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Founded in 600 before J.C. by the Phocéens (the oldest town of France), the town of Massalia, current Marseille, has at all times be a crossroads of ideas, races and civilizations. Marseille is today a large metropolis made up of a hundred villages, a town of history and a large port on the Mediterranean. It has just celebrated its 2 600 years.
To stroll in the alleys of Endoume overhanging the sea, to take part in the multiple manifestations of the summer, to leave in boat towards the islands, to stroll on the Old man-port, to make an escapade in the solid mass of the Creeks (The Calanques), there are some of the possible activities.

Cultural circuits
"Town of Art and History" : Many circuits with feet, in bus or boat with or without guides lecturers.
 
The port It was the cradle of the city, rested by the Greeks six centuries before our era. The Old man-port constitutes the axis from which all the city was organized. Today still, it knew preserved all the charm of a vibrating past which lives again at the hours of market...
Kept by the forts of Midsummer's Day and Saint Nicolas's Day, the sight of the master key of the Old man-Port starting from the Gardens of Pharo remains unforgettable.		  
Fort St Jean (photo P. Sasso bond at the end)
Abbey Saint Victor
Abbey Saint Victor. A first monastery, of which remain of the vestiges in the crypt dedicated to the Christian martyr Victor, was founded at the 5th century. It passed under the Benedictine rule and knew in XIème century, a true golden age. At the XVIIème century, one made bore the high windows of the nave. The enclosing wall was destroyed in 1660 at the time of the construction of St Nicolas Fort and the conventual buildings shaven under the Revolution.
Garden of the vestiges, principal testimony of the antiquity of the town of Marseille : it collects an ancient port dating from Ier Century after JC, a fresh water basin of Ier and IIe Century after JC, of the ways and the necropoles. In its continuity, the museum of history of Marseille reconstitutes the origins of the city with collections coming from the excavations, the models and the wreck of an ancient boat.

Basilica "Notre-Dame de la Garde". Place of devotion and symbol for all the Marseillais, the "Good Mother" dominates Marseille to 154 m of altitude. Remarkable collections of ex-votos and incomparable point of view. The basilica was built of 1853 to 1870, in a romano-Byzantine style . It draws up towards the sky, at the top of a bell-tower of 60 m and a bell-tower of 12,5 m being used as pedestal, a monumental statue (virgin with the child). A tourist train takes us along there.

The church of Reformés. The building, remarkable by its large neogothic frontage accomodates on its square, the statue of Jeanne d' Arc. It is located all in top of The Canebière.
The new cathedral of the Major was built in 41 years in a romano-bysantin style. It acts of the vastest cathedral built since the Middle Ages.

                
     
Cathedral de la Major      
 
Vieille Charité. Together architectural dating from XVIIe and XVIIIe centuries, whose vault was carried out by Pierre Puget (1620-1694), initially sculptor then architect. The hospice was intended to accomodate the poor and vagrants. Restored since 1970, it became an arts center sheltering amongst other things the museum of Mediterranean archaeology and the museum of African arts, oceanians and Amerindians.
Lonchamp Palace. In 1834, the municipality made build a channel bringing water of the Durance to Marseille. The Longchamp palace was then set up on this occasion, in the glory of water. It shelters the Museum of Beautiful Arts and the Natural history museum.
Lonchamp Palace

Various monuments decorate the streets of Marseille :
The triumphal arch of the door of Aix was carried out by the architect Pinchaud. Beginning in 1823, it was inaugurated only in 1839. Eight figures of military virtues, now destroyed, dominated this unit.
The Obelisk. Built by Pinchaud under Napoleon 1st which had appreciated them much at the time of its countryside of Egypt. It was formerly on the Castellane place from where it was moved in only one block. It is from now on Roundabout of Mazargues.
The David. It acts of the copy of the David of Michel-Angelo, offered by the Cantini sculptor-marbler to the town of Marseille. It is the Prado Avenue.


On the quay of the Port, in the old city, the district of the Panier tells the history of Marseille with its small typical alleys. It was a district of small trades related to the sea; but today it turns to the future with the Euromediterrannean project.

To see: the Daviel palace, the place of Lenche, the place of the Mills, the streets of the Panier, rise of Accoules and the bell-tower, the Hotel-Dieu, Vieille Charité, cellars of Saint Sauver... Palace of the Stock Exchange. Where models of ships and paintings are which illustrate the trade and the industry of Marseille, reminiscent of the close links which from time immemorial linked the big business and the marine armament. In addition to the museum of the navy, the palace of the Stock Exchange shelters the seat of the oldest Chamber of Commerce of France (1599). The building opens on the port and the large commercial arteries of the city. Superb building all in bottom of the famous Canebière.

Tourist sites and routes
 
The If Castle. Fortifed since 1524 by François 1st, then transformed into prison of state in 1624, it owes its fame in Alexandre Dumas who imprisoned his heroes of novels there: "the iron Mask" and the famous "the Count of Monte-Christo". Visits at the beginning of the Old man-Port, the end of a very pretty crossing of fifteen minutes.
The Cornice is regarded as a maritime public domain. While there walking one discovers the islands of Marseille, the castles, the memorial of the Repatriates, the Door of the East, the marigraph, of the hidden beaches and the restaurants.
The Cornice (photo P. Sasso bond at the end) Port de Callelongue (photo P. Sasso bond at the end)
Calanques. The classified site of the Creeks is a true monument of nature. This calcareous solid mass which borders the sea extends
on nearly 20 km of length and 4 km broad on the communes of Marseille and Cassis. Its cliffs, sometimes high 400 m, fall right in water green-turquoise. We counts about twenty of creeks, particularly appreciated by yachtmen. The principal ones among are Goudes, Callelongue, Sormiou (broadest), Morgiou, Sugiton, Devenson (highest cliffs), Oule, En-Vau (most wild), Port-Pine and Port-Miou (deepest in the grounds). The fauna and the flora of the solid mass of the Creeks are remarkable and protected. The Bonelli eagle and the pilgrim falcon come to nest there. The good walkers can discover them with foot while following the path of 25 km which skirts the coast. The contemplative ones will choose the boat. A rough spectacle at the mineral beauty...
For a small outline click here
  
Bond site photographs Philippe Sasso : http://www.xpo-photo.com/marseille/index.shtml
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