Toulon: Trip to the View Point Mont Faron

The biggest highlight for a visitor of Toulon is the trip to the local mountain of the city, the Mont Faron. This mountain is heighted 542 metres as protects the city from everything coming from the heartland.

The drive to the Mont Faron is a must during the visit of Toulon. maybe, these fascinating views from the summit of the mountain down to the city and the port basin are the actual reason why one should visit Toulon at all. How does one get to the peak of the mountain heighted 542 m? There are two possibilities; in any case, one has to get somehow to the Avenue de Vence. From there, a single lane serpentine road leads straight to the peak or, one takes the funicular that takes one straight away to there.

In case one is already in Toulon by car, I do not recommend the use of the funicular, as during the drive, one sees much more than the mere summit. The serpentine road leads up to the highest point of the mountain. The road is permanently one lane; two cars could not get through at once. This drive is very adventurous, as one partly sees some very steep precipices right beside the road.

There is a big parking place on the Mont Faron that is free of charge. Those who a tired and hungry after the short drive can have their lunch in the panorama restaurant or just have a coffee break. I think, I nearly needed one hour for my coffee, as the views from there above are so fascinating.

From Mont Faron, one has a view all over the whole city and the port basin. With some good binoculars or a teleobjective, it is even possible to see exactly the interior of each of the ships.

Not far from the view point, there also is a small zoo where one can see some strong carnivores. While I cannot recommend to visit the zoo, I highly recommend everybody a walk at the altitude of the Mont Faron. From the summit of the mountain one can do dome gorgeous hiking tours on very well arranged hiking paths. The fascinating thing of these mountain routes are that one finds a lot of view points, either on the seaside as also in the heartland.

By continuing driving alongside the mountain road, one will pass a museum that reminds on the disembarkation of the allies and the libelarization of Toulon from the German troops. Also, one can have a short stop at the Fort Faron, a small fortification. Previously to that, one passes another fortification, the Fort de la Croix Faron. This is still a prohibited, military area; in case of accessing this area, the consequences would be a high penalty.

The car trip to the Mont Faron should not be missed in any case. One gets the best view by starting the tour in the morning, when the sun still illuminated the city from eastern direction. In total, one should plan approximately  2-3 hours time for the tour, as one not only wants to drive through but also have numerous stops for sightseeing.

Copyright: Patrick Wagner, www.tourist-guide.biz