city surrenders.
1543: Francois I invites the fleet of Ottoman Admiral Barbarossa to Toulon, hoping to ally with them against the Imperial Fleet. The residents are forced to leave, and the Ottoman sailors occupy the town for the winter.
1564: Charles IX visits Toulon as part of his royal tour.

1600-1862

1660: Under Louis XIV and his Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert, an expanded arsenal and new fortifications are built by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban.
1707: Toulon successfully resists a siege by the Imperial Army led by the Duke of Savoy and Prince Eugene, during the War of the Spanish Succession.
1720: Toulon is ravaged by the black plague, coming from Marseilles. Thirteen thousand people, or half the population, die.
1790: After the French Revolution, Toulon becomes the administrative center of the département of the Var.
1793: The town is handed to the British fleet by its Royalist inhabitants. At the siege of Toulon, the British are expelled by a French force whose artillery is led by a young captain, Napoleon Bonaparte. In reprisal, the town loses its status as department capital and is renamed Port-la-Montagne.
1803-1805: The British fleet of Admiral Horatio Nelson blockades Toulon.
1820: The statue Venus de Milo, is discovered at Milo and seen by a French naval officer, Emile Voutier, who admires it, persuades the French Ambassador to Turkey to buy it, and brings it to Toulon on his ship, the Estafette. It is then taken to the Louvre.
1830: A French fleet departs Toulon for the conquest of Algeria.
1862: Toulon Opera opens

Modern History

November 27, 1942: After the Allied landings in North Africa (Operation Torch) the German Army occupied southern France (Case Anton), leading to the scuttling of the French Fleet at Toulon.
November 24, 1943: A heavy Allied bombing destroys much of the port and kills five hundred residents.
August 28, 1944 Toulon is liberated by the Free French Forces of General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny.
1974: Toulon becomes again the préfecture, or administrative center, of the Var.
1979: The University of Toulon opens.
1995: Toulon is one of four French cities where the extreme-right Front National wins the local elections.
2001: The former mayor of Pignans, Hubert Falco, wins the elections over National Front Mayor Jean-Marie Le Chevalier.

Finding Your Way Around Toulon

North:

North of Toulon the Mont Faron stands as guardian of the city. It’s a wonderful place to visit – there’s a very nice big cats zoo and also a WWII historical museum. You can drive, cycle or take the cable car to the top of the mountain, and there’s a lovely pine forest with plenty of hiking trails, picnic tables and incredible viewpoints of Toulon, the Golden Isles (in the distance) and, of course, the Mediterranean sea.

If you have a car and you enjoy adrenaline rushes, you can drive up the rather terrifying and very (very) narrow road that starts up the west front of the mountain and angles its way to the top before angling its way down the steep slope of the east side. There is only room for one car and even then, sometimes you wonder if it’s even wide enough for that!

About halfway up the mountain, do stop at the view point – not only to give your heart and stomach a rest, but also to see the absolutely stunning view. There are several stone steps built into the hill (not recommended for those with mobility problems – but you can still get an amazing view of the med and the surrounding islands), and once you’ve reached the top, there’s an orientation table that helps you understand what you’re looking at.

For those not crazy enough to drive, there’s a red cable car that takes you all the way to the top – 584 meters high – and offers stunning views of the city of Toulon, as well as the harbor and the Med, and if you enjoy exercise, you can always hike down after you’ve had your fill of the view or the trails.

Mount Faron is also a site of a protected herd of the wild boars that are so popular with hunters. One of their favorite haunts after sunset is the cafe located on the one-way road that takes you down the mountain. The boars are almost tame, but be careful about getting between a baby and its protective mother!

Le Zoo du Faron

This fabulous little zoo was opened in 1968 by Roger George De Souza, and it is part zoo, part wildlife reserve, that specializes in breeding rare animals and returning them to their natural habitat. (It celebrated the birth of three Bengal tiger cubs a few years ago, for example.)

Some of the animals in the zoo are also movie stars – for example, the older brothers of the tiger cubs were the stars of Jean-Jacques Annaud’s film ‘Les Deux Frères’. (’Two Brothers’, 2004)

The Memorial of the Landing in Provence during WWII

This museum and memorial, dedicated to the 1944 Allied landings in Provence (Operation Dragoon), and to the liberation of Toulon is also worth seeing. Inside the museum you’ll find photos of soldiers, prisoners of war, and people who played a part in freeing Toulon. There are also Nazi soldiers’ uniforms, old newspapers and one of the things that struck me the hardest, a tiny tin – about the size of a baby food jar, which held a prisoner’s food rations for the day.

The Old Part of the City:

Again, I’m probably a little prejudiced, but I love the “vieille ville” of Toulon. It stretches from the train

This is one of the covered passageways in the old city.

station to the harbor, and it’s a maze that’s full of little surprises – narrow alleyways, arched tunnels, beautiful little squares, fountains and sculptures. Most of old town between the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the Cours Lafayette is a pedestrian-only area. Although cars are allowed if you live there. (But to drive through, you need a code to lower the cement or round metal barriers that block most major streets.)

By the way, you can take either the regular train -which heads west to Marseilles (and with a transfer it will take you to other parts of France) and east to Nice. You can also catch the fast train here, and go to Paris. It’s only about 3 1/2 hours to Paris by fast train.

At the harbor you can also catch a ferry for the same price as a bus ticket, and go across the bay. Taking one of the many boat rides is an absolute “must do” while you’re visiting. Not only do you get the chance to see some of the navy ships closer, but you’ll get to see how really lovely Toulon is, and of course, have the chance to explore the islands across the bay.

Summer fruits at Toulon

Here in the ‘vieille ville’ (old city) along the Cours LaFayette, is Toulon’s much celebrated open-air market. It opens at about 6 a.m. and lasts until nearly 1 in the afternoon (12 p.m. on the weekends). It’s closed (as are many of the smaller shops) on Mondays. The market is worth seeing – the small stands go on for almost a mile – and you can find a wide selections of fresh fruits and vegetables, oils, spices in bulk, black and green olives, tapenade (olive paste), fresh fish and seafish and more! There are also vendors who sell everything from clothes and shoes to accessories and electronics.

In fact, a friend of ours recently got married – she’s from Cameroon, so we took them to the market so I could show her my favorite “exotic” shops where she can find the spices and fruits and vegetables she likes and is used to cooking with.

Toulon La Place Puget Fountain, square and sidewalk cafe

As I mentioned, you’ll find some of Toulon’s loveliest fountains and squares here in old town. In fact, Toulon is known for its beautiful little fountains.

For example, one of my favorites, la Place Puget (”place” means square and “Puget” is the name of a great sculptor of the XVIIth century – to be pronounced pu-jhay) is both – a lovely little square with shade provided by beautiful and old plane trees and an 18th century round fountain – covered in greenery. (If you could see under the greenery covering the fountain, you’d see a sculpture of three dolphins.)

There are several authentic French/Provencal sidewalk cafes here, some unique little shops and boutiques (such as a little shop where you can find products from Brittany which is on France’s west coast)… and you’re just a few steps away from the beginning of Toulon’s open-air market, in the place known as the “little market”.

La Place Puget was the heart of the vieille ville and there was a grain market here during the 17th century. Victor Hugo wrote about the penal colony “Le Bagne” in “Les Miserables” – and in fact, he lived at #5 while he was doing his research for the book! Today la Place Puget is a perfect place to sit, enjoy your favorite beverage and while away a couple of hours people-watching, or playing chess with one of the chess boards set up for just that reason.

Upper Town:

Another beautiful square – and probably one of the largest in Toulon, is “la Place de la Liberte.” It’s located in upper town, between the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the railroad station, and was built in the mid 19th

The Place de la Liberte Fountain, Toulon, France

century under Louis Napoleon. The project was begun by Baron Haussmann, who was prefet of the Var in 1849. Improvements to this particular neighborhood (which is where we live) included the Toulon Opera, the Place de la Liberté, the Grand Hôtel, the Gardens of Alexander I, the Chalucet Hospital, the Palais de Justice, the train station, and the building now occupied by Galeries Lafayette, among others. Haussmann went on to use the same style on a much grander scale in the rebuilding of central Paris.

The place de la Liberte is only a couple of minute’s walk from the train station, so it’s a perfect place to sit on a bench, and do a little people watching. It’s a favorite place of old men in the mornings and late afternoons, who come to sit on a bench in the shade and enjoy the sunshine. Parents often bring their children here, and teach them to ride bikes, or watch as they run and play. You’ll also see people walking their dogs, shoppers going to – or from – the market and teenagers and young adults, gathering to talk and enjoy themselves.

The fountain is beautiful and at Christmas as you can see, it’s transformed with Christmas lights, “snow”-covered trees, and tiny chalets where you can do your Christmas shopping and buy Provencal and other regional delicacies and products. (It’s always one of my favorite places to go hang out in the winter- not only is the weather often gorgeous – just look at the sliver of sky in the above photo, but there are often live performances of street musicians, fetes and other celebrations!)

Toulon Opera House in the afternoon sun.

The Toulon Opera house is the second largest in France, second only to the Palais Garnier in Paris. It’s also a national monument and is currently the home of the Opéra Toulon Provence Méditerranée, under the direction of Claude-Henri Bonnet. The opera company performs about eight operas a season in the opera houses of Toulon, Avignon, Nice and Marseille. I’ve got some photos of the musicians practicing before a big performance – and I’ll link them to this page when I get them up – that’s something most tourists don’t get to see!

The house seats 1,797 people on five levels. The theatre sits on 2,000 square meters of foundation and has a stage width of 22 meters 80 centimeters and a depth of 12 meters. The permanent opera staff consists of over 200 people. One of my favorite “little known facts” about Toulon is that “back in the day” workers would take 8 x 12 rectangles of wooden boards that fit together on the edges and lay them over the seats on the main level – creating a “floor” – and the opera house doubled as a dance hall. Dances were held on Saturday nights, and it was the “place to see and be seen” and popular with both singles and couples who wanted to enjoy dancing the night away.

Surprising Things You’ll Discover In Toulon

Toulon also offers many little treasures and surprises when you start exploring. There are some very nice examples of Trompe l’Oeil, sculptures, and little squares and lovely places to sit and relax.

One of my favorite pieces of Trompe l’Oeil is that of a large wooden ship that juts out of the side of an apartment building – it’s an actual 3D thing – with the front of the ship – complete with masthead – being made from wood. The sail is painted on the side of the building, and the front half of the ship takes up most of a little square.

There is also another nice example on the side of a building on the opera square, of two gentlemen sitting and enjoying their coffee and having a nice chat called ‘La Partie de Cartes’ after a movie by Marcel Pagnol. And of course the “Bar le San Francisco” that takes up the entire side of a building is probably one of the most detailed and elaborate ones I’ve ever seen.

And we have another one too which takes up the entire side of a three-story building and looks like you’re peeking in at people working and carrying on with their lives. It’s a shame I can’t get more photos in here, but even with resizing them, I don’t want to make this page too slow to upload, especially for people who have slower connection speeds still!

Museums In Toulon

Here is a list of my favorite museums in Toulon:

The Naval Museum in Toulon

Musee de la Marine (Naval Museum)

The photo shows the front door, Place Ingenieur-General-Monsenergue. This is one of the most interesting museums in Toulon, I think. Not only does it house a good-sized collection of actual figureheads, there are also some very cool models of ships – some small and some very large, and it gives you a look at the history of shipbuilding. You can find costumes and gear worn by the French navy, a look at cannons and different navy weapons, artwork and much more. The museum is a good place to bring the kids if the weather is bad, or just to while away a few hours out of the heat. There is a second floor, but there’s no elevator.

The museum is open Wednesday to Monday from 09h30 – 12h00 and 14h00 – 18h00. Admission is 5.60 Euros for adults; 3.60 Euros for children and students.

Musee de Toulon and Musee d’Histoire Naturelle

113 bd. du General-Marechal-Leclerc. (Don’t let the address confuse you. As happens on several streets in Toulon, the same street may have more than one name. These museums are actually in the same building and are on the main road – the boulevard de Strasbourg, which stops being called the boulevard de Strasbourg just after the main movie theater.)

The Musee de Toulon is a fabulous museum – and it’s really a “must see” – partly for the outside, which has just been refinished and shows some excellent statues outside the building. Inside, this two-story museum (with a small library also on the second floor) has a permanent collection as well as temporary exhibitions with works from the 16th century to the present. There are some really beautiful examples of both Provencal and Italian paintings, religious works, statues and more.

Some of the newest acquisitions include New Realism pieces and minimalist art.

The Musee d’Histoire Naturelle is also an excellent museum and has some really nice exhibits of fossils, birds, wildcats, and other educational exhibits which change throughout the year.

The museum is open everyday from 13h00 – 18h00. And, like some of our other museums, admission is free.

Musee du Vieux Toulon

This museum should not be confused with the Musee de Toulon. You’ll find this one on the Market Street at 69 Cours Layfayette, and it’s hidden behind a big blue door – you go in through the smaller door inside the large door. (There’s only one small standing sign, so look carefully!) The museum is on the second floor, and again, there is no elevator. The exhibits in this museum offers some really beautiful ink and pen drawings, maps and blueprints, as well as the history of the French military in Toulon, and the role commerce has played in Toulon’s growth. You’ll find an interesting tableau of the people who were important to Toulon’s history from medieval times to present day.

The museum is open from Monday to Saturday from 14h00 – 18h00. Admission is free.

Musee des Arts Asiatiques

This one is near Mourillon beach, at 106, Boulevard Eugène Pelletan. Besides housing an exquisite collection of Asian art, what fascinated me about it the first time we went there is that the museum itself was once the house (and lovely garden) of the father of author Jules Verne. It was later owned by his grandson. This is a wonderful place to come in the afternoon, to get out of the heat, or in the winter, when it’s (relatively) cold or on a rainy day. Many of the museum’s permanent collection were donated by naval officers from the time of the French colonization of Southeast Asia.

You’ll find some lovely carved ivory objects, as well as paintings from India, China, Southeast Asia, Tibet and Japan.

Shopping In Toulon

You won’t feel like you’re missing anything if you want to go shopping in Toulon. Although we don’t have some of the designer stores like Dior, we also don’t have to pay those prices… And there are several designer shops shops here, if you know where to look.

We also have a huge two-story shopping mall, called Le Mayol, which is next to Toulon’s famous rugby stadium.

And, as I’ve mentioned above, there are some really amazing small shops, offering unique and unusual items.

If you really want to go shopping, plan on going on foot (so wear comfortable shoes) and plan on spending a day, because it will take you at least that long to explore all the shops that Toulon has to offer.

Le Relais Peiresc – the largest Cultural Center in Toulon

If you’re in the area for a while – or if you’re planning on living in Toulon, one of the places I recommend you check out is Le Relais Peiresc – it’s Toulon’s largest cultural center and offers an amazing array of activities for adults and kids. There are 60 different classes for adults including: