Tourist Attractions in Marcel

The most interesting and beautiful tourist sites in Marcel

Photos, reviews, descriptions, and links to maps

About Marcel

Marseille is the oldest harbour in the Mediterranean, a city with a rich, centuries-old history. It has existed for over 2,500 years. The city’s old harbour was an important hub of international trade back in the Antiquity. The powerful forts of Marseille were built by Louis XIV, better known as the “Sun King”, and elegant baroque palaces were the legacy of the last French emperors.

Holidays in Marseille are designed for a wide range of tourists. There are enough attractions for a rich sightseeing programme, and the magnificent beaches of the Friulian Islands will appeal to everyone. Tourists who prefer an active lifestyle can explore the coastline around Marseille on foot, mottled with beautiful bays – calanques.

Top-20 Tourist Attractions in Marcel

Old Port of Marseille

 4.5/5

5165 reviews

The history of Marseille began in the Old Port. It was here that the Phocaean Greeks landed 600 years before Christ and founded a colony. From the XIII century in the port worked shipyard, which built military ships. Until the 19th century and the construction of the New Port, the quay served as Marseille’s maritime gateway. Nowadays, the Old Port has become a popular tourist centre for yachtsmen and seafood vendors.

Palais Longchamp

 4.5/5

14917 reviews

The palace was built in the 19th century, with the Duke of Orléans laying the foundation stone. The Lonchan is a whole architectural complex, which includes a sculptural fountain group, a façade in the form of a triumphal arch and symmetrical colonnades. On the palace grounds is the Museum of Natural History with an extensive natural science collection and the Museum of Fine Arts, which exhibits sculpture and paintings from the 16th to 19th centuries.

Open time

Monday: 8:00 AM – 7:45 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 7:45 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 7:45 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM – 7:45 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM – 7:45 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 7:45 PM
Sunday: 8:00 AM – 7:45 PM

Château d'If

 4.5/5

4641 reviews

A famous 16th century fortress immortalised in the works of A. Dumas. It was in the prison of the Chateau d’If that Edmond Dantes from the novel The Count of Monte Cristo languished. The fort was originally used to defend Marseille from attack from the sea, but very soon it became a prison. From 1580 to 1880, the gloomy fortress on the island of the same name was considered Europe’s most dreaded penitentiary. Ten years after its closure in 1890, the Chateau d’If became accessible to tourists.

Open time

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Belmarço Palace

 4.6/5

13 reviews

The palace was built in the 19th century on behalf of Napoleon III for his wife, now owned by the city authorities and used for social events, conferences and receptions. The Faro Palace has about 500 rooms decorated in the Empire style. The building stands on a site by the sea, with cliffs and a precipitous coastline stretching out below. The best panoramic view of the castle is from the water.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

Ville de Marseille

 3.2/5

13 reviews

The city council building was erected in the middle of the seventeenth century. In the turbulent times of endless revolutions, it miraculously escaped demolition, although such thoughts occasionally arose among the newly formed governments. The building was built in the architectural style of “Provencal Baroque” by J.-B. Meolan and E. Belondel. The main entrance to the town hall is decorated with a bust of Louis XIV and the coat of arms of the Bourbon dynasty.

Open time

Marseille

 0/5

A 19th century architectural monument built for the city Chamber of Commerce. The Great Hall of the Stock Exchange can accommodate up to 2.5 thousand people. Not only brokerage firms are located here, there are also cultural institutions and a shopping centre. The imposing exchange building is monumental and somewhat bulky, with a row of powerful Corinthian columns wrapped around its facades.

Fort Saint-Jean

 4.7/5

1016 reviews

A fortress built in 1660 under Louis XIV. The fort is the “gateway” to the Old Port of Marseille. It was erected after the city revolt against the authority of the Governor of Provence. Interestingly, the cannons of the fort were not directed towards the sea – towards the supposed enemy – but inside the city. After the victory of the French Revolution, a prison was built on the territory of the fortress, where many noble prisoners were imprisoned.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

La Citadelle de Marseille (Fort Saint-Nicolas)

 4.4/5

314 reviews

A fortress located opposite Fort Saint-Jean. It was built on the site of an ancient 13th-century church designed by L. de Clairville. Saint-Nicolas was built for the same purpose as Saint-Jean – to suppress the repeated rebellion of the townspeople and to intimidate the dissatisfied, although it was officially announced that the fortress would reliably protect Marseille from enemies. The citadel was built in 4 years, which is considered a record time for the XVII century.

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Abbaye Saint-Victor

 4.6/5

3007 reviews

The abbey was founded by the Venerable Cassian in the early 5th century, on the site of the tomb of Victor of Marseilles, a martyr and Christian saint. In the IX century, as a result of attacks by nomadic Saracens, the monastery complex was partially destroyed, but in the X century it was rebuilt. Up to the XVIII century the abbey functioned successfully, but as a result of the widespread ruin of monasteries (a consequence of the French Revolution), the monastery fell into disrepair. Since 1840 it has been considered a national monument, but it was not restored until 1963.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Basilica of Notre-Dame of la Garde

 4.7/5

38284 reviews

The temple is located on a hill at the highest point of Marseille. It was built in the mid-19th century on the foundations of an ancient fortress. The inhabitants of Marseille consider the basilica the patron saint of the city. The building was built in Neo-Byzantine style by A.-J. Esperandier. On the top of the church bell tower there is an 11-metre statue of the Virgin Mary. Notre Dame de la Garde is one of the most visited tourist sites in Marseille.

Open time

Monday: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Cathédrale Basilique Sainte-Marie-Majeure, dit « La Major »

 4.6/5

13530 reviews

A picturesque cathedral built during the period of Marseille’s highest economic power in the second half of the 19th century. The church was built in a luxurious Byzantine style with round domes and graceful balustrades. During the construction a great variety of materials was used – from Italian marble to African onyx. The interior of the cathedral is lavishly decorated with mosaics, frescoes and decorative bronze elements.

Open time

Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Mucem - Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean

 4.4/5

20021 reviews

The museum opened in 2013, when Marseille was chosen as European Capital of Culture. The modern building housing the collections is connected to Fort Saint-Jean by a bridge. The museum exhibits both traditional items such as paintings, coins, equipment, furniture, and documents, as well as more provocative ones. Among the controversial exhibits are an image of a “pregnant” man and a statue of Aphrodite made of glitter and aluminium, created in 1966.

Open time

Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Old Charity Center

 4.4/5

3989 reviews

A cultural centre housed in a 17th century building. The centre was formerly an almshouse and a hospice. Nowadays the centre houses two museums. One exposition is devoted to the culture of the Americas, Oceania and Africa, the second is an archaeological collection. The building of the Centre de la Vieille Charité is in the Baroque style. The main material of the façade is pink and white stone from the local quarry.

Open time

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Unité d'Habitation

 4.5/5

1961 reviews

A 1952 house designed by Le Corbusier, the architect who implemented the city’s residential building programmes after the end of the Second World War. It was an innovative plan for the mid-20th century, as the house had 17 floors and could accommodate 1600 people inside. The roof of the building housed a gymnasium, swimming pool, kindergarten and other public spaces.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Green Vault

 4.7/5

6081 reviews

An archaeological excavation area containing the remains of architectural structures built before our era. These ruins were discovered in 1967. To preserve the priceless finds, a decision was made to create a park called the Garden of Ruins.

Open time

Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Bałtowski Tourist Complex

 4.6/5

11364 reviews

The park is spread over a vast territory of 17 hectares. It has an English garden, a botanical garden, sculptures, fountains, “living” tunnels of flowers and other elements of French landscape design. In the middle of the park there is a chateau of the XVIII century, which belonged to L.-J. Borely – an industrialist and shipowner. In the 19th century, the city authorities organised a public park on the site of the former Borely estate.

Open time

Monday: 2:00 – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 2:00 – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 2:00 – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 2:00 – 6:00 PM
Friday: 2:00 – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Orange Vélodrome

 4.6/5

34140 reviews

A sports arena with a capacity of 67,000 people. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2016 before the Euro 2016 championship. During the 20th century, the Velodrome hosted European league games, as well as individual matches of world championships. The stadium was erected in 1937, and for several decades it has been the home arena for Marseille’s Olympique football team.

Open time

Prado Beach

 4.1/5

8836 reviews

A complex of artificial beaches that was created by the city authorities in the 1970s. Before that, Marseille had no beach of its own. The embankment was made of small fragments of rock left after the construction of metro stations. The result was a coastal strip about 3.5 kilometres long, where, in addition to beaches with all the infrastructure, playgrounds, parks and recreation areas were located.

Open time

Friulian Islands

The Frioulian archipelago consists of the islands of Tiboulain, Ratonneau and Pomegou. There is an hourly city ferry from the Old Port of Marseille. The islands are attractive because they have a large number of comfortable beaches. Yachts are often moored in cosy coves, as people prefer to swim here rather than in the artificial harbour of Marseille. There is also a small settlement of Port Frioul on the islands, where you can dine in a restaurant.

Massif des Calanques

 4.7/5

728 reviews

The Calanques are small picturesque coves, French “fjords”, which can be found on the coast from Marseille to La Ciotat and Cassis. There are three ways to see this natural wonder – on a sea cruise, travelling by car and walking. Especially for hikers, the entire 20 kilometre coastline from Marseille to Cassis is equipped with hiking trails. Some calanques end in cosy sandy beaches.