Marseille is France’s second-largest city and its largest port on the Mediterranean. Thanks in large part to Algerian immigration in the 1950s, it is a melting pot of people and cultures. Marseille is also a place of striking contrasts: at the picturesque Vieux Port, sleek pleasure craft are found not far from the iconic fishing boats. Dominating the harbor is the infamous Chateau d’If, the rocky prison from which Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo escaped. Marseille also serves as a gateway to Provence, inviting exploration of the countryside around Arles and Avignon, as immortalized by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Matisse, and Picasso.
