Marseille City Breaks

A guide to Marseille

Marseilles feature a fascinating, vibrant, friendly city with a wealth of varied attractions and a distinctly African flavour. There's a rich architectural heritage, sandy Mediterranean beaches and a strikingly multicultural atmosphere, that imbues the city with immense character and interest, and explains the wide variety of culinary delights, amazing street markets and remarkably varied music scene. Even seasoned Francophiles will find Marseille offer a markedly different atmosphere to other French cities.

Vibrant and historic city

Visitors can tour the Vieux Port: a fascinating area packed with evocative old buildings, characterful street cafes, lively squares and top sights like the Abbeye Saint Victor and the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde. A busy working harbour and atmospheric immigrant neighbourhoods imbue the town with interest and personality, and areas such as Le Panier, the oldest in the city, are full of character. Sights such as the famous 2-mile long Corniche seafront are recommended, as are boat trips to the islands of Isle d'If and the Isles du Frioul, and exploration of the magnificent coastal scenery of the Calanques.

Diverse multicultural atmosphere

Eating is a highlight of every holiday, with great North African cafes, terrific food and fish markets, and classy restaurants along the waterfront and beaches. As France’s second largest and most cosmopolitan city, Marseille offers tremendously varied and enjoyable nightlife, notable for a music scene that includes jazz, folk, classical, opera, reggae, salsa and African music.