Hyeres, France Tourist Attractions

The heart of Hyères Old Town is the Place Massillon, where the lively daily market is held and where the 12th century Tour St-Blaise can be seen, the remains of a residence of the Knights Templar.In the Rue Rabaton can be found the birthplace of the great preacher Massillon, court minister to Louis XIV and Bishop of Clermont. Continue along Rue Ste-Cathérine to the Place St-Paul (orientation table; extensive view), with the church of the same name, originally built in the 12th century and restored in the 16th when the side chapels were added. On the right of the steps leading to the main door stands a charming little Renaissance house with little corner turrets, beneath this extends the Rue St-Paul.A few yards to the west stands the Porte des Princes, part of a former monastery. To the north of the square in the Rue Paradis are some pretty 13th century houses (No. 24 on the left; No. 6).Southeast of the Place Massillon, on the edge of the old town center, stands the 13th century Porte de la Rade, the former main gate of the town which gives access to the Place Clemenceau. To the north lies the Place de la République with a monument to Massillon, and the 13th century Church of St Louis, (Romanesque/Early Gothic) which formerly stood outside the town walls. East of the apse of the church, on the Cours Strasbourg, is the theater and behind it the attractive Jardin A. Denis.The busy Avenue du Général-de-Gaul leads west from the Place Clemenceau and forms the boundary of the New Town to the south.

The impressive Avenue Gambetta in Hyères leads south from the Place du Portalet into the New Town. To the east lies the Place Lefèbvre and here can be found the interesting Musée Municipal with archeological, local and natural history collections.

To the south of Hyères inner town can be found the Jardins Olbius-Riquier, a fine garden layout of 6.5ha/16acres with a great many exotic plants and birds.

The suburb of Costebelle lies 3km/2mi south of the town center of Hyères on a 98m/322ft high hill. On the top of the hill there was a place of pilgrimage as early as the 11th C. There is a fine view from the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Consolation, the tower of which is surmounted by a statue of the Madonna. A pilgrimage to this spot takes place on August 15 and 16.

South of Notre-Dame-de-Consolation are in Hyères are the ruins of the Monastery of St-Pierre d'Almanarre (Arabic al-manar = lighthouse).

By the sea south of Toulon-Hyères Airport lies the resort of Hyères-Plage with a racecourse and the harbor of Port St-Pierre-de-la- Mer (marina).

Northeast of Hyère's airport and on the far side of the mouth of the River Capeau are the seaside settlements of L'Ayguade-Plage and Le Ceinturon-Plage which have beaches of fine sand. This was one of the places from which the Crusaders set sail.