5 Best Sights in Toulon, Provence

On the site of a crucial fort at the summit of Mont Faron, this museum recounts the planning and execution of World War II's Operation Dragoon, a mission meant to resecure the French ports of Marseille and Toulon and cut off German reinforcements. The story unfolds via firsthand accounts in French and English from men and women who fought for the French Resistance, descriptions of life under the occupation, a detailed timeline, and an 11-minute film showing original footage of the August 15, 1944, invasion—and its vast destruction—which was a decisive turning point in the war.

Although it's known as the market center for the wines of the Var, Brignoles's largest attraction is still the Abbaye de la Celle, a 12th-century Benedictine abbey that served as a convent until the 17th century and was abandoned until Maria Fournier, owner of the Île de Porquerolles, opened it as a hotel in 1945. It's now the site of celebrated chef Alain Ducasse's culinary hideaway, Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de La Celle. In general, however, the town has staunchly continued to resist change. In fact, the simple Romanesque chapel housing a 14th-century Christ figure—a widely acclaimed masterpiece by an unknown artist—still serves as the parish church.

Rising 1,900 feet above the town, with panoramas of Toulon, the surrounding countryside, and the sea, Mont Faron can be reached by the circular Route du Faron in either direction or in six minutes by cable car from Boulevard Admiral Jean-Vence. At the top, the World War II memorial commemorates the mountain fort's role in the Provence débarquement of August 1944 and the liberation of Toulon. There is also a zoo that acts as a breeding center for a dozen types of wild cats, including lions, tigers, jaguars, lynxes, and pumas.

The collection here includes paintings by Vernet and Fragonard, postwar abstract art, and works by the cartoon-influenced Di Rosa brothers.

Part of a network of marine museums around France, this branch, lodged in the graceful 18th-century section of the Toulon arsenal, is particularly fascinating. The rich maritime history in this part of the Mediterranean comes alive via model ships, paintings, mastheads, and a pictorial account of the city's role in World War II.