Interesting Things To Do In Marseille

An Overview of Marseille

Marseille is an important port city in France founded by Greek trading routes in 600 BCE. The core of the city is Vieux-Port (Old Port) which is filled with small sailing boats bobbing in compact rows. The rest of the city’s central area is filled with important landmarks, multicultural neighborhoods, historic buildings and delicious food options. There are many interesting things to do in Marseille.

Interesting Things To Do In Marseille

Notre Dame De la Garde

Also known as la Bonne Mère, this is the primary symbol of Marseille. The structure is a a prominent Catholic basilica with amazing views over the lower town and Marseille’s famous port. For over 800 years, this basilica has been a popular religious pilgrimage site.

Old Port of Marseille (Vieux Port)

The Old Port of Marseille contains stylish hotels, gorgeous waterfront cafés, unique seafood restaurants, quayside fish markets and a yacht marina filled with bobbing sailing boats. The port entrance is guarded by the ancient Fort Saint-Jean and overwatched by the Romanesque-style Saint-Laurent Church.

Chateau d’lf

This famous fortress is located on the smallest island of the Frioul archipelago. The Chateau d’lf was built in the 16th century before being converted into a prison. The island was immortalized in popular literature by Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel The Count of Monte Cristo. The protagonist of the novel was wrongly imprisoned in the Château d’If for many years.

Cours Julien Art and Market Street

This is Marseille’s popular street for public artworks, small galleries and interesting shopping venues. This is considered one of the most lively areas of the city.

Marseille Cathedral

This is a large Roman Catholic Cathedral and national monument of France, located near the Old Port Area. It’s a lavish neo-Byzantine cathedral with an interior filled with murals, marble and mosaics.

Plage du Verdon Beach

Roughly a half hour drive outside of Marseille, this is a popular beach and cove with calm blue waters. There are numerous resorts, restaurants and pedal boat rentals nearby.

Parc Borély

This public park in the southern portion of Marseille is a 17 hectares green space which leads to the Jardin botanique E.M. Heckel. The park is nearby several seaside swimming beaches. The park was classified as one of the “Remarkable Gardens of France” by the Ministry of Culture. It’s a relaxing place to escape the bustle of the city.

Jardin des Vestiges Archeological Park

Situated in the center of Marseille, these uncovered ancient ruins were incorperated into a protected, landscaped garden space. The ancient remains were the original foundations for the port area. They can now be found behind the shopping arcade in Centre Bourse.

Palais Longchamp (Natural History Museum)

This stunning palace is a monument made of stone bulls, staggered fountains and beautiful buidlings. The monument hosts the Muséum D’histoire Naturel de Marseille, a natural history museum with valuable artworks, relics and exhibitions. The venue is surrounded by the gorgeous grounds of Longchamp park.

La Corniche

This route is a winding road which follows the Mediterranean coast. The route and beach space is brushed by sea breezes, distinctly beautiful stone buildings near white cliffs and unique coves. This route wanders south from the Old Port area, hugging the coastline.

Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations

This unique museum with a strange, wavy, lattice-surface design is the first national museum dedicated to the Mediterranean civilizations of the 21st century. The museum rests beside the sea, reflecting off the bay waters at night.

Fort of Rotonneau

Located on the small island of Ratonneau, distant viewers may see rows of crosses rising from rubble and rocky ground. However, these aren’t religious icons. The Fort of Rotonneau was simply never finished, with WWII German forces failing to fortify the island as a heavy-artillery defense. The crosses which now stand on the island are exposed, concrete structs originally intended to become an ammunition shelter.

L’Esperantine de Marseille

This is an excellent boutique chocolatier shop famed for their olive oil choclate creations.

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