Toulon
Historic Toulon, on the Provence coast of the Mediterranean, has been a principal naval base of France for three centuries. Despite post war reconstruction, a sense of its traditional charm survives amid the old town's narrow winding streets behind the waterfront and Vieux Port. Places of interest include the Romanesque church of St Marie Majeure (11th century), the church of St Louis, and a vast military hospital. In the hills surrounding Toulon are forts dating from the 17th century. Enjoy the fine views from Mont Faron and the colours of the flower market - or head east for the glamour of the Riviera, where St Tropez, Nice, Cannes, Antibes and Monte Carlo are now the glittering haunts of the beau monde of the Cote d'Azur Built on the site of the Roman community of Telo Martius, Toulon has been the scene of several important battles. It was strongly fortified by kings Henri IV and Louis XIV. In 1707, during the War of the Spanish Succession, Toulon withstood the allied fleets of England and the Netherlands. In 1793, during the French Revolution, Royalists within the city handed over control of Toulon to an Anglo-Spanish naval force. Late in the year the French Republican army besieged and captured the city; this battle won Napoleon military distinction as a young artillery officer. During World War II, when German troops were ordered into unoccupied France, the bulk of the French fleet, which was anchored at Toulon, was scuttled (1942) by French crews to prevent its acquisition by Germany.
