By air
Marseille Provence (MRS), ~25 km
Europe · France
Marseille, France
An old port and the Calanques
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to June and September — warm, less crowded
Don't miss
The Vieux-Port
Notre-Dame de la Garde
The MuCEM
The Calanques National Park
Things to do
Hiking the Calanques
The Vieux-Port
The MuCEM
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: lienyuan lee · CC BY 3.0
What to pack
Swimwear, walking shoes
A quieter corner
The Calanque de Sugiton
Questions travellers ask
Which months are good for Marseille?
May to June and September, when it's warm and less crowded. Pack swimwear and walking shoes.
Can I hike the Calanques from Marseille?
Yes. Head into the Calanques National Park, and seek out the Calanque de Sugiton.
What are Marseille's main sights?
The Vieux-Port, Notre-Dame de la Garde and the MuCEM. Refuel with bouillabaisse and panisse.
How far is Marseille's airport from the centre?
Marseille Provence (MRS) is about 25 km out.
About Marseille
- Coastal
Where it is
Marseille is the second-largest city in France and the prefecture of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, a Mediterranean port on the Gulf of Lion in the south-east of the country, ringed by limestone hills and the Calanques.
History
Founded around 600 BC by Greek settlers from Phocaea as Massalia, Marseille is the oldest city in France. It has been a great port ever since, trading across the Mediterranean, and it grew rapidly in the 19th century with industry and France's colonial empire; in 2013 it was European Capital of Culture, when the MuCEM museum opened.
People
Marseillais speak French with a Provençal accent, and the city has been shaped by generations of newcomers, with large Italian, Corsican, Armenian and North African communities. Bouillabaisse, pastis and games of pétanque are part of daily life, and each February navettes, boat-shaped biscuits, are blessed for Candlemas.
Known for
- The Vieux-Port
- Notre-Dame de la Garde, the Bonne Mère
- The Calanques National Park
- Bouillabaisse
- Marseille soap and pastis
Did you know?
The Château d'If, a fortress on a small island in the bay, was one of the settings of Alexandre Dumas's novel The Count of Monte Cristo.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.