Things To Do in Frejus

If you plan on seeing all of the town's sights, it's smart to purchase the Frejus Pass for 6€. You can get it at all of the town's major sights.

The best preserved of the Roman ruins is the Amphithéâtre (Les Arènes) ★, rue Henri-Vadon (tel. 04-94-51-34-31). In Roman times, it held up to 10,000 spectators. The upper levels of the galleries have been reconstructed with the same greenish stone used to create the original building. Today it's used as a venue for rock concerts.

A half kilometer (1/3 mile) north of town on avenue du Théâtre-Romain, the Théâtre Romain Philippe Léotard (tel. 04-94-53-58-75), not to be confused with the amphitheater, is largely in ruins. However, one wall and a few of the lower sections remain and are used as a backdrop for a summertime theater festival. The theater is open Tuesday to Sunday 9:30am to 12:30pm and 2 to 5pm (until 6pm April-Sept). Admission is 2€ for all ages. Northwest of the theater, you can see a few soaring arches as they follow the coastal road leading to Cannes. These are the remaining pieces of the 40km (25-mile) aqueduct that once brought fresh water to Fréjus's water tower.

More Sights

The small, round Chapelle Cocteau, route de Cannes (tel. 04-94-53-27-06), was designed by the artist, film director, social gadfly, and prince des poètes Jean Cocteau in 1961. After Cocteau's death in 1963, the ornate frescoes were completed by his adoptive son Edouard Dermit. It's open Tuesday to Sunday 9:30am to noon and 2 to 4:30pm (until 6pm April-Sept).  Admission is 3€.

Just outside Fréjus are two curiosities that reflect the cultural mixture of France's early-20th-century empire. Northeast of Fréjus, the Pagode Hong-Hien, 13 rue Henri Giraud (tel. 04-94-53-25-29), was built in 1917 by soldiers conscripted from Indochina as a shrine to their fallen comrades. It's still used as a Buddhist temple. It's open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays only. Admission is 4€.

 Off D4 (route des Combattants-d'Afrique-du-Nord), leading to Bagnols-en-Fôret, you can see the striking red exterior of the Mosquée Soudanaise (no phone), built by Muslim soldiers conscripted from the French colony of Mali. It's open from June to September 9:30am to 1:30pm and 2 to 6pm.

The grand neoclassical Villa Aurélienne, avenue du Général-d'Armée Calliès (tel. 04-94-52-90-49), was originally a holiday home for an English industrialist in the 1880s. It's a popular venue for photographic exhibitions and classical concerts. Admission prices and opening hours vary according to the event (see website). The park surrounding the villa also hosts occasional festivals.

Parc Zoologique, Zone du Capitou (tel. 04-98-11-37-37), is off A8 about 5.5km (3 1/2 miles) north of the center of Fréjus. This safari-style zoo is home to more than 250 species of animals and is best visited by car as the animals are spread out over a wide terrain. It's open daily June to August 10am to 6pm; the rest of the year it's open daily 10am to 5pm. Admission is 18€ for those over the age of 9, 13€ for children 3 to 9, and free for children 2 and under.

Spread over 260 hectares (642 acres), Etangs de Villepey, off the D1098 west of Fréjus, is a nature reserve that is often known as the "Petite Camargue" of the Var, due to the marshlands here. You'll also find dry zones and sand dunes. Here you can explore nature along the walking and cycling paths. It's particularly busy during migration season in spring and autumn, when you can find over 250 species of birds. There are no specific opening hours as entry is free at any time.

A former Naval airdrome, Base Nature, François Léotard (tel. 04-94-51-91-10;) is the East Var's largest public park, covering 135 hectares (334 acres) of coastal land. There's a kids' playground, a roller park, games, a snack bar, and a beach. Exhibitions take place in the 6,000-sq.-m (64,580-sq.-ft.) disused air hangar, while the former diving training pool has been turned into an indoor swimming pool. The mounted police force regularly patrol the park and keep some of their horses in the paddock. As well as rabbits, turtles, and frogs, Base Nature's grassy parkland houses 130 species of birds and rare beetles. The car park for the beach and park is open daily from 8am-10pm (until midnight July-Aug).

Aqualand, Quartier Le Capou along D1098 (tel. 04-94-51-82-51), is a theme park with 19 water-based rides for kids of all ages, as well as snack bars and a shop. It's open every day from mid-June to mid-September from 10am to 6pm (until 7pm from early July to late Aug).