Why go
The narrow streets around Cours Lafayette show Toulon at a human scale, with fountains and the cathedral close together. The harbor explains the city’s long naval role, while Mount Faron gives that sheltered setting a clear shape from above. Le Mourillon adds a quieter waterfront contrast east of the center.
The full story
The old town lies between the port, Boulevard de Strasbourg, and Cours Lafayette. Its small squares and fountains reward a slow walk: the fountain system began in the late 17th century, although many of the structures visible today were rebuilt in the 18th or early 19th century. Toulon Cathedral and the market street help locate the historic center. North of Boulevard de Strasbourg, the streets toward the railway station belong to a different period. Baron Haussmann began reshaping this upper town while prefect of the Var in the mid-19th century. Place de la Liberté and the opera are useful landmarks for seeing the change in scale before he became associated with the rebuilding of Paris. The port’s sheltered position made Toulon a naval base. An arsenal and shipyard were established in 1599, followed by the Vieille Darse in the early 17th century; later expansion reinforced the city’s military role. East of the harbor, Le Mourillon grew from a fishing village into a seaside district. Above it all, Mount Faron holds a memorial to the 1944 Allied landings in Provence and Toulon’s liberation.