Top 10 must-see places in Marseille

The Old Port

The Greek city of Massalia was born of the mythical marriage of Gyptis, a native princess, and Protis, a navigator from Phocaea in Asia Minor. Together, they created a Greek trading post on the banks of the Lacydon (now the Old Port). The Old Port is the prestigious theatre where the history of Marseille is played out. It was here that the ancient Greek colony Massalia was born, which later became the Roman Massilia, and around the Old Port that the medieval Marsiho was built. From then on, the entrance to the port was guarded by two forts, Fort Saint-Nicolas and Fort Saint-Jean. Renovated in 2013, the year of Marseille’s European Capital of Culture (reduced traffic, redevelopment and creation of a shaded area by Norman Foster), the Old Port remains today the nerve centre of Marseille with its daily fish market, its ferryboat linking the two quays, its cafés, hotels, restaurants, its boat departures to the Calanques National Park or the Château d’If and its lively nightlife.

The Mucem and the Cosquer Cave

The heart of the Mucem (National Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations), built on the former J4 port mole, is a modern architectural structure designed by the architect Rudy Ricciotti in association with Roland Carta. The 15,000 m2 building houses two exhibition areas: the Galerie de la Méditerranée, dedicated to the discovery of the major stages of Mediterranean civilisations, and a space reserved for temporary exhibitions. The Mucem also houses a 355-seat auditorium, a space for the projection of audiovisual documents (“la Médinathèque”, in collaboration with the INA), a space dedicated to children (“l’Odyssée des enfants”), a bookstore-boutique, as well as “Le Môle Passédat” and “La Cuisine”, the restaurants of the famous 3-star chef Gérald Passédat, with a panoramic terrace.

The Cosquer Cave, restored in the Villa Méditerranée building in Marseille, finally reveals its secrets buried for 30,000 years under 37 metres of water. The Cosquer Méditerranée adventure unfolds on three levels with the prehistoric cave under the sea to be discovered on 1750m2 … Get on board autonomous modules and let yourself be guided for 35 minutes of exploration. Also visit the Mediterranean Gallery to discover life-size reproductions of the animal species that made up the wild fauna of the creeks during the ice age, the reconstruction of a pregnant Sapiens woman as well as digital and audiovisual projections on history, the rise of the waters and the climate.

The Château d’If

Marseille has some superb examples of military architecture, such as the Château d’If, built by order of King François I between 1527 and 1529. Off the coast of Marseille, the fortress, with its medieval curves, has essentially served as a state prison during its 400 years of official use. Made famous by Alexandre Dumas’ novel, the Count of Monte Cristo, the castle, a listed historical monument, is a must-see site to visit, just 20 minutes by boat from the Vieux Port.

La Cité Radieuse, Le Corbusier

Le Corbusier, an architect of avant-garde genius, built the “Cité Radieuse” after the war between 1947 and 1951. It is a vertical city of raw concrete, stilts and polychrome loggias, offering 337 magnificent flats, a hotel, a restaurant, a school, shops, an art and design centre and a panoramic roof terrace. Long reviled, the place is now a reference for artists and architecture lovers from all over the world. Since 2016, the Cité Radieuse has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Marseille Metropolitan Tourist and Convention Bureau manages the tours of the site exclusively and also offers a tour of a listed historic flat. 

The Corniche and the beaches

With 300 days of sunshine a year and 57 km of coastline on the Mediterranean, Marseille offers an ideal climate for those who enjoy swimming, walking, water sports or just relaxing. The city has 21 beaches, ranging from small white sandy beaches to the large beaches of Prado, as well as small, more intimate coves closer to the Calanques National Park. You can also admire the big blue by taking the Corniche Kennedy, a road which overhangs the sea and thus discover the longest bank of the world which extends on 3 km! The Corniche also has a beautiful cycle path from the city centre to the Prado beaches.

The Orange Velodrome

The Orange Velodrome stadium is one of the most famous sports venues in the world. It is the second largest stadium in France, after the Stade de France. Its renovation in 2014 increased its capacity to 67,000 seats, and in addition to covering all the stands, the modernisation project has allowed the emergence of a new centre of attraction: Le Prado shopping centre, 4* Marriott Hotel, restaurants…

The OM tour allows you to visit the stadium freely through a free route with many anecdotes, access to the changing room, the edge of the pitch and many exclusive places!