Marseille - the town of the Count of Monte Cristo, fishermen and the local soup of buffet

Marseille is the second largest and most ancient city of France, was founded in 600 BC by the Greeks who arrived from Phosseia, Marseilles still retains the name of the Phosean capital. At that time, the city was called Massaglia and was a wealthy independent Greek republic even during the Roman Empire, until 49 BC, when it was captured by Julius Caesar. It is the largest port in France near the mouth of the Rhône, to which Marseille is connected by a canal.

The city is very peculiar and colorful, reminiscent of Odessa. This is due, of course, to the ancient history of the port city, where many nations and nationalities mixed. The accent of this multinational city with a unique culture is as colorful as Odessa. Marseille is the birthplace of actor Fernandel, Marius Petipa brilliant choreographer, who put all the famous classical ballets on the Russian stage and the location of the filming of the famous films “Taxi-1” and “Taxi-2”, “Taxi-3”.

Getting to know Marseilles is best to start from the Old Port with its fishermen, fish market and typical restaurants, where you can taste the famous Marseille soup la bouillabes. The entrance to the Old Port is delimited by the forts of St. George. Nicolas (fort St. Nicolas) built by Louis XIV century. and St. Jean (fort de St. Jean) (XII-XV-XVI centuries). It used to be a bay around which there were many trees and greenery, so found the old port of the Greeks from Phosseus. It was the first and only port of Marseille until the 19th century, one of the largest and oldest ports on the Mediterranean, dubbed the "gateway to the East". From here you can go on a pleasure boat to the island of If, where the If castle is located, which became famous thanks to the novel by Alexander Dumas “The Count of Monte Cristo”.

In the narrow streets of old Marseille you need to walk to feel the spirit of the city. Wandering through the narrow streets of the old quarter of Panje you can visit the museums of Vieille Charité, located in the building of the former almshouse, built in the Baroque period. And finally, Notre Dame de la Gard is the main attraction of the city, which is a symbol of Marseille, towering over the city of Basilica. The modern church, consecrated in 1864, is built in Romano-Byzantine style with a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary. The Marseilles called this church, towering above the city, "La Bonne Mère" (Mother Intercessor) and firmly believe that the Virgin will save and protect them if necessary.

Not far from Notre-Dame de la Garde is the ancient Abbey of St. Victor (Abbaye Saint-Victor), one of the oldest abbeys in southern France, construction began in the 5th century, above the burial place of the first Christian martyrs. Over the following centuries, it expanded and strengthened. Another interesting building is the Palais Longchamp. Architectural with a beautiful park and fountains worthy of Versailles. Built in the mid-19th century in honor of the construction of the canal, thanks to which Marseille was supplied with water from the Durance River. The palace houses the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Natural History.

There are many interesting sights in Marseille: The triumphal arch, the cathedral of La Major, numerous fountains. A monument to modern modern modern architecture is Cite Radieuse (City Radieuse) - "City of Happiness", a 17-storey residential building was built immediately after the Second World War, the famous Fpanzian architect Le Corbusier.

In Marseille, you can also enjoy the sea and beauty of the landscapes with picturesque cliffs and sunbathe on the numerous beaches: The pebble beach of Prado, the sandy Pointe Rouge, Escal Boreli and Corbier.

In Marseille you will finally meet the castle of If, made very famous thanks to the novel by Alexaandraa Dumas “Count of Monte Cristo”, located on an island 2 km from the Old Port and you can taste the famous Marseille fish soup Buyabes.