If you decide to stay longer time in Marseille or in provence, we suggest you to visite some local pittoresque place.
Welcome to the oldest city in France founded by Phocean Greeks ! In 1999 Marseille celebrated the 2600th year of its foundation.
Legend or folklore tells us that Marseille owes her foundation to a beautiful young princess named Gyptis who turned down all her princely suitors and gave her hand and land to handsome Greek seafaring explorer Protis.
Queen of the Mediterranean, Marseille owes her image to the ships that have sailed from her port for centuries to distant lands and brought back a mixture of cultures and influences.
Marseille has always been a meeting place of ideas, races and civilisations. An extremely lively cosmopolitan city, its major functions as a port and trading centre often hide its natural advantages. Marseille is a great metropolis composed of a hundred villages, a historical city and a major port on the Mediterranean.
Scenic Marseille is built on the slopes of the limestone hills surrounding the Old Harbor. Every street and house offers a breath-taking panorama blending the white rock, deep blue Mediterranean Sea, and of course, the clear blue sky.
Walk through the narrow steets of the Endoume area overlooking the sea, go boating to the islands, stroll through the Old port or hike in the Callanques massifs ...
A few kilometers east of Marseille the picturesque fishing port of Cassis can be found ; a delightful place for a lunchtime break. North of Marseille is the historical and charming city of Aix-en-Provence, the first stop on the way to Les Baux, the heart of Provence.
There are numerous places of interest in Marseille. If you have time we suggest you try to visit one or two of our historical or cultural secrets
For those who will visit Marseilles and/or neighbouring countryside, access to wonderful Marseilles’ major attractions is organized on demand by
Le Vieux Port The old port is one of the best-known parts of Marseilles and its streets are lined with restaurants and cafés. In the mornings, fishermen's wives auction off their wares in the fish market opposite the boats. This is where Louis XIV moored his large arsenal of galleys. You will also find galleries here. Next to Cours Estienne d'Orves, you will find Place Thiars, the liveliest part of this district. Good quality restaurants stand side by side with tourist traps. The Theatre National de la Criée is very popular. A bit further on, Basilique St Victor is known locally as the 'key to the port'.
La Canebière: This is the most famous road in town. Along it you will see shopping streets such as Rue St Ferréol, and the Musée de la Mode, the Musée de la Marine et de l'Economie , and the Opéra. The Odeon is right at the end.
Le Panier: A walk through this popular district, close to the old port, takes you around the Provençal pedestrian streets lined with multi-coloured buildings. The Clocher des Accoules , la place des Moulins, la Vieille Charité and la Major are all rich in history
La Plaine: In Marseille, Place Jean Jaures is also known as La Plaine. This huge square has a market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and a busy shopping area at other times. In the adjacent streets, there is a wide choice of restaurants, bars and pubs frequented by the locals such as l'Intermédiaire or the Bar de la Plaine.
Le Cours Julien: Just along from La Plaine, le Cours Julien is where young people like to go as there is a good variety of cafés, cabarets and fringe theatres such as Chocolat-Théâtre. For concerts Espace Julien is the place to go. Wander around the antique shops and clothing boutiques like Madame Zaza of Marseille .
Castellane: Bars and cinemas such as César and the Prado keep this square at the end of the Rue de Rome quite busy day and night. Set in the business district, it also marks the intersection of main roads such as Boulevard Baille and the Prado.
Le Prado: People come to the Prado to see the bourgeois buildings that line the main road, the Boulevard Périer and the Rue Paradis. The Parc Borély and its castle provide one of Marseille's biggest open spaces. The racecourse here is also very popular.
Endoume: The locals are partial to this district which is dominated by Notre Dame de la Garde . The name La Bonne Mère (literally 'the Good Mother') comes from the enormous statue of the Virgin Mary on top of the bell tower. This church is also an important site for pilgrims.
La Corniche: The Corniche (coastal road) winds along the Mediterranean coast and all the fanciest villas are located in this district, as is MAC-Galeries Contemporaines des Musée de Marseille . There are plenty of good views but the beaches are mostly hidden. The Palais de Pharo is a great place for walks and Vallon des Auffes is a pleasant surprise. Wherever you are, you can admire the open sea.
Longchamp: Palais Longchamp is a good place to go for walks and to take in a little culture. You can also visit the Musée Grobet-Labadie , the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Muséeum d'Histoire Naturelle —the natural history museum.
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