Formerly the administrative capital of the Var region, Draguignan boasts a charming old town and some bold urban design. It is the gateway to the Dracénie, a region reputed for its villages of which Lorgues is one of the finest.

The mountainous area of the Var is heaven sent for tourism. Everything about it instils a feeling of peace, from the sun which beats down to the delights of a storybook countryside and the uncut charm of its medieval villages. And Draguignan is at the epicentre of all this on more than one count. It is the largest town in the region, and is, at one and the same time, its trade centre and its living memory in the sense that it once was the administrative capital of the Var. It has retained all the symbols of this rank: tree-shaded walkways, wide avenues and distinguished edifices such as the theatre. And that does not mask an even older history which can be explored in her old town. A Romanesque gate from the14th century, a 17th century clock tower, 15th and 16th century mansions, a market place...: Draguignan shows the world the colourful atmosphere of a Provençal town with a still-untarnished splendour.

The town also invites you to go on escapades, so attractive are the villages which abound in the surrounding Dracénie region. There is Flayosc, perched above the vineyards; Châteaudouble with its tiny squares and their fountains; and, above all, Lorgues, the archetype of a medieval town. It is a joy to explore the tiny alleys of this village with its towers, fortified gates, mills and fountains. Set apart from the old centre, there is the collegiate of Saint-Martin, a massive, light-drenched church with its bell tower more than 40 metres high. An appropriate symbol indeed for the age-old joys of living on these hallowed lands.