Toulon: the great naval base of the Mediterranean

Home of France's main Mediterranean naval base, Toulon couples active military shipyards with a historic center often overlooked by visitors headed to the Côte d'Azur.

The center is explored on foot; for Mount Faron there's a cable car.

On the old port, the sculptures by Pierre Puget that support the balcony of the town hall remain among the city's most photographed Baroque sculptural works.

Not far away, the Provençal Market sells fresh fish, vegetables and spices every morning under the ancient arcades of the historic center, lively with voices and haggling.

Taking the cable car up Mont Faron, you reach a nineteenth-century fort with a view over the entire roadstead of Toulon and the naval base below.

Toward evening, the Naval Museum, overlooking the port, tells the long military maritime history of the city through ship models and historical mementos.

In 1942, to prevent it from falling into German hands, the French fleet scuttled itself right in Toulon's harbor: an episode that deeply marked the city's military history during World War II.

From Mount Faron one can simultaneously observe warships maneuvering and private yachts moored, a contrast that well summarizes the city's dual military and tourist character.