Hyères

Hyères [ jɛ ː ʀ ] (also: Hyères- les -Palmiers, Provence Ieras [ jeɾɔ ] or Iero [ jeɾɔ ] ) is a French port city on the Mediterranean coast in the Var department in the Provence- Alpes- Côte d' Azur.

• 3.1 The ancient city of Olbia
• 3.2 Old Town
• 3.3 Parks and green spaces
• 3.4 Ambient

• 5.1 airport
• 5.2 Railway
• 5.3 Agriculture

• 6.1 Sons and daughters of the town
• 6.2 Connected to Hyeres

Geography

The center city is situated between Toulon and Le Lavandou and has 54 527 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011). It is the southernmost city of the Provence and a popular seaside resort.

The city is located on the south side of the mountain range Les Maurettes, a part of the Massif des Maures, at the base of the peninsula of Giens. Town and peninsula lie upstream of the geological counting also the Massif des Maures Iles d'Hyeres.

The strip of land that connects Giens with the mainland, formed before the city two extensive bays with a total of 35 km of sandy beach, which also offers greater tourist flows Place. The Bay of Almanarre is one of the most popular windsurfing and Kitereviere France.

The territory of the municipality covers more than 132 square km area associated not directly with the city Localities Les Salins, L' Ayguade, Les Borrels, Sauvebonne, Le Port, La CAPTE and Giens and the three towns on the island of Porquerolles, Port -Cros and Le Levant.

Hyères is divided into three cantons, where the city is only the capital of the cantons Hyères Hyères - Est -Ouest, each with about 25,000 inhabitants. A small part of the municipality with about 600 inhabitants in the canton of La Crau.

Climate

The second factor determining the climate of Hyères is the Mistral. The city benefited in many ways from the dry and relatively cool northwest winds on hot summer days to relieve the heat of the city, the surfing and Kiteangebot in the bay, he is a reliable basis. On the other hand, it increases its drought the risk of fire and endanger smaller boats by the unusually heavy seas, he can cause.

Population

Since the 1960s can Hyères recorded by strong influx is well above average population growth.

History

The territory of the present-day town of Hyères is inhabited by humans for over 5,000 years.

The first settlement in historical times comes from the time around the 4th century BC, Greek sailors in the already mentioned Almanarre then land a fortified Seehandelskontor built, which they ( the happy) gave the name Olbia. The resulting there place existed until the fall of the Roman Empire.

Hyères was the first place in the French Mediterranean Sea, the English upper classes sought since the late 18th century and became one of the birthplaces of tourism in France. Among the regular guests of the city included, among others, Queen Victoria and Robert Louis Stevenson. Towards the end of the 19th century, the luxury tourism shifted towards Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo.

Culture and sights

The ancient city of Olbia

At the D 559 direction Carqueiranne lies the ancient city of Olbia. Greek sailors built in the 4th century BC, the fortified trading post Olbia with a port on the Gulf of Giens. Small, fixed stage ports of this kind were part of the defense strategy to defend against attacks Gallic pirates on Greek merchant ships. In the first century BC the Romans took over Olbia. The port was named Pomponiana, but lost nothing of its economic significance. With the decline of the Roman Empire also Olbia lost its meaning. In the year 578 the settlement was destroyed by the Frankish king Guntram I.. At the beginning of the 13th century, 600 years after the decline of the ancient city, then a Cistercian abbey was built, but this was abandoned in the 14th century. The ruins of the ancient city are now archaeological site and can be visited with an expert guide.

Old town

The medieval old town of Hyères is well preserved. With its location on the slope of Casteou, one of the foothills of the Maurettes, it dominates the deeper level and opens a wide view of the sea and the offshore islands. Some buildings are classified as a monument historique:

• The ensemble of fortifications includes the old town in the north of Hyères. The complex dates from the 13th and 14th centuries. Fortification walls with square towers and the four city gates Porte de Baruc, Porte de Fenouillet, Porte de Saint -Paul and Porte de La Rade surround the old town center.
• The Templar Tower (Tour of the Templars, also Chapelle Sainte Blaise ) was built in the 12th century by the Knights Templar. 1673 took over the Brotherhood of the Commandery de Beaulieu, the building, originally existing castle walls were torn down. Until 1913 it served as the town hall, today it's Courthouse and changing exhibitions.
• The abbey of Saint Paul also dates from the 12th - 13th Century but was substantially rebuilt between the 15th and 16th centuries. It has collections of votive offerings and two reliquaries.

Parks and green spaces

For its numerous parks, gardens and parks Hyères was awarded ville fleurie ( thriving city ) and received in the European competition a gold medal.

• The Jardin Olbius Riquier is located in the south of the city. He is also the ornamental garden and botanical garden in the number of exotic and rare plants are maintained. With its shady paths, playgrounds and entertainment options for children, a zoo, a greenhouse and a small lake, it offers an area of ​​7 ha a great recreational offer. The park's name goes back to Olbius Hippolyte Antoine Riquier, from whose legacy he came into possession of the city in 1868 and initially became a branch of the Jardin d' Acclimatation in Paris.

• The gardens of the park hotels and casinos extend the green wire in the modern center of the city. They were created in the years 1990 and 2000 in the style of the 19th century and re- planted with roses, orange trees and hedges.

• The park Saint Bernard with the Château Saint -Bernard on the Montée de Noailles offers a wide view over the peninsula of Giens, the bay and the islands of Hyéres. The publicly accessible park is below the planned 1923 by Robert Mallet -Stevens villa of Count and art patron Noailles who was largely this garden. In addition to exotic vegetation, the park and the Mediterranean flora is large room.

• Park and Castel Sainte -Claire were once part of the American writer Edith Wharton ( 1862-1937 ). They are located in the Avenue Edith Wharton named after the author near the park Saint Bernard on the hills above the city and is connected to it by a small road. Today, the 6500 m² plot, growing in the rare South African and Australian plants, owned by the city of Hyères. The Castel was the first building in the once deserted areas of old upper town, which was since the middle of the 19th century established and expanded.

Environment

The territory of Hyères comprises the peninsula of Giens and the offshore Iles d' Hyeres, which offer not only a wide range of offers for the sport and tourism, but also have received a remarkable cultural heritage.

• The small village of Giens is dominated by the remains of the Château des Pontevès. The town is located on the peninsula, a former island that is now connected by a long promontory with the mainland.
• To the east of the peninsula is the tour fondue, which was built as a defensive structure in the 17th century and rebuilt later. To his building complex includes accommodation and a powder magazine.
• On the island of Porquerolles is not only a large nature reserve, but also a number of scattered fortifications. At the top of the hill that dominates the small island village and the harbor, Fort Sainte Agathe was built during the 17th century. The terrace of the tower offers a panoramic view of the harbor of Hyères and the Bay of Porquerolles.
• To the island of Port -Cros is also located the National Park of Port-Cros, which is also popular with divers.

Twin Cities

Hyères maintains twinned with Rottweil, in Baden- Württemberg and Koekelberg in Belgium.

The twinned with Rottweil was closed in 1970 and goes back to contacts of Rottweiler returning soldiers with the Anciens combattants prisonniers de guerre from Hyères. The partnership with Koekelberg was sealed in 1977.

Among the main activities of the town twinning including regular student exchange between the schools of the communities.

Airport

The Toulon -Hyères International Airport ( TLN ) (La Palyvestre ) is located four kilometers southeast of the city center, on a sandy plain near the coast. Already at the beginning of the 20th century, the area was used as an airfield for private flights. As in the 1920s, the marshland was drained, the French Air Force began with the use of the site and assumed it finally as an official base and military airfield. Since 1966, the airport is used commercially again, but the army remained present in the environment. In 2012, there are direct flights to and from Nantes, Bordeaux, Rotterdam, Tunis, Brest, London, Brussels and Paris.

Railway

Hyères is the endpoint of a short rail line from Toulon. Here daily runs a TGV train pair on a continuation of the LGV Méditerranée, which connects the city in four and a half hours with Paris. From Hyères Toulon until the start of the high -speed line, the TGV runs at a normal speed line. Further transport links exist (Transport express régional ) to Toulon and Marseille.

Agriculture

The agriculture is determined by the vegetables and wine.

Personalities

Sons and daughters of the town

• Jean -Baptiste Massillon (1663-1742), preacher, theologian and bishop
• Hermann Fehling (1909-1996), German architect
• Paul Berna (1910-1994), author
• Stéphane Ortelli (born 1970 ), Monegasque racing driver
• Fabien Sanchez ( b. 1983 ), cyclist

Connected to Hyeres

• Edmond Tulasne (1815-1885), botanist and mycologist, died in Hyères.
• Paul Bourget (1852-1935), a writer, had a villa in Hyeres.
• Edith Wharton (1862-1937), American writer, owner of Park and Castel Sainte- Claire.
• Georgi Ivanov (1894-1958), Russian poet, died in Hyères.
• Yann Arthus- Bertrand ( born 1946 ), photographer, lives on the island of Port -Cros.