Visit Toulon for a Chance to see Historic Ship L’Hermione in Port

Here is another good reason to visit Toulon!

A reconstruction of the L’Hermione, the historic ship in which the Marquis de la Lafayette crossed the Atlantic to support Americans fighting for independence, will be in the port of Toulon from 5-8th April.

I understand that tickets to go aboard have been sold out, but it must be an impressive sight tied up in the port.

Reasons to Visit Toulon, France

Background on L’Hermione

L’Hermione is a French Concorde-class frigate constructed in 1778, in a six-month timeframe with thousands of workers. This vessel transported General Lafayette and his men to the shores of America in 1780, so they could join the Americans in the American War of Independence. In 1793 the original ship was destroyed in Brittany, wrecked in rough seas.

The ship that you see in Toulon is a replica of the original. Construction started in 1997 in the town of Rochefort with the support of a not-for-profit group. The new Hermione sailed to America in 2015, and now can be seen in Toulon (April 5-9), Marseille (April 12-16) and Monaco (April 20-22).

More reading in this New York Times article, “Following in Lafayette’s Footsteps, or Rather, His Wake.” Learn about the Friends of the Hermione here.

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