The Var is the department of the Provençal coast and rosé vineyards, a region of cork oak forests, limestone massifs and a rugged coastline stretching from the Côte des Maures to the Corniche des Maures, between Toulon and Saint-Tropez. This department, one of the sunniest in France, boasts a heritage of castles linked to the history of Provençal seigneuries and the military role of Toulon, a naval base of the French Navy.
Toulon, whose harbour is one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean, boasts a medieval royal tower and a bastioned citadel that bear witness to its role as the principal naval port of the French Mediterranean since the time of Richelieu. The Fort de Brégançon, the official residence of the President of the Republic facing the Îles d’Or; Hyères with its medieval ruins and Belle Époque hotels; La Garde-Freinet in the Massif des Maures with the ruins of its Saracen citadel…
The Îles d’Or — Porquerolles, Port-Cros and Le Levant — whose forts and batteries bear witness to their defensive role over the centuries — and the Esterel massif, with its red rocks plunging into the Blue Sea, complete the spectacular picture of a leading Mediterranean department.