Things to Do in Marseille

As Europe's only protected park to contain land, water, and semi-urban areas, Calanques National Park (Parc National des Calanques) is a mecca for outdoor adventurers. Whether you want to snorkel and sail, kayak and climb, or hike and watch out for wildlife, France's answer to the Garden of Eden has it all.

The Basics
The Calanques — known separately as Calanque de Sormiou, Calanque de Morgiou, Calanque d'En-Vau, Calanque de Port-Pin, and Calanque de Sugiton — are the park's main attraction. These brilliant rocky promontories are best discovered on a long hike or by kayak — you might even spot daredevils abseiling or cliff diving from the colossal cliffs. Snorkelers and scuba divers are rewarded with a kaleidoscope of marine life during underwater excursions to Monte Cristo, home of the prison that inspired Alexander Dumas' work of classic literature. Travelers without the desire to go underwater can explore the park with ease on an electric bike tour or fishing trip.

If you're short on time in the treasured French Riviera, consider combining sightseeing tours of Marseille and Cassis with a visit to Calanques National Park. Alternatively, opt to spend more time in the park's crystal-clear waters with a two-day scuba diving course.

• Most tours provide round-trip transport from your accommodation in Marseille, Cassis, or the Aix-en-Provence area.
• Be sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen to the park.
• It's best to wear comfortable shoes fit for outdoor exploration.
• Note that camping and motorized water sports are not allowed in the protected area.

How To Get to Calanques National Park
Although nestled between popular Marseille and Cassis, Calanques National Park is not easy to access by public transport or without a guide. The best way to visit the national park is by boat from Port de Cassis (cruises depart every 90 minutes daily) or on a day trip from central Marseille. If arriving by car, be aware that the closest beach is about a one-hour hike from available parking lots.

When To Get There
The most popular time to visit the French Riviera is during the summer months of June to September, when temperatures sit comfortably in the 70s F (20s C) and rain is nowhere to be found. However, if you prefer cooler climates and want to miss the crowds, May and June are the ideal months to head to the park.

Designed by Marseillais architect Pierre Puget and constructed between 1671 and 1749, the 3-storey, arcaded courtyard of the Centre de la Vieille Charité wraps around Provence's most imposing Baroque church. Initially built as a charity shelter for the town's poor but it was more like a prison: 17th century France was tough. Chasse-gueux (beggar-hunters) were paid to round up the poor and put them into almshouses which were effectively workhouses. In 1736, the Centre housed 850, by 1760 it was 1059 but by 1781 it was less acceptable to imprison people just for being poor and the number dropped to 250.

Spared during the French Revolution and used as an asylum, the Centre then became a barracks, a soldiers' rest home and, later, low-cost housing for people who lost their homes during WWII, the stunning arched pink-stone courtyard of the Centre de la Vieille Charite now houses Marseille's beautiful Musee d'Archeologie Mediterraneenne and Musee d'Arts Africains, Oceaniens & Amerindiens. The latter houses a diverse and often striking collection, including masks from the Americas, Africa and the Pacific.

The colonnaded Palais de Longchamp, constructed in the 1860s, was designed in part to disguise a château d'eau (water tower) at the terminus of an aqueduct from the River Durance. The building of this water storage and the associated canals and aqueducts was a major turning point in the history of Marseille as it allowed the city to expand, building new districts. One of these was the Boulevard Longchamp, laid out by the city then developed by private business people who profited from providing a grand boulevard of similarly styled, gracious houses.

Immortalized by Alexandre Dumas' intrepid protagonist Edmond Dantes in 'The Count of Monte Cristo' (Le Comte de Monte Cristo), the 16th-century fortress of Château d'If has allured history and literature buffs since it opened to the public in 1890. Perched on a rocky islet west of Marseille's Port Vieux (Old Port), the fortress-turned-jail incarcerated anyone opposing official authority between 1580 and 1871, endowing it with the status of one of France's most significant historical landmarks.

The Basics
For a holistic introduction to Marseille's rich history, combine your visit to Château d'If with a sightseeing tour or shore excursion of Marseille city, a jewel in the coastal crown of the French Riviera. Tick off Cathedrale de la Major, Notre-Dame de la Garde church, and Fort Saint-Jean before a guided tour of Château d'If. For travelers that prefer to explore independently, a Marseille city pass (valid for 24, 48, or 72 hours) covers your entry and boat ride to Château d'If, in addition to admission to 13 of Marseille's museums and a free walking tour.

If you've got limited time in Provence, a full-day cruise from Marseille to Cassis comes highly recommended — the panoramic views of the Côte d'Azur, the Gulf of Cassis, and the rocky promontories of the Marseille calanques reveal themselves in sun-drenched splendor. Afterwards, enjoy a guided tour of Château d'If that reveals the fortress' history.

• A visit to the fortress is ideal for history and literature enthusiasts.
• Audio guides are available in 11 languages.
• Take a packed lunch or book a tour with an included meal, as only ice cream and drinks are available to purchase on the island of If.
• If venturing to If independently, put aside three hours to cover the round-trip journey from Marseille and the fortress and island tour.

How to Get to Château d'If
From Vieux Port in Marseille, the Frioul If Express departs every hour, with the last departure from Marseille running at 4:05pm. The journey only takes 20 minutes and offers beautiful views of the Mediterranean's Frioul archipelago, which, in addition to If island, includes the islands of Pomegues and Ratonneau.

When to Get There
Château d'If is open between 10am and 6pm throughout the year but closed on Mondays. Due to its coastal location, it is more pleasant to visit on a warm and sunny afternoon. The summer months of June through September are prime for their warm climate and balmy coastal breeze.

The lands on either side of the Rhone River in western Provence have some of the most fertile terroir in France, giving rise to the prestige of the Rhone Valley Region of over 1,000 vineyards. If you're visiting France and want to explore a wine region that also has plenty of history and beautiful villages to boot, then you want to come to the Rhone Valley.

Because the long region runs north to south along the river's path, there are two separate sub-regions. The northern of the two are greatly affected by the Massif Central mountain range, and this the soil is tougher and the temperature swings are greater from season to season. The southern sub-region, on the other hand, is generally more mild throughout the year, but daily temperature swings are a factor in the terroir; its pebbly soil helps to retain the heat of the day to protect the vines at night.

The Cotes du Rhone classification is popular worldwide; surely you've seen this on your own wine store shelves, and there are great deals to be had with these labels, particularly the Cote du Rhone AOC. If you see “ Cotes du Rhone” on the label along with the words “Villages AOC” and a village name – for example, Saint-Gervais or Laudun – then you're in for a real treat, as these are a cut above your average Rhone wines. But the highest level also known as the “crus,” will simply be a village name and the acronym AOC, which stands for appellation d'origine contrôlée. A good example of this is the Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC; it is a  Rhone Valley wine, but its name is enough as to not need further explanation on its label.

Winding along the Mediterranean coast along the South of France, La Corniche is a waterfront roadway that stretches five kilometers through Marseille. As both a walkway and a road for cars, it offers wonderful views of the sea and coastline. It was a particularly popular promenade for residents of Marseille in the 1920s. From there you can also see the Iles du Frioul, elegant villas of the late 19th century, and the Prado beaches. The Chateau d’If (of the Count of Monte Cristo fame) is also visible.
Along the way sits the Maregraph Building, which took measurements over thirteen years to determine France’s sea level elevation. The bench of La Corniche runs three kilometers between the Pont de la Fausse-Monnaie and Hotel Sofitel Palm Beach, making it the longest bench in the world. Part of the roadway is named after President Kennedy, who was assassinated during its construction.

Wouldn't it be nice to be a prince, to be able to go to seaside town, decide you liked it and wouldn't mind having a little holiday home there, then have the city give you the prime location on the waterfront to build your palace? Welcome to the mid-19th century world of Prince-President Louis-Napoleon. In September 1852, he visited Marseille, said he liked it, was given the Pharo headland overlooking Vieux Port and Ile d'If, built the magnificent Palais du Pharo, then never even stayed there. Luckily his wife seems to have had a more generous nature and the Empress Eugenie gave it back to the city.

In 1904, the city of Marseille turned the building into a medical school. This necessitated some architectural changes and the balance of the building's appearance was altered losing some of its beauty. Since then, the building has been again modified to become a modern conference centre, with many of the auditoriums skillfully concealed underground below the forecourt. It also has restaurants and of course, those views.

La Canebiere is Marseille's Champs Elysees. Modelled on the famous Parisian boulevard, it is a wide stretch leading straight up from Vieux Port (Old Port) for about 3/4 mile (1 km). it does not quite have the elegance of the Champs Elysees being a little more a hotch-potch of shops, hotels, and restaurants, but it is a great place to get the feel of the city. Named after the city's thriving trade is nautical rope in the Middle Ages - canabe being the French word for cannabis or hemp from which the rope was made - the street is now the spine of the thriving city.

La Canebiere acts as a divider between different city districts. To its west there is the modern shopping mall Centre Bourse, to the south is the moneyed district, and to the north you'll find the quartier Belsunce where you can buy just about anything from the local Arab community if you're prepared to haggle with the street-traders. Behind the Centre Bourse is the Jardin des Vestiges, the ancient port center. Excavations here have turned up all sorts of things including bits of the 3rd century BC Greek city. Most of the finds, and an old Roman trading boat, can be seen in the Musee d'Histoire de Marseille in the Centre Bourse. Further up the street is the Musee de la Marine (in the stock exchange building) which has the nautical history of Marseille.