Marseille was a Greek trading port centuries before Paris was more than a village, and it has looked out to sea ever since. Fishermen still sell their catch on the Old Port each morning, a golden Virgin watches over the city from its highest hill, and wild limestone coves begin where the suburbs end. Here are the facts and stories that make Marseille special.
10 fun facts about Marseille
- Founded by Greeks: sailors from Phocaea, in today's Turkey, founded the city as Massalia around 600 BC, which is why Marseille is often called France's oldest city.
- An anthem named after the city: La Marseillaise was written in Strasbourg in 1792. It got its name from volunteers from Marseille who sang it as they marched to Paris that summer.
- The Good Mother: the basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, consecrated in 1864, stands on the city's highest point. Its gilded statue of the Virgin and Child is 11.2 metres tall and visible from far out at sea.
- A church full of thank-yous: inside the basilica, painted ex-votos from sailors and families cover the walls, and model boats and planes hang from the ceiling.
- An island prison made famous by a novel: the Château d'If, on a small island off the coast, was built for King Francis I in the 1520s and later became a prison. Alexandre Dumas locked up his hero there in The Count of Monte Cristo.
- France's second city: Marseille has the second-largest population of any French city, after Paris.
- A mirror on the harbour: in 2013, when Marseille was European Capital of Culture, Norman Foster's polished steel canopy went up on the Old Port, and the MuCEM museum opened by the sea.
- A national park on the doorstep: the Calanques National Park, created in 2012, protects the limestone cliffs and coves between Marseille and Cassis, on land and at sea.
- Prehistoric art below the sea: the Cosquer Cave, with paintings tens of thousands of years old, has its entrance 37 metres underwater. Diver Henri Cosquer found it in 1985, and a full-size replica opened near the MuCEM in 2022.
- First French champions of Europe: in 1993 Olympique de Marseille became the first French club to win the Champions League.
The legend of Gyptis and Protis
The ancient story of Marseille's founding is a love story. Legend says that when Greek sailors from Phocaea landed in the bay, led by a young man called Protis, the local king Nann was holding a feast at which his daughter Gyptis would choose her husband. She was to show her choice by handing a cup to one of the guests. She gave the cup to the stranger Protis. The king gave the couple land by the bay, and there they founded Massalia. The ancient harbour they used lies under today's Old Port, and the remains of its quays can still be seen in the Jardin des Vestiges, next to the history museum.
Le Panier, explained
Le Panier, on the hill just north of the Old Port, is where the Greek city began, and it is the oldest part of Marseille. In 1943 the German occupiers expelled the residents of the old streets along the harbour and dynamited them, so the waterfront below Le Panier was rebuilt after the war. Higher up, the steep lanes, staircases and washing lines survived. At the top stands the Vieille Charité, a Baroque almshouse designed by Pierre Puget and built between 1671 and 1749, now home to museums.
What to eat in Marseille
- Bouillabaisse: a fisherman's stew of several kinds of rockfish, served in two courses, first the broth with croutons and rouille, then the fish.
- Navettes: boat-shaped biscuits flavoured with orange blossom, created in 1781 and still sold at the Four des Navettes near the Abbey of Saint-Victor.
- Panisse: chickpea flour batter, set, cut into sticks and fried.
- Pastis: the aniseed aperitif that Paul Ricard launched in Marseille in 1932. Add cold water and watch it turn cloudy.
- Aïoli: a garlic and olive oil sauce served with salt cod, boiled vegetables and eggs, traditionally on a Friday.
Good to know before you go
- Go to the Quai des Belges on the Old Port in the morning to see fishermen selling the night's catch straight from their boats.
- Boats to the Château d'If and the Frioul islands leave from the Old Port. Crossings can be cancelled when the mistral wind blows hard.
- In summer, access to the Calanques can be restricted on days of high fire risk, and some of the most popular coves require a free reservation. Check before you set off.
- Notre-Dame de la Garde is a steep climb from the Old Port. Bus 60 goes up the hill.
Explore Marseille with World City Trail
Our Marseille scavenger hunt turns these sights into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around three hours, with about 51 minutes of walking, and leads you around the Old Port (Vieux-Port) and up into Le Panier.
At each stop you solve a puzzle and hear a short story, at your own pace. You can start whenever you like.
Play the Marseille scavenger hunt →
Facts checked in October 2026.