Hyères was once a playground for the rich and famous including English Royalty. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were frequent visitors and Robert Louis Stevenson stopped here during his very short life.
The town is not far from Toulon on the coast, where Provence meets the French Riviera, and is the Capital of the Provence-Azure region of France.
The city changed dramatically during the 19th Century, due to aristocratic as well as cosmopolitan influences. This rich historic heritage is visible in many of the streets and buildings such as the Anglican Church. There is the Anglo-French College and the Villa Tunisienne, which adds an eastern influence to the cosmopolitan aspect of the city.
The town is best seen on foot. A walk around all the interesting historical sites and places in the old town will take about two hours. There are also boat trips to the offshore islands of Port-Cros, Porquerolles and Le Levant.
For more tourist information and history, see Premier Pages (Wine Regions, Places of Interest)