Marseille holidays

Things looks good from every angle on a Marseille city break. France’s second city is wrapped around a pretty port.

City breaks to Marseille

Marseille – France's second-largest city after Paris – sits on the country’s southwest coast, which helps it to rack up plenty of days of sunshine. A busy port takes centre stage here, so you’re best off picking a hotel close to the water’s edge. Restaurants, bars, and ice-cream parlours line the U-shaped port on all sides. And the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica towers over the town nearby – a tourist train takes trips to and from the hillside landmark from the port. The old town – AKA Le Panier – is another good option for central stays, as it’s pitched a 10-minute walk from the water.

Countless cultures

As the oldest city in France, Marseille’s well-versed when it comes to history. The pages of its book flick back to a time when it was founded by Greek settlers, more than 2,600 years ago. It was later part of the Roman Empire, before joining France at the back end of the 15th century. Then, during the 19th and 20th century, the city saw a wave of immigration from the likes of Greece and Italy, and from the French colonies of Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. All of this has gifted Marseille with a combination of cuisines, a mix of architecture, and an all-continents-covered arts scene.

Southern sights

The city’s well-connected, which is pretty handy for making your mark beyond Marseille. The Old Port lays on plenty of boat trips, with Calanque National Park as one of its top destinations. The park’s made up of more than 25 cloud-brushing cliffs and sandy inlets that offer up some of France’s most picturesque scenery. Beyond Marseille, and away from the water, it’s less than an hour’s train ride to Toulon – a great pick if you fancy a taste of the French Riviera without too much travel time.