Over 2000 years of human habitation are layered in Hyères’ attractive old town, which begins on the western side of place Georges Clemenceau at the 13th-century Porte Massillon. West along cobbled rue Massillon is rue des Porches, with its polished flagstones and shady arcades.The rambling hillside grove of Parc St-Bernard abuts the striking Villa Noailles. Back downhill, Parc Castel Ste-Claire, a 17th-century convent converted into a private residence with delightful gardens, was home to American writer Edith Wharton from 1927.
Visit the tourist office for maps, or to join a guided tour. Much of the way is quite steep.