Draguignan is a sub-prefecture of the Var, in the north-east of the department, at the doorstep of the Verdon gorges. The former prefecture of the Var until 1974, when Toulon took over that role, it remains an important administrative, judicial and educational hub for the whole Dracenie hinterland. With around 40,800 inhabitants, it is the main town of the Dracenie.
The town grew up around a hill overlooked by the Tour de l'Horloge, built in the seventeenth century on the site of a former medieval keep. The historic centre, with its Provencal lanes, its squares and its market, still bears the mark of that past. Around this historic core developed the boulevards, the station and, further out, the residential slopes of Malmont and the low-rise areas to the south and east.
Draguignan is also a garrison town, marked by the military presence of the Canjuers camp, one of the largest training grounds in Europe, on the plateau to the north. This role, the administration and the proximity of the Cote d'Azur support a property market that stays affordable by comparison with the Var coastline. The historic centre and the large housing estates remain affordable, while the residential areas to the south and the slopes gain more value.
