From castles to cathedrals, read on for the must-visit attractions in the majestic city of Marseille.

France

Marseille

The Top Things To Do and See in Marseille, France

From two-star city boltholes to luxury spots with seafront three-Michelin-star restaurants, read on to discover the best hotels in Marseille – bookable with Culture Trip.

The Best Hotels to Book in Marseille, France

Read our guide on the 20 best unmissable attractions to see in Marseille, including the architecture, the beaches, the art and the islands.

20 Unmissable Attractions in Marseille

Discover Cours Julien, one of Marseille's trendiest neighbourhoods. Learn where to go and what to do while visiting this up-and-coming neighbourhood.

Why You Should Get Lost in Cours Julien, Marseille's Trendiest Neighbourhood

Marseille is a good base from which to explore nearby national wonders or provençal towns either by bus, train or car.

The Best Day Trips to Take From Marseille

Featured Articles

What ended the last century as a city in dire need of regeneration is now an underrated gem of historical architecture, brand-new restaurants and magnificent harbours. Marseille is a refurbished hotspot just aching to win you over.

The Insider Guide to Marseille

The story of Marseille starts 2,600 years ago with the arrival of the Greeks. Since then, the streets here have been shaped by waves of traders and invaders from across the world. Their influence combined with that of artists and bohemians to create a unique blend of culture, cuisine and creativity.

However, by the 1990s, Marseille had fallen from grace (and the guidebooks). The 1995 Euroméditerranée project began to reinvent it; come 2013, it was declared the European Capital of Culture, boasting a swanky transport system, fancy hotels and amazing museums.

The beating heart of the city, Vieux Port, is where the magic begins. Head down La Canebière to the harbour for a sunset stroll. Or, even better, go on a boat trip to the 16th-century Château d'If – the imposing fortress inspired literary classic The Count of Monte Cristo. Head to the Îles du Frioul for some off-shore sightseeing. On the way you’ll catch a perfect vista of Le Panier – the old city – and the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde rising up from the sea.

You don’t have to go too far from the harbour to see the sights either, with plenty of the top attractions centred around the old town, such as the majestic Byzantine Marseille Cathedral and la Vieille Charité. A perfect example of neoclassical architecture, this 17th-century almshouse is now home to the Musée d’Archéologie Méditerranéenne and Musée d’Arts Africains, Océaniens et Améridiens. Fancy more museums afterwards? Then MuCEM (the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations) should be your first port of call, with the Musée d'Histoire de Marseille scooping up second.

Other sites of interest include la Cité Radieuse – a Unesco World Heritage site and fascinating example of 20th-century communal housing. Don’t forget the character-filled neighbourhoods of Le Cours Julien, La Plaine and La Belle de Mai. If you fancy a swim, Vallon des Auffes is for you. Need more reasons to visit? Then read on.

The Main Attractions

Oran

Setif

Algeria

Luanda

Angola

Cotonou

Porto-novo

Benin

Botswana

Ouagadougou

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Tonga

Yaounde

Bamenda

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Kinshasa

Lubumbashi

Congo

Abidjan

Cote Divoire

Florentin

Dijibouti

Djibouti

Cairo

Alexandria

Sharm El-sheikh

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

Asmara

Eritrea

Addis Ababa

Lalibela

Ethiopia

Gambia

Accra

Kumasi

Cape Coast

Ghana

Guinea-bissau

Nairobi

Mombasa

Malindi

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Libya

Antananarivo

Antsirabe

Madagascar

Blantyre

Malawi

Bamako

Timbuktu

Mali

Mauritania

Port Louis

Mauritius

Casablanca

Marrakech

Sale

Morocco

Maputo

Mozambique

Swakopmund

Windhoek

Namibia

Lagos

Abuja

Ibadan

Nigeria

Pointe-noire

Republic Of The Congo

Kigali

Musanze

Butare

Rwanda

Dakar

Touba

Senegal

Seychelles

Freetown

Sierra Leone

Cape Town

Durban

Johannesburg

South Africa

South Sudan

Khartoum

Sudan

Mbabane

Manzini

Swaziland

Zanzibar

Arusha

Dar Es Salaam

Tanzania

Tunis

Hammamet

Tozeur

Tunisia

Kampala

Gombe

Uganda

Western Sahara

Lusaka

Zambia

Harare

Bulawayo

Zimbabwe

Africa

Antarctica

Kabul

Afghanistan

Dhaka

Bangladesh

Thimphu

Bhutan

Bandar Seri Begawan

Brunei Darussalam

Siem Reap

Phnom Penh

Sihanoukville

Cambodia

Shanghai

Beijing

Guangzhou

China

East Timor

Wan Chai

Hong Kong

Mumbai

Delhi

India

Bali

Penang

Jakarta

Indonesia

Israel

Tokyo

Kyoto

Osaka

Japan

Almaty

Astana

Kazakhstan

Pyongyang

Korea

Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan

Luang Prabang

Vientiane

Pakse

Laos

Macau

Kuala Lumpur

Ipoh

Malaysia

Maldives

Mongolia

Yangon

Mandalay

Nay Pyi Taw

Myanmar

Kathmandu

Darchula

Nepal

Hyderabad

Islamabad

Lahore

Pakistan

Manila

Boracay

Baguio

Philippines

Riyadh

Jeddah

Mecca

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

Asia

Events and Activities in Marseille, France | Culture Trip

Outdoor Activities

Escape the city - the best outdoor places to visit

See & Do

Why You Should Get Lost in This Fishing Village in Marseille

See & Do

The Prettiest Parks in Marseille

Attractions

Fun things to do that are worth your time

See & Do

10 Things To Do In The Old Port Of Marseille, France

See & Do

The Top Things To Do And See In Panier, Marseille

Shopping

Fashion

10 Top Flea Markets and Thrift Stores in Marseille

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Marseille’s Coolest Boutiques And Design Shops

Books

The Best Independent Bookstores in Marseille

Books

Top 10 Independent Bookstores in Provence

See & Do

Places to Buy Souvenirs in Marseille

Iconic Buildings

Learn about historic sites and special architecture

Architecture

Marseille's Most Beautiful Buildings

Architecture

A Brutalist Architecture Tour of Marseille, France

See & Do

Five Must-See Ancient Sites in Marseille

Tech

How Marseille is Innovating the Meaning of "Workspace"

See & Do

The Most Magnificent Churches in Marseille

See & Do

History of Notre-Dame de la Garde in 60 Seconds

Culturally Curious

Discover what makes this city so unique

See & Do

Unusual and Cheap Museums You Can Visit in Marseille

See & Do

The Best Museums in Marseille You Should Visit

Art

Marseille's Most Notable Art Galleries

Art

For the art lovers - everything from museums, galleries to street art

Art

Marseille's Must-Visit Contemporary Art Galleries

Art

The Best Contemporary Art Galleries In Marseille

Art

5 Famous Street Artists Making Waves in Cambodia