What to See in Marseille during a Weekend
Marseille (Marseilles in English) is one of the oldest cities in France, on the Blue Coast. We invite you to spend a weekend in a place full of history, monuments and architecture, combined with a varied nature and overlooking the beaches of the Mediterranean.
Marseille is not only a place of French tradition but also emerges as an alternative to cities like Paris, and is certainly worth visiting. Tourism in Marseille is important because there is a great originality in the conditions that exist, simultaneously, in this city. Optimal for rest, and for a weekend, Marseille is worthy of the best holiday conditions, even to go as we say just for a few days. 
What you can see in Marseille are basilicas, the port and palaces and cathedrals but also parks, and it is a wonderful place to stay by the Mediterranean without leaving the city environment.
Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde has Byzantine character and was built on the highest hill of the city. Inside are precious mosaics while outside you get very good views of the city of Marseille.
Le Cours Julien ‒ a Marseille neighbourhood of artists, with its many shops, where concerts take centre stage on summer nights. Terraces and squares are busy entertaining with cafes and restaurants; the bustle of this area shows we are in a very nice place to spend a romantic evening or just to have a drink with friends.
The Old Port, with its marina, is a place where many of Marseille’s events are held and also where you can visit the local fish market and walk around and see the day-to-day fishermen in this French city on the Mediterranean.
The Chateau d’If, once a fortress later a prison, is famous for inspiring the novel The Count of Monte Cristo. We can easily get there from the Old Port from where several boats sail to the island of If, the place where the castle is located. 
The Vieille Charité, a former almshouse or hospice, has become a very important archeology museum in the city.
The Corniche Kennedy is a magnificent promenade, with regular seating, running 3 kilometres alongside the shore of the Mediterranean, offering views of many monuments, villas and islands.
Calanques - between Marseille and Cassis is this wonderful natural environment of inlets and cliffs where you can walk freely and especially enjoy the views of the clear waters of the Mediterranean. It is also the place from where you can take boat trips and where you will understand why this place is so dear to the French, and Marseilles in particular.
The Longchamp Palace houses two museums, the Fine Arts and Natural History. The palace grounds (the Parc Longchamp) are filled with gardens, waterfalls and fountains and buildings with large decorative columns. It is a nice park to walk in and relax, after perhaps having visited an exhibition, or to simply relax with the sound of birds in nature. The park is listed by the French Ministry of Culture as one of the Notable Gardens of France.
Cathedral of Santa Mari
a Maggiore, having a style between Romanesque and Byzantine, was built in the nineteenth century. Inside you can find precious decorations made with marble and porphyry.
The Abbey of St Victor, with its characteristic arches and famous relics, is located in the city centre, near the Old Port, and is named after the local soldier saint and martyr, Victor of Marseille.
Park Borély consists of two parts, well distinguished, the French garden and the English garden. Spend Sunday in the summer sun enjoying a day in either, among the plants and trees that surely refresh us.
All this is as basic as you can see in your travels to Marseille, a place where you can discover beautiful architectural works, comprising a provincial scale versus the large cities of Europe. That's why we bring you here.
Editing by: Catherine Parker
Photo n. 1: Paul Noa
Photos n. 2 y 3.: Jacqueline Macou