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🇫🇷 City · France
Marseille: France's oldest city by the Mediterranean
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France's oldest city, Marseille beats to the rhythm of its Old Port, where the fish market comes alive each morning along the quays. Just above clings Le Panier, the city's oldest district, a maze of colourful lanes, artists' studios and shaded squares next to the MuCEM esplanade. On its hill, the basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, the Bonne Mère, watches over the city and offers a free 360-degree panorama. At the harbour entrance, the restored MuCEM and Fort Saint-Jean tell the story of the Mediterranean, linked by a footbridge above the sea. Further south, the calanques unfurl white cliffs and turquoise coves. Between pastis, soap, pétanque and sunshine, Marseille fully owns its raw, warm Mediterranean identity.
In Oscar-winning “The French Connection” (1971), the detective tracks the smugglers as far as the Chateau d'If and the alleys of Le Panier.
Founded around 600 BC by Greeks from Phocaea, Marseille is France's oldest city; in 1515 Francois I joined an orange-throwing battle at Notre-Dame de la Garde.
At the Vallon des Auffes, a tiny fishermen's harbour under the Corniche bridge, locals dive off the rocks at dawn before the crowds arrive.
Spring and autumn bring gorgeous light and ideal walking temperatures, while summer is hot and very busy, especially in the calanques. Metro, tram and buses serve the centre well, and small ferries cross the Old Port. For the calanques, bring good shoes or take a boat trip, plus water in summer. For connectivity, 4G and 5G mobile coverage is very good in the city but patchier deep in the calanques; free wifi is widespread in cafés, museums and at the MuCEM.