THE BEST Sights and Attractions in Marseille

🏛️ Sights and Attractions in Marseille

• Notre-Dame de la Garde — A 19th-century Neo-Byzantine basilica on a 532-foot limestone outcrop, with a golden Madonna statue, mosaic interiors, and panoramic views of the city and sea.
• Château d'If — A 16th-century fortress on an island off Marseille, made famous by Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo, reachable by 20-minute boat from the Vieux-Port.
• Calanques National Park — A 520-square-kilometer national park of limestone cliffs, turquoise coves, and hiking trails between Marseille and Cassis, with the Calanque d'En-Vau as the highlight.
• Marseille Cathedral — A 19th-century Byzantine-Romanesque cathedral with green-and-white stone stripes, domes, and a 230-foot spire overlooking the Vieux-Port.
• Longchamp Palace — A 1869 water tower and palace with a fountain, gardens, and the Museum of Fine Arts and Natural History Museum, built to celebrate the canal that brought water to Marseille.
• Vieille Charité — A 17th-century almshouse in Le Panier with a Baroque chapel, now housing the Mediterranean Archaeology Museum and Museum of African, Oceanian, and Amerindian Arts.
• Basilique Saint-Victor — A 5th-century abbey and crypt above the Vieux-Port, with early Christian sarcophagi and a 14th-century fortified church tower.
• Vieux-Port (Old Port) — A 2,600-year-old natural harbor at the heart of Marseille, lined with boats, cafes, and the Quai des Belges fish market, with views up to Notre-Dame de la Garde.
• MuCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations) — A 2013 museum designed by Rudy Ricciotti, connected by a bridge to the Fort Saint-Jean, with exhibits on Mediterranean history, culture, and science.
• Le Panier — Marseille's oldest neighborhood, a maze of narrow streets, pastel houses, artisan workshops, and cafés above the Vieux-Port, with the Vieille Charité at its heart.