Once an industrial area for the Port of Toulon, La Seyne-sur-Mer is a waterfront dining district dotted with historic landmarks. It was long renowned for its shipbuilding and still serves as a French naval base while it’s also just a stone’s throw from one of the region’s most beautiful beaches.
Things to do in La Seyne-sur-Mer
One of La Seyne-sur-Mer’s most dominant landmarks is the Pont Basulant, a former railway bridge that was completed in 1917 to access the town’s shipyards. Now heritage-listed, it’s permanently in an upright position and rises to 44 metres in height, with an observation platform offering panoramic views across the harbour. On the lower level is a small exhibition explaining its century-old mechanisms.
Built in 1673, Fort Balaguier is a military fortification constructed to defend Toulon’s port from attack. Its chapel houses a permanent exhibition about the history of French penal colonies and displays a fascinating array of objects crafted by convicts. Fort Balaguier also encompasses a botanical garden planted with exotic species brought to Toulon in the 17th and 18th centuries.
For a day at the beach, head to the Plage des Sablettes, which stretches for a kilometre along an isthmus that connects to the Saint-Mandrier Peninsula. Facing the Deux Frères rocks, it provides a setting for swimming and sunbathing in the summer months, as well as windsurfing, kayaking and sailing. Further west is the Plage de la Vernette, a pebbly cove shaded by palm trees.
Getting around La Seyne-sur-Mer
La Seyne-sur-Mer is around 10 minutes’ drive from Toulon and 40 minutes from Toulon Hyères Airport, which has seasonal flights to destinations across Europe and North Africa. Regular trains connect to La Seyne-Six-Fours railway station and buses travel throughout the commune.