9 Best Sights in Toulon, Provence

On the site of a crucial fort at the summit of Mont Faron, this museum recounts the planning and execution of World War II's Operation Dragoon, a mission meant to resecure the French ports of Marseille and Toulon and cut off German reinforcements. The story unfolds via firsthand accounts in French and English from men and women who fought for the French Resistance, descriptions of life under the occupation, a detailed timeline, and an 11-minute film showing original footage of the August 15, 1944, invasion—and its vast destruction—which was a decisive turning point in the war.

Although it's known as the market center for the wines of the Var, Brignoles's largest attraction is still the Abbaye de la Celle, a 12th-century Benedictine abbey that served as a convent until the 17th century and was abandoned until Maria Fournier, owner of the Île de Porquerolles, opened it as a hotel in 1945. It's now the site of celebrated chef Alain Ducasse's culinary hideaway, Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de La Celle. In general, however, the town has staunchly continued to resist change. In fact, the simple Romanesque chapel housing a 14th-century Christ figure—a widely acclaimed masterpiece by an unknown artist—still serves as the parish church.

Toulon’s historic Romanesque cathedral was built in the 11th-century with successive additions in the 17th and 18th centuries done in the Provençal-baroque style. Among the notable artworks decorating the church’s dusky interior is a monumental marble altarpiece depicting God the Father surrounded by a throng of lifelike angels and two 17th-century paintings by Pierre Puget, a Marseille native whose sculptures once graced the palace of Versailles and are now housed in the Louvre. Francis I had the cathedral converted to a mosque in the winter of 1543–44 to accommodate the Muslim corsairs stationed in Toulon during the long Franco-Ottoman alliance to aid the king in his campaigns against Italy and Charles V.

A three-year restoration buffed this superb historic Art Deco building to a lustrous shine, all the better to highlight the 21 resident gourmet food stalls, offering everything from authentic Italian pizzas to Mediterranean, Provençal, South American, and classic French fare, including fresh oysters and shellfish to eat sur place at a table inside or outside on the terrace. The rooftop bar is a great place to watch the sunset over gourmet snacks and a glass of local wine.

Toulon’s picturesque old town market is held at the Cours Lafayette and neighboring streets every day but Monday (8 am to 1 pm). Filled with bustling stalls selling every French staple imaginable, as well as flowers, clothes, lavender and other Provençal specialties, for full immersion in the French market experience. Be on the lookout for stands selling the delicious crispy cade, a Toulon specialty made from chickpea flour right before your eyes. For the really local produce, the Marché des Producteurs, on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday morning, features seasonal products from local small producers (distinguished by their green awnings), including honey, cheeses, and orchard fruits and nuts.

Rising 1,900 feet above the town, with panoramas of Toulon, the surrounding countryside, and the sea, Mont Faron can be reached by the circular Route du Faron in either direction or in six minutes by cable car from Boulevard Admiral Jean-Vence. At the top, the World War II memorial commemorates the mountain fort's role in the Provence débarquement of August 1944 and the liberation of Toulon. There is also a zoo that acts as a breeding center for a dozen types of wild cats, including lions, tigers, jaguars, lynxes, and pumas.

The collection here includes paintings by Vernet and Fragonard, postwar abstract art, and works by the cartoon-influenced Di Rosa brothers.

Part of a network of marine museums around France, this branch, lodged in the graceful 18th-century section of the Toulon arsenal, is particularly fascinating. The rich maritime history in this part of the Mediterranean comes alive via model ships, paintings, mastheads, and a pictorial account of the city's role in World War II.

The last vestiges of Toulon’s medieval and Renaissance past can be seen in this once-decrepit maze of narrow streets, alleyways, and squares that lies just behind the port. A targeted urban renewal plan has largely restored this storied quartier around the bustling Rue des Arts district, home to dozens of small galleries, cafés, boutiques, vintage shops, and bars. It also features murals and sculptures, like the trompe l’oeil painting on the Rue Chevalier Paul depicting the saucy ladies of the night who inhabited the famous red light district—still referred to by locals as Chicago—that catered to the sailors who once flocked here.