A museum in the arsenal, a summit at 584 metres and coastal spots with very different characters give Toulon several possible focal points for a trip. When choosing your accommodation, you could first consider whether you mainly want to visit museums and explore history, walk by the sea or take a trip to Mont Faron. Each attraction has its own emphasis—from the city’s maritime past to art collections and waterside landscapes.
Museums spanning the history of the arsenal and art
The Musée national de la Marine opened in Toulon’s arsenal in 1814 and was the first maritime museum to open in France. Its collection includes models, scale models, relief plans, paintings and scientific instruments. It covers both the human and technical history of the arsenal and the military fate of the port. In this way, the museum brings together different perspectives on Toulon’s maritime past.
The Musée des arts asiatiques offers a different focus in the Villa Jules Verne on Toulon’s Frédéric Mistral waterfront, near Fort Saint Louis. Its permanent exhibitions are arranged by geographical origin. The Musée d’art de Toulon, meanwhile, focuses on landscape and marine painting through its collection of old and modern art. If you want to include art and history in your trip, you can choose from three clearly distinct themes: the arsenal and port, permanent exhibitions arranged by geographical origin, and landscape and marine painting.
On the heights of Toulon, the Mémorial du Débarquement et de la Libération en Provence commemorates the operation of 15 August 1944. A permanent exhibition is dedicated to the events of the landing and the consequences of the operation. The memorial adds a specific historical perspective to the museum themes, without sharing the same focus as the art collections or those covering the history of the arsenal.
Mont Faron, coastal paths and coves
The Téléphérique du Faron connects Toulon with the summit of Mont Faron, which is 584 metres high. The cable car takes you to the summit in six minutes; from there, it provides access to the hiking trails on Mont Faron. This offers a different focus for the day from a museum visit or a stay on the coast. Check the timetable when planning your trip, as operating hours may change.
The coastal spots also vary: the Plages du Mourillon comprise four coves, with a total of 19 hectares designated for swimming. Anse Méjean has a beach with white sand and fishermen’s huts. Paths wind past trees in the Parc paysager de la Tour Royale; a submarine is also on display there, and the park offers views over Toulon’s large bay. Depending on your interests, you can focus your time on the coves, a landscape with fishermen’s huts, or the paths and views in the park.
The Toulon section of the Sentier du Littoral includes the route “Sur les traces des contrebandiers”. The Métropole coastal trail comprises 17 different routes along a total of 47 kilometres of coastline; one of these routes passes through Toulon. The 47 kilometres therefore refer to the coastline along which the route network runs, not to a single hike through Toulon. If you plan to follow one of the routes, check the current access conditions in advance.
Marché du cours Lafayette: market and Cade
The Marché du cours Lafayette is located in the old town and stretches for one kilometre. Food is sold there in the morning, and a funfair takes place in the afternoon. The stalls offer fruit, vegetables, olives, cheese, cold cuts, fresh fish and spices. The market can therefore have its own place in your daily plans, alongside museums, coastal paths or a trip to Mont Faron.
A Toulon speciality is Cade: it is made from chickpea flour and baked over a wood fire. One stall at the Marché du cours Lafayette sells it; individual stalls and the goods available may change. If you want to try specific products or Cade, it’s worth checking what is currently on offer at the market.
Discover more destinations: Draguignan, Le Luc, Saint-Mandrier-Sur-Mer, Boulouris-Sur-Mer, Moissac-Bellevue, Ramatuelle, Plan-De-La-Tour, Bagnols-En-Forêt.
For the broader travel overview: Var.
