Calanques
The Calanques are a series of narrow, steep-walled inlets along the coast south of Marseille, a national park of white limestone cliffs plunging into turquoise water. Free to hike and swim.
Church in Marseille
Notre-Dame de la Garde
Notre-Dame de la Garde is a Romano-Byzantine basilica on the highest point in Marseille, topped by a golden statue of the Virgin Mary visible from everywhere in the city. Free to enter. The interior is covered in ex-voto paintings and model ships left by sailors. The view from the terrace covers the city, the Calanques, the Mediterranean, and the Frioul Islands. Budget travelers hike up (20 minutes from the center) or take the cheap bus and get the best free panorama in southern France.
Practical
Before you go
- Address
- Montée de l'Oratoire, 13006 Marseille
- Good to know
Nearby
More in Marseille
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
Le Panier
Le Panier is Marseille's oldest neighborhood, a steep grid of narrow streets above the Vieux Port with colorful facades, street art, artisan workshops, and the Vieille Charite (a 17th-century almshouse now housing free exhibitions). Free to walk.
Vieux Port
The Vieux Port (Old Port) is the historic harbor at the center of Marseille, a rectangular basin surrounded by cafes, fish markets, and the morning fish auction. Free to walk.
Working out what Marseille costs?
The whole of Marseille