FRANCE - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 178

Before leaving the railway station, check the departure schedules for trains re-
turning to Nice. There is a train information office in the station on your right as you
exit the train platform. Hours: 0800-1900 Monday-Saturday.
With such a richly diverse area, Saint-Raphaël is a year-round destination.
Sports enthusiasts are attracted by water sports, sailing, diving, and four beautiful
golf courses—two 18-hole courses and two 9-hole courses located in three dif-
ferent areas. Situated between the Mediterranean Sea and Limestone Provence,
the Esterel mountain—a volcanic range encompassing 79,000 acres—offers many
nature activities such as hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.
The fishing-boat dock in Saint-Raphaël is not far from the railroad station. The
tourist office can point the way. Here you will find some unusually fine local res-
taurants where, in the summer, you can dine at tables set under trees close to the
boats. It is a relaxing atmosphere.
Saint-Raphaël has an interesting history. Its modern origins stem from the era of
the Roman Empire, when it was a fashionable suburb of the Roman port of Frejus.
Napoleon passed through Saint-Raphaël in both victory and defeat. In 1799 the
emperor and his generals disembarked there upon returning from Egypt; a pyram-
id standing in the town still commemorates the event. In 1814 he sailed again from
Saint-Raphaël, this time for Elba and exile. On April 28, as Napoleon, overcome
with emotion, was saying good-bye to the soil of France, the English frigate he was
to sail in fired a salute of 21 guns.