Fréjus Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Var (83600) Population: 41,500 Altitude: 8 m Nearby: [ Cannes 41 km | Draguignan 28 | la Garde-Freinet 42 | Grasse 45 | Malpasset Dam (barrage) | Roquebrune-sur-Argens 11 | Ste. Maxime | St.Raphaël | St Tropez 34 ] Photos: 1 The cathedral in the town center (24 k) 2 Aqueduct Pillars at the Aqueduct Park (21 k) 3 Part of the Aqueduct at Pont Duc (32 k) 4 The Roman Theater (27) 5 The fountain in front of the Office de Tourisme (25) Below: [ History | Dates | Roman Sites | Wine | Transportation | Zoo | Hiking | Lodging ] Fréjus is a large, sprawling town with some famous Roman ruins. It's also a very popular summertime tourist town, although the center of town is a couple of km from the beaches, which are 2 km long and 100 m wide of fine sand, between Fréjus and St. Raphaël. The center of town is compact, with lots of shops, pedestrian streets and, in the summer, lots and lots of people. The Cathedral (photo), in the very center, is built of lovely old stone and is set in a pretty square. The entrance to the cloisters is inside the Cathedral entrance. Name Cited by Cicero,Strabon, Pline and Tacite. 1st-c BC: Forum Julii; 2nd-c: Forum Julium; 1035: de Frejurio; 1416: Frejus History Ligurian: There were some scattered Iron Age settlements in the region, usually on walled hilltop sites. Roman: Fréjus was founded in the first century BC. It was an important stop on the Aurelian way. Around 30 BC, at the beginning of the Early Empire, Forum Julii became a colony for veterans of the 8th Legion. About the same time, Octavian brought here the ships he captured from Sextus Pompey at Actium, and began constructing the port. Fréjus became the second largest Roman port after Ostie, and remained a significant naval base until after the fall of Nero, around 69 AD. Medieval: Fréjus declined gradually until the 10th century, when it came under control of Bishop Riculphe, who founded the beginning of the "modern" town. The town was victim of continuous barbarian raids. In 1536, Charles-Quint invaded. Later in the 16th century, under King Henri II, Fréjus became the seat of the admiralty. Prince Eugène invaded in 1707. The town declined when the port began silting up, with population dropping from 6000 in the 17th century to 2000 in 1800. Napoleon Bonaparte debarked here in 1799 on his return from Egypt. Fifteen years later, in 1814, he passed through again, on his way to exile at Elba. Recent: In December 1959, the Barrage de Malpasset broke. The resulting flood waters ravaged the western quarters of Fréjus, and 500 people died. Dates, Numbers Market day: Friday Fête: 15 Aug Office de Tourisme Place P. Vernet Tel: (33) 494 51 83 83; Fax: (33) 494 51 00 26 Open: Mon-Sat 9h-12h, 14h-18h Parks, Playgrounds Aqueduct Park Location: Northeast of the center, out the Ave du Quinzième Corps (to the N7). A very large grassy park, on both sides of the road, has tall sections of the Roman aqueduct still standing. The expanses of lawns are great for playing, picnicking and strolling, and one area is half forested for shady walks. In one corner there is a small playground area with a few colorful slides and play things for small kids. This photo (21 k) shows the aqueduct pillars crossing one side of the park. Arena Park There's a small park in front of the Roman arena, on the west side near the center. It's pretty, green and shady, but quite noisy beside the main road and the railway line. Naval Base The old naval base south of the town has acres of grassy fields and long concrete roads closed to traffic. The fields have an open sky, and a nice view of Fréjus, the Massif de l'Esterel to the east and the massif des Maures to the west. The wide spaces, used for kite-flying, are great for walking and playing, and some of the concrete areas are set aside for roller skating and skateboarding. Off-road cycling is done here as well, with circuits of 2700 m, 3900 m and 4380 m. Roman Sites The Aqueduct Locations: Along the Ave du Quinzième Corps (at the Aqueduct Park) and along the N7 between the Ave des Aqueducs and the D437 roundabout. This is a remarkable aqueduct, with very high massive pillars. There's also a section beside the D637 between the N7 and the autoroute exit 38 (photo of the Gargalon aqueduct, 32 k). The Theater Location: Rue du Théâtre Romain (an easy walk from the Office de Tourisme). The theater is locked behind an iron gate, but still easily visible from the street. It's fairly run-down, but has a peaceful feeling of antiquity, sitting beneath large shade trees (photo, 27 k). The Amphitheater Location: Rue Henri Vadon, at the west side of town, beside the main N7 and the railway. Open Apr-Sept: 9h30-11h45, 14h-18h15 Open Oct-Mar: 9h00-11h45, 14h-16h15 The oval arena, which seated 12,000 people a few centuries ago, is a bit smaller than those at Nîmes and Arles. The arena is in poor shape today. The exterior was probably destroyed deliberately in the Middle Ages to prevent Saracens from using it as a fortress. The flood of 1959 (see above) flushed out the interior, and a succession of rock concerts held here over the years has pretty-much defined its quality as an archeological site. Wine Fréjus is in the region of the Côte de Provence wines. Transportation Train Fréjus is on the main rail line (map), for service between Paris, Lyon, the Riviera and Italy. Fréjus is also, along with Nice, a "Train-Auto Accompagné" station, for travelling with your car between the Riviera and Paris. Zoo - Parc Zoologique The zoo is about 6 km north of the town, at the autoroute exit 38. Open: 10h00 - 17h30 (entry), 18h30 (staying) Price: F59 adults; F35 children Camping Hiking Maps: IGN "bleue" (1:25,000) 3544 est "Fréjus, St.Raphaël" Didier Richard (1:50,000) #26 "Pays d'Azur" Didier Richard (1:50,000) #25 "Maures, Haut-Pays Varois" Michelin "green" #114 (1/100,000) - "French Riviera - Var" The area around Fréjus is very built-up, and not good for hiking directly from town. The Estérel Mountains (Massif de l'Estérel), stretching along the coast between Fréjus and the outskirts of Cannes, are full of good hiking trails, including the GR51 (Balcony of the Cote d'Azur). The nearest trail in the Estérel begins at the Oratoir de Guérin, about 5 km northeast of the town center.   About 5 km to the southwest, the Massif des Maures begin, the forested hills stretching out 50 km towards Hyères and Toulon. The Maures are full of excellent hiking trails, including the GR51 and the GR9. Lodging Listing available