Marseille is located on the south-eastern coast of France, almost near Nice and Cannes, and despite the fact that it is not frequented by tourists, this bustling city is definitely worth stopping by if you plan to be in the area! We visited on a whim when we flew from Madrid to Marseille, on our way to Switzerland.
We decided to rent a car and drive from Marseille to Switzerland so that we could experience a quick 2 days in France and soak in the French countryside on our way to Geneva, and we were so glad we did!
Below is a list of all of our Marseille favorites, and a perfect little itinerary for a quick 2-day stop! As you may have guessed, it is devoted to the history and culture of European and Mediterranean civilizations. We explored Fort Saint-Jean free , and the free J4 building, which is an astounding concrete cube that forms a perfect square. Be sure to come back and see it at night too, as it is lit up from the inside!
We just walked over to the outside of it, took a quick peak inside and left. It was cool to see, but small compared to Notre Dame de la Garde. Calanques are rugged coastal areas interspersed with narrow, steep-walled inlets developed in white limestone or other similar rock. Think the fjords of Norway⦠these are dry limestone cliffs that jut into the water. Sugiton is the most popular area of the park because it is the calanque that is most easily accessed by hikers and is open even during the hot season.
During the summer some of the other calanques are closed due to high fire risk, so if the calanques are in your travel plans be sure to do some research to see which ones are open during your visit!
