Draguignan offers different ways to explore culture and landscapes: prehistoric remains, memorial sites, museums, digital art experiences and trails with a variety of viewpoints. When planning your visit, you can decide whether to focus on history, collections, a summit or observing nature.
History and remembrance
The Pierre de la FĂ©e is a dolmen dating back to 2,500 BC and is protected as a historic monument. The Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial offers a different historical perspective. It is the resting place of 861 American soldiers, including 62 unknown soldiers, who died during the fighting in 1944. A Wall of the Missing lists 294 Americans whose bodies were never found or identified. A prehistoric reference point and remembrance of the fighting in 1944 thus stand side by side as distinct themes.
Museums, art and local history
The ethnographic collections at the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires document agricultural, industrial, religious and festive activities, as well as local know-how from the 19th and 20th centuries. The Musée de l’Artillerie is fully open to the public and explores the human and technical history of artillery from 1324 to the present day. Its collection includes old and modern cannons, ammunition, reconstructions, uniforms and individual weapons. The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Draguignan has a different focus: it is dedicated to the visual arts and holds the Musée de France label. Its themes therefore range from everyday and festive culture to the history of artillery and the visual arts.
The digital tour of the Quartier des Arts uses QR codes on buildings to present local history from the Middle Ages to the present day. At the Micro-Folie in Draguignan, visitors can explore the collections independently using a tablet connected to a large screen. The experience includes a virtual museum featuring more than 3,200 digitised artworks in very high resolution. The Tour de l’Horloge also combines a cultural monument with a viewpoint: the historic monument is 24 metres high, can be reached by climbing 79 steps and offers panoramic views of the Dracénie landscape. As visiting arrangements may change, it is best to check in advance.
Trails, views and nature
The named trails differ in their destinations and viewpoints. The Sentier le toit du Malmont leads to the 604-metre summit of the Malmont. The Sentier des arbousiers has two viewpoints, one of which looks out over Draguignan. On the Sentier botanique, at an altitude of 500 metres, an orientation table presents a panorama stretching from the Bay of Fréjus to the peaks of the Massif des Maures. In clear weather, the view also reaches the Mediterranean. A walk along the banks of the Nartuby between La Clappe and La Granégone offers the chance to observe remarkable plant and animal life. You can choose between a summit destination, a view over Draguignan, a wide panorama or observing nature.
Markets and regional products
Food and non-food markets are held every Wednesday and Saturday morning at Place du Marché, on Rue Pierre Clément and on Boulevard Jean-Jaurès. Check the schedule before travelling. The Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires also offers themed tours with tastings of regional products for adult groups of ten or more.
Discover more destinations: Pignans, La Mole, Bagnols-En-Forêt, Solliès-Pont, Garéoult, La Croix-Valmer, Tavernes, Les Claux
For the main travel guide: Var.
