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Toulon Sights and Landmarks Guide, France

The most important sights of this naval city of France are its numerous beaches located on the south of the Mourillon quarter. These beaches were developed in the 1950s in a bid to improve tourism to the city. There are also beaches found in other places along the coast; however whichever beach you visit, be ready to face its crowds.

Most of the beaches in Toulon come with an entertainment park where children of all ages can enjoy themselves. If you want something private and not so crowded, then visit the Cap Brun and Anse Magaud beaches. Though you may get privacy here, as they are not so crowded, they are a bit difficult to reach as you have to do some climbing at some spots to reach them.

Beautiful views of the town

When at Toulon, you have to take a cable car ride to the Mont-Faron hill to enjoy a picturesque view of the town. Though you drive to the hill top, the cable car is much better. From the hill top, you have direct access to the Memorial Museum, which is worth a visit.

The Bibliotheque municipale has a building structure worth seeing while the Museum d’histoire naturelle has many wild life collections for you to see. With Toulon being a naval city, its Navy Museum has many collections of the naval history of the town.

The Museum of Tour Royale is a fort that was built by King Louis XII in the year 1514. However, it was later used as a prison, and is today open to the public with exhibits like a naval exposition. The Boat Museum of Toulon is open between May to October and was used for transporting tanks for anchoring, before being converted into a museum.

The Spirit of Navigation

The Alexandre the 1st Garden is a garden that offers amusement to children and has a bandstand offering relaxing musical shows on Sundays. The Frederic Mistral Garden has a large collation of alluring species. This garden is famous for newlyweds taking their wedding photographs; usually on Saturday afternoons.

No visit to Toulon is complete without a visit to its harbor and marina. There are various souvenir shops, restaurants specializing in fish dishes and coffee shops found here. The statue of the Spirit of navigation is found on the port square, which points to the sea.

The Place Puget is the old center of Toulon where can you find a 1780 fountain. There were three dolphins in its sculpture, which are now covered with ivy. You can find the Saint Marie de la Seds Cathedral near the Place Puget, which was built in the 11th century but was never completed. It was however widened in 1738, and is famous for the many 18th century paintings it houses.