Attractions:
Vieux Port
Palais du Phoro: Located on the Plateau du Phora. Originally conceived as a gift from the city of Marseille to Louis Napoléon Bonaparte. However, the building, which was begun in 1857, was only completed in 1870 when the revolution broke out and has never been used as an imperial residence. In 1904 it was transformed into the École de Médecine (Medical Institute).
Opera (1787).
Vielle Charité (quartier du panier): The city's finest building, a well-restored inn designed by Louis XIV's architect Pierre Puget (1620-94). It was begun in 1671 and completed in 1749. The building's original purpose was to shelter wandering peasants. It also houses a small but fine collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts.
Cathédrale de la Major from 1893: The bishops of Marseille are buried in the crypt. Next to it is the old cathedral from the 11th century, which contains a reliquary altar from 1073.
Préfecture (1867).
Basilique St-Victor: The finest religious edifice in Marseille. The fortress once belonged to one of the most powerful monasteries in Provence. It was founded in the 4th century. The fortress was expanded from the 11th-13th centuries. There are crypts with catacombs, sarcophagi and the cave of St Victor.
Maison Diamantée (Quartier du Vieux-Port): One of the oldest buildings in Marseille from the end of the 16th century.
Fort Saint Nicolas: Located on high ground south of the entrance to the old harbour. Louis XIV built this fort in 1669 to protect the red of Marseilles but also to control a city that had long been hostile to him.
Palais de la Bourse: first building erected during the Second Empire between 1852 and 1854.
Hôtel de ville (1653).
Pavillon Daviel: Marseille's old courthouse.
Basilique Notre dame de la Garde: 19th-century neo-Byzantine basilica rising 155 metres above the south of the city. Atop its 46 metre high bell tower is a gilded Madonna. From here, there are stunning views of the city and the old harbour.
Château d'If: Fortress located on a small island in the bay of Marseille. Completed in 1528, the fortress was built at the behest of François I as a defence against the Spanish. It was turned into a prison for political prisoners in 1580. Among the famous inmates are Alexandre Dumas' novel hero The Count of Monte Cristo, the legendary Man in the Iron Mask and the real Comte de Mirabeau. Currently, the fortress is empty.
Les palais Longchamps (1862): the realisation of an old canal project in Marseille supplied with water from the Durance River.
The Manufacture des Tabacs was built in 1868 in the popular Belle-de-Mai neighbourhood. The city of Marseille bought the factory in 1994 to create a local history centre. This is where you'll find Marseille's local history archive.
Eglise Notre dame des Accoules: This church was demolished in 1794 because it housed political assemblies during the Wars of Religion. All that remains is the courtyard, the chapel and the 14th-century bell tower built on top of the old 10th-century tower.
Hôtel Dieu: Municipal hospital dating back to 1166.
Palais de Justice: court building built between 1856 and 1862.
Château Borély: A very fine example of 18th century architecture in Provence. Built by Louis Borély, one of the most important families in Marseille in the 18th century.
Jardin des Vestiges: In this park at the Centre Bourse, recent excavations have revealed the remains of ancient fortifications and quays and a stretch of road dating from between the 3rd and 4th centuries BC.
Musée d'Histoire de Marseille: Local history museum. Reconstructions of the city at the height of the Greek period.
Musée des Docks: Here you'll find the remains of uncovered Roman docks on display in the very spot where they were found. The small museum contains large storage jars for wine, grain and oil found on site.
Musée de Vieux-Marseille (Quartier Panie): This small museum is a great introduction to the folk life of Provence. It also exhibits drawings and models of Marseille as it has looked through the ages.
Musée Cantini: Located in the 17th-century Hôtel de Montgrand. The collection of 20th century art, a testamentary gift from sculptor Jules Cantini, includes works by Fauvist, Cubist and Surrealist painters.
Musée Grobet-Labadié: The grandest house in Marseille with one of the most intriguing interiors in the area. The museum houses a fine collection of furniture, tapestries, paintings from the 17th to 19th centuries...
Cité Radieuse: Le Corbusiers' Cité Radieuse with its vertical concrete structure housing shops, social clubs and schools.
