Discover Marseille, the Phocean city

Second-largest city of France, Marseille is the ultimate cosmopolitan city.
By approaching the Phocaean city by ferry, as travellers did over the centuries, you will enjoy the incomparable charm of this ancient city always turned towards the sea.

European capital of culture in 2013 and sport in 2017, Marseille is today a large international city, comparable to European capitals, which opens the doors of its MUCEM, its auditorium "The Silo" and those of its famous « Stade Vélodrome ».
Close to the city, Marseille-Provence international airport will give you the opportunity to discover the whole world !

Marseille, the perfect match between tradition and modernity

Open to the world for nearly 26 centuries, Marseille has always been a city of history, culture and art. The huge city's heritage - its listed monuments, its historical districts - is one of its main assets.
But Marseille, gate to the old continent, is also a central hub of trade between Europe and the rest of the world, with all the advantages and infrastructures of a modern international capital.

Cosmopolitan city par excellence

Born of the meeting between the Earth and the Sea, the Phocaean city, oldest city of France, trading post since its birth in the sixth century BC, became Greek, then Roman, Catalan and other during its existence, now appears as the western conservatory of Mediterranean cultures. A migratory crossroads since as far as we can look back in time, with peoples and communities crossing and melting, this city has forged its identity on this cultural mix of which it is so proud.

Overlooking the city, this Romanesque-Byzantine style Basilica is the emblem of the Phocaean city. Built in 1864, Notre-Dame de la Garde has been considered since the Middle Ages as the protectress of sailors and fishermen, her statue of the Virgin, more than 11m high, covered with gold leaves, guiding travellers to the entrance of the city. Offering an exceptional panorama of the harbor and an unobstructed view to the Mont Ventoux, its very richly decorated chapel, its gildings and ex-voto perfectly preserved, it is a major visit for the holidaymakers as well as for the inhabitants of Marseille.

Europe's first peri-urban terrestrial and marine park, the Calanques site is known and recognized all over the world for the beauty of its landscapes and for the richness of its biodiversity. Jewel of the Mediterranean, it is visited each year by 2 million users: walkers, hikers, climbers, fishermen, divers... It is impossible not to be overwhelmed by all the wonders offered by this unrivalled site.

The Mucem is the first National Museum dedicated to the Mediterranean and its civilizations. Floating between sky and sea at the entrance of the Vieux-Port, the Mucem wants to be at the top of Marseille heritage. Architectural ensemble of rare beauty, composed of the Museum with its panoramic terrace, its footbridge leading to Fort St-Jean - fort of the twelfth century including vestiges of the very first Greek occupation in the sixth century BC.- and its esplanade open on the emblematic district of the Panier, it is just as pleasant to go through the exhibitions as to simply have a walk there.