School outings in Marseille: nature, culture and heritage

You want to organize aschool outing in Marseille? Cultural visit or nature and environmental awareness, there are various options available to you and your students. The city of Marseille and the PACA region are home to beautiful, postcard-like landscapes. Its thousand-year history and heritage also promise some great discoveries. Between its calanques, its exceptional flora and fauna, its charming beaches, its historic monuments and its tourist sites, the Phocéenne city has plenty to surprise you.

Are you a teacher? Discover a selection of ideas for school outings in Marseille, suitable for nursery school, elementary school, middle school or high school students. Our school brochure has been designed to make things easier for you, and lists visits based on the national education curriculum. Change the format, choose a lively tour that will gently leave its mark through play, give our youngsters experiences around heritage, architecture, biodiversity and, who knows, eventually reveal vocations…

Confide us your desires for your classes and we’ll advise you!

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School outings around culture

Founded 2,600 years ago by sailors from the Greek city of Phocaea in Asia Minor, Marseille has an exceptional history. Marseille’s Office de Tourisme, des Loisirs & des Congrès offers services tailored to school groups, focusing on the heritage and past of the Phocaean city.

Guided tours of Marseille’s past

Guided tours tailored to primary, middle and high school students invite you to discover the antique, medieval and modern vestiges of the city of Marseille: the Jardin des Vestiges and the Port Antique, the Abbey of Saint-Victor, the Vieux-Port, the forts, the Cathedral de la Major retrace several centuries of History.
The monuments and emblematic districts take on a new dimension, illuminated by your guide’s explanations and anecdotes.

The Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde

Dominating the city from the hill, the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde is an emblematic symbol of Marseille. It is famous for its golden statue of the Virgin Mary, who watches over the city’s sailors and inhabitants. Built as a lookout overlooking the harbor and the city, it offers spectacular panoramic views of Marseille, the Mediterranean Sea and the surrounding hills.

The Mucem and Fort Saint-Jean

The Mucem, Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée, has become the emblem of Marseille’s cultural and tourist renaissance in the early 21st century. The lacy concrete building is linked to Fort Saint-Jean, which has been completely renovated and refurbished.

You can organize a school outing to the Mucem, and complement this discovery of the museum’s collections with a visit related to the history of Fort Saint-Jean, a former medieval fortress.

The Château d’If and its island

Built by François I to protect the city, the Château d’If was transformed into a prison. According to Alexandre Dumas, one of its cells housed the Count of Monte Cristo, hero of the novel of the same name. During a school outing on the mysteries of the Château d’If, history meets legend.

The plus? The sea shuttle crossing to the island delights younger visitors and adds an extra touch of adventure.

The street art encounter

A veritable open-air art studio, the Cours Julien has been transformed into a gallery devoted to street art. The walls have become huge canvases for street artists, graffiti artists and stencil artists. A school outing to the Cours Julien offers a fun and friendly experience, and an introduction to a contemporary art form that’s sometimes overlooked.

The quartier du Panier is also a place renowned for its many colorful frescoes. You can combine a visit to the neighborhood with an art workshop: your students will become real budding street artists!

Guided tour June Basket © ALB OTLCM (49)

School outings around nature

Between land and sea, Marseille boasts a natural heritage that is both unique and fragile. Discover all its must-sees in the form of discovery hikes to better understand how to protect our flora and fauna. Here are a few examples to visit during a school trip.

Le Parc National des Calanques

The only National Park in France located in an urban area, the Parc National des Calanques preserves a vast area of around 520 km² between land and sea. It owes its name to the calanques, deep coves with turquoise waters bordered by spectacular limestone cliffs.

The calanques offer magnificent natural landscapes, blending the Mediterranean Sea, steep cliffs, caves and secluded beaches. The diversity of flora and fauna in the park is remarkable. There is a wide variety of plant species, some of which are endemic to the Mediterranean region. The park is also home to a rich marine biodiversity, with fish, coral and other marine organisms. The Parc national des Calanques offers many opportunities for outdoor activities, such as hiking, climbing, scuba diving, kayaking, and much more. Marked trails allow you to explore the picturesque landscapes of the calanques and admire breathtaking panoramic views of the sea and cliffs.

You can organize a school outing to the Parc national des Calanques with a nature guide or animator, to raise awareness of this natural heritage of great beauty and real fragility.

Marcel Pagnol’s hills

Little Marcel spent his vacations at Bastide Neuve, a house located in La Treille. The Garlaban massif was his playground, and the setting for several books and films. From the Escaouprés valley to the Grosibou cave, from the Taoumé to the Garlaban, you can offer your children a school outing in the footsteps of Marcel Pagnol. You can combine an excursion into the hills with a visit to the Château de la Buzine, home to the Maison des cinématographies de la Méditerranée.

An unforgettable experience for all schoolchildren

Do you have a project in mind? Whatever your theme, together we’ll organize a school outing tailored to your educational challenges and resources. Contact our groups department to bring your ideas to life!