Marseille

Let the oldest and second largest city in France astound you with its location on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean climate and wealth of cultural influences.

As the second largest city in France, Marseille has a long history.

Founded in ancient times, the southern French port city on the Mediterranean is considered the oldest city in France. As a melting pot of different cultures, it’ll enchant you with a mixture of Mediterranean flair, Arabic-Islamic influences, diverse architecture and culinary discoveries. An important place to go is the bustling Vieux Port, with one restaurant after another lining its promenade. Ancient fortress walls can be found here as well as modern museum buildings.

Marseille is the capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Crowned a European Capital of Culture in 2013, it’s ideal for a city trip combined with a beach holiday. There’s a wide range of museums and the nearest beach is never far away. Marseille is an ideal starting point for discovering southern France: to the east is the Côte d'Azur, to the northeast is Provence and to the west are the holiday resorts of Languedoc-Roussillon. In the immediate vicinity of Marseille, you’ll also find the Calanques National Park - a paradise for hiking, snorkelling and climbing.

Picturesque villages, sun-kissed beaches, well-developed hiking trails, picturesque vineyards and the scent of lavender, thyme and rosemary in the air - that's Provence. The extremely attractive region that stretches from the Mediterranean coast in the south to the French Alps in the north. Pretty cities like Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Cassis are just a train ride from Marseille. A hike through the Calanques National Park with its famous limestone cliffs shouldn’t be passed up. Wild horses and flamingos can be observed in the Camargue UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. If you want to visit a typical Provence village surrounded by lavender fields, you should plan a day trip to Sault.

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