Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cape. Reserve ahead at
L'Oursinado
( 04 94 21 77 06;
www.oursinado.com
;
chemin du Pas des Gardéens;
menus €58; lunch & dinner Thu-Mon, lunch Tue)
, hidden on a cliff above the tiny port of Les Oursinières. Sit
on its tree-framed terrace, gaze down at pounding waves and feast on Toulonnais
bouillabaisse
(order 48 hours in
advance), the local version of the legendary Marseille fish stew.
Toulon
POP 167,813
Built around a
rade
(a sheltered bay lined with quays), France's second-largest naval port
provokes the reaction a tramp might get in St-Tropez: its seedy rough-cut demeanour just
doesn't fit in with the glittering Côte d'Azur. It is not quite as terrible as it once was,
though most visitors just pass through, since it is a central transport hub.
Sights
Bateliers de la Côte d'Azur
( 04 94 05 21 14;
www.bateliersdelacotedazur.com
; quai Cronstadt)
From the port you
can take a spin around the
rade
, with a commentary (in French only) on the local events
of WWII. In summer, go to the Îles d'Hyères.
BOAT TRIPS
Mont Faron
North of the city, from Mont Faron (584m) you can see Toulon's red-roofed houses and
epic port. The tourist office has information on walks. Near the summit,
Mémorial du
Débarquement de Provence
( 04 94 88 08 09; adult/child €4/1; 10am-noon &
2-4.30pm Tue-Sun)
commemorates the Allied landings, which took place along the coast
here in August 1944. Historical displays and a film form part of this museum.
Téléphérique du Mont Faron
(cable car;
www.telepherique-faron.com
; return adult/
child €6.80/4.80; 10am-7pm)
ascends the mountain. Kids love
Zoo du Faron
( 04
94 88 07 89; adult/child €9/5.50; 10am-6.30pm)
, a wildcat-breeding centre. Combina-
tion zoo/cable-car tickets cost €13 for adults, €9 for children.
MOUNTAIN, ZOO
MARITIME MUSEUM
Musée de la Marine
