World City Guide

Key Attractions

Vieux Port (Old Port)
The Vieux Port, whose 3,000 boats are guarded by Fort St Nicholas and Fort St Jean at the entrance of the harbour, is the heart of Marseilles. On the quai de Rive Neuve, check out La Criée (Marseilles' most famous theatre, built in 1909 on the site of the old fish auction rooms, hence its name) and the Place Thiars, a lively square dotted with dozens of restaurants and bars, the ideal place to meet up for an al fresco evening during the balmy summer months. Then cross the harbour on an old wodden ferry, the oldest of its kind in France (the trip takes just over a couple of minutes) to the other side, quai du Port, to take a peek at the impressive 17th century Hotel de Ville (town hall). Walk back up towards the quai des Belges (this is where the famous fish market takes place in the morning) from where you will have the best view of the Canebière, the most famous street in the city, and the subject of a popular song.

Notre Dame de la Garde
The landmark Romanesque-Byzantine church, towering on the highest point of the city, was built in the 19th century. Affectionately called the Bonne Mère (good mother), the church is topped by a 9m (30-feet) gilded statue of the Virgin, who is said to offer protection to fishermen out at sea (hence all the small ship models offerings hanging in the nave). The site also affords magnificient views of the city spread out at its feet, and of the bay, with the Frioul archipelago in the distance.

Rue Fort du Sanctuaire
Tel: (04) 91 13 40 80.
Free admission.

Le Panier and the Vieille Charité
The maze of narrow streets found in the Quartier du Panier, the oldest part of the city, lead to the Vieille Charité, a pretty set of buildings dating back to the 17th century, originally designed to take in vagrants and orphans (hence the name). Today the complex is an art centre, with two museums (the Mediterranean Archaeology Museum and the Museum of African, Oceanian and Amerindian Art), several art galleries, a café, a restaurant, and a bookshop. There is also an arthouse cinema, Le Mirroir, showing productions not on show anywhere else in town. The chapel, built by Pierre Puget, is in the French baroque style.

2 rue de la Charité, 2e

Mediterranean Archaeology Museum
Tel: (04) 91 14 58 59.
Admission charge.

Museum of African, Oceanian and Amerindian Art
Tel: (04) 91 14 58 38.
Admission charge.

Abbaye de Saint Victor
This beautiful abbey was built in the 5th century on the burial place of Saint Victor, a Roman martyr who had died two centuries previously. The abbey was destroyed several times over the year, until it was fortified by Pope Urban V in the 14th century. Make sure you pay a visit to the beautiful crypt, where every year the faithful gather for Candlemas. The abbey regularly houses concerts of religious music.

Rue de l'Abbaye, 7e
Tel: (04) 96 11 22 60.
Website: www.saintvictor.net (French only)
Free admission.

Musées (Museums)
There are several museums worth visiting in Marseilles. The Musée de la Mode, which has an interesting collection of over 6,000 costumes and accessories; the Musée Cantini, which boasts one of the richest French public collections devoted to 20th century art, including works by Matisse, Miro, Ernst, Bacon, Picasso, Derain and Bathus among many others; the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle and the Musée des Beaux Arts, both housed in the impressive Palais Longchamp; and the nearby Musée Grobet-Labadie, which includes exquisite Louis XV and Louis XVI furniture, as well as an outstanding collection of medieval Burgundian and Provençal sculpture, Gobelin tapestries; paintings; and faience.

Musée de la Mode (Fashion Museum)
11 La Canebiere, 1e
Tél: (04) 91 56 59 57.
Website: www.mairie-marseille.fr/vivre/culture/musees/mode.htm
Admission charge.

Musée Cantini (Cantini Museum)
19, rue Grignan, 7e
Tel: (04) 91 54 77 75.
Admission charge.

Musée d’Histoire Naturelle (National History Museum)
Palais Longchamps, 4e
Tel: (04) 91 14 59 50.
Admission charge.

Musée des Beaux Arts (Fine Arts Museum)
Palais Longchamps, 4e
Tel: (04) 91 14 59 30.
Admission charge.

Musée Grobet-Labadie (Grobet-Labadie Museum)
140 boulevard Longchamp, 1e
Tel: (04) 91 62 21 82.
Admission charge.

La Corniche J F Kennedy et les Plages (The Corniche and the Beaches)
La Corniche is the road that follows the sea, from the Catalans (just behind the Pharo at the entrance to the Vieux Port) to the enormous marble statue of David (a copy of the famous statue by Michelangelo) some 3.5km (2 miles) further east. Keep an eye out for the Vallon des Auffes, a picturesque fishermen’s village nestled in a little creek; a huge portrait of local football hero Zinedine Zidane, as well as several gorgeous private villas, some now housing thalassotherapy centres (see for example www.chateauberger.com), before reaching the Prado beaches, the locals' meeting point for sunbathing and swimming in summer, and walking, jogging and kite flying in winter. The road continues all the way to La Pointe Rouge, where you will find yet more beaches, a little harbour and plenty of surf shops (the area is popular for all kinds of watersports).