Enjoying the French City of Marseilles

Marseille France

Next to Paris, Marseilles is the second largest city in France based on population. Marseilles has the largest port on the Mediterranean as well as being the financial center of the Provence-Alpes-Cote.

Even though Marseilles doesn’t have the immediate allure that fabulous Paris has, most visitors will fall in love with this great city.  You can spend hours just walking the many African markets, go to the cliffs falling into the blue sea, or visit Panier and the Corniche.

Marseilles has numerous sights for tourists who take the time and make an effort to really discover this French city.|

One stop to visit is the Vieux Port, or the old harbor. You can view fishermen selling the daily fish catch in an auction. In addition, if you land on the port in the evening, there’s a sight you will never forget – Notre Dame de la Garde.

The Notre Dame de la Garde is a large church that looks over Marseilles. In ancient times, the fishermen used to get their boats blessed here. As you tour the place today, you will discover a few boats remaining in the area.

The Cours Julien is a great place where you can rest and visit various book stores, a local playground, or even get a cup of French coffee.

The Boulevard Longchamp and Palais Longchamp are a castle and a walkway. The palace itself i not very large, but is definitely worth a visit.

Panier is an area near Borely park and is the oldest part of town. There you will find many old buildings, museums, monuments, and various exhibitions that are present throughout the year.

One place you should visit outside of Marseilles, is the Chateau d’If, a small island and was actually once a prison. It’s quite famous due to its association with the novel “The Count of Monte Cristo”. The Calanques are fjords which are spectacular, and have great views.

Marseilles is a beautiful place to visit, and absolutely has enough to keep its visitors busy with even if it is not as renowned or marketed as Paris.

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