www.toulontourisme.com. Home port of the French Mediterranean fleet, Toulon’s seafaring tradition can be traced back to the Romans. Work on the Darse Vieille (Old Port) began in 1589, then Richelieu set about building the naval arsenal which overlooks Vauban’s Darse Neuve (New Port), and is still a force in Toulon’s important shipbuilding and armaments industries. The city is hardly a major stop on the tourist trail, though a visit to the slave galleys was a popular curiousity item on the 17th-18thC traveller’s itinerary. The practice of using convicts as slave labour to propel the navy was discontinued in 1748.

Between the main thoroughfare, boulevard de Strasbourg, and the port, the rue d’Alger quarter is the busy old town centre, packed with shops and restaurants. There is a daily market on rue Paul-Landrin, and a rather gloomy 11th-17thC Cathédrale, off rue Emile-Zola. The dignified Baroque Eglise de Saint-Francois, place Louis-Blanc, is more attractive, Naval historians can get to grips with the development of the port and the French navy in the Musée Nationale de la Marine, place Monsenergue; while the Musée d’Art, with some good l9th-20thC paintings, is off rue du Maréchal-Leclerc, together with the natural history museum.

Looming above Toulon, Mont Faron can be reached by funicular from Super-Toulon (bus 40 to boulevard Amiral-Vence) or by car. Drink in the views, and check out the Musée Memorial du Debarquement, which commemorates the 1944 Allied landings with dioramas, memorabilia and period news footage. There is a Zoo close by, below the ruined Fort Croix-Faron, another vantage point.