Marseille: France's oldest port

Founded by Greek Phocaeans over 2,600 years ago, Marseille remains France's oldest city and one of Europe's most vibrant Mediterranean ports.

The Old Harbor and center are explored on foot; the metro is useful for reaching Notre-Dame de la Garde or distant neighborhoods.

The Vieux-Port, the city's beating heart since its Greek founding, hosts a fish market every morning right on the docks where fishing boats moor.

Climbing toward the hill, you reach the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, which dominates the city from its height of one hundred fifty-four meters with a view spanning to the islands offshore.

Right out at sea, the Island of If, made famous by Alexandre Dumas' novel 'The Count of Monte Cristo', is reached by a short ferry ride from the old port.

Toward evening, the Panier neighborhood, the city's oldest with its narrow and colorful streets, comes alive with art galleries and small restaurants.

The gilded statue of the Madonna on the basilica, nearly eleven meters high, is visible from much of the city and the open sea, serving as a landmark for sailors arriving for centuries.

The real Château d'If housed royal prisoners, quite different from the famous Edmond Dantès invented by Dumas, but the fame of the novel has made the island one of the city's most visited destinations.