About Fréjus

The town is steeped in history, having originally been an important port on the Mediterranean during the Roman era, having originally been named Forum Julii, or Julius’ Market. With the PaxRomana, the town fell in to decline, having been ransacked several times by Muslims, to the point where the town became separated from the sea by a swamp. During WWII the town became the winter home of the Senegalese Tirailleurs, a corps of African infantrymen recruited from the French colony of Senegal, the word ‘Tirailleur’ being translated as ‘skirmisher’, which befitted their fighting style. Sadly, the history of Fréjus is blighted by the tragedy in 1959 when a dam above Fréjus, the Barrage de Malpasset, burst with the ensuing flood taking the lives of 421 people.

The ancient history of Fréjus is clear for all to see, including the remains of the roman aqueduct and also the massive Roman amphitheatre which, in its heyday, would have held 10,000 spectators. Further historic remains include the LanterneAuguste, Porte des Gaules and the Porte D’Orée. The harbour is also a marina which caters for all but the largest superyachts, and in addition there is also a small aerodrome at Fréjus which has been home to various aeronautical shows, including ballooning, the Festival International de l’Air and kite fairs. The town also has three museums, one archeological, one covering the local history and traditions of Fréjus and the last being the Musée des troupes de Marines.

The Festival de Théâtre de Fréjus began in 1997 and is now a recognised annual event which takes place atthe end of July and beginning of August each year. The festival comprises predominantly open air events including plays, comedic performances and musical evenings. The end of March and beginning of April will see the Fete des Plantes, which is a celebration of many of the plants which are commonly associated with the Mediterranean, while there is also the Fêtedu Raisin and bizarrely, la Fête de l’OmeletteGéante. Fréjus is also part of the location used for the Roc d’Azure cycle race which was inaugurated in 1984.

With a town the size of Fréjus it is impossible to ignore the open air market and the combination of Mediterranean and Provençale food on offer. There are restaurants both in the centre of town and also down by the beach, each giving a variety of menus. Les Micocouliers in the old town offers traditional Provençale cooking, while El-Patio down by the beach is a more Spanish influenced restaurant. Italian food can be found at Francesco Ristorante while Asian food is on offer at Bangkok Café.