Stamp Passion Hyères-les-Palmiers

Postage stamp issued for the FFAP’s “Passion” fair in Hyères-les-Palmiers Postage stamp depicting the city from above Miniature sheet featuring the FFAP’s youth mascot: Philaes Hyères-les-Palmiers Nestled on the slopes of the small Maurettes mountain range, between the hills and the sea, the town of Hyères—an ancient medieval city with steep, narrow streets—is the second-largest in the Var department by area and the third-largest by population. While the salt marshes brought it wealth in the past, the city opened up to tourism in the 19th century, attracting high society seeking to escape the harsh winter. A source of inspiration for Picasso, Dufy, Dalí, and Man Ray, its Villa Noailles—built in the 1920s in the modernist style—attracted the cream of Parisian society, from Gide to Cocteau. Hyères began to attract seaside tourists after 1945, capitalizing on its 21 km of beaches and the unspoiled beauty of its islands—Porquerolles, Port-Cros, and Île du Levant—which have since become a national park, a marine sanctuary, and an unparalleled diving spot. A leading horticultural center—accounting for 70% of France’s cut-flower production—and home to an AOC Côtes de Provence vineyard, Hyères specializes above all in palm tree cultivation. This tree gives the town its distinctive character, its reputation, and its nickname, Hyères-les-Palmiers. Every even-numbered year, young philatelists gather in a different French city for their national championship, joined by adult specialists in the most popular categories of philatelic competition among the general public. This October 2026, the gathering will take place at the Hyères-les-Palmiers Casino Forum. In addition to an exhibition of the finest collections, a variety of fun activities centered on the passion for collecting will be organized at these iconic venues that reflect the town’s seaside character.

Timbre-poste avec vignette attenante (taille-douce) : Timbre - Création et gravure Nicolas Bical, vignette - création Frédéric Hamet, gravure Nicolas Bical d'après photo: "La vieille ville de Hyères" © Franck Prignet / Figarophoto