Book a budget hotel in Marseille

At the Pharo Palace: it’s feet in the grass and head in the clouds! During your stay at your hotel, visit the Pharo Palace which dominates the entrance to the Old Port. In 1855, the city presented the land to Napoleon III, who had this imperial residence built with its feet in the water. He never stayed there, however, as the work was not completed until after he had fallen from power. At the entrance to the gardens, on the left, the buildings which once housed the Institute of Tropical Medicine for the Army Health Service have been assigned to Aix-Marseille University. The palace once housed the school of medicine before becoming an international convention center. Although it is not open to the public, you can take advantage of the wide lawns surrounding it to picnic around the monumental steel sculptures by Bernar Venet or take a relaxing break in the sun. From here, you become fully aware of the geography of the city, embedded between the sea and the hills. The park offers breathtaking views of the entrance to the port, the whole city and the Saint-Jean fort facing it. Behind the palace, an impressive monument to the heroes and victims of the sea features three bronze sailors gazing towards the entrance to the port.

The Cathédrale de la Major: the new face of Marseille. Departing from your hotel, visit the Cathédrale de La Major, located between the Panier and Joliette districts. The only cathedral built in France in the 19th century, it is spectacular in size, accommodating up to 3,000 people! It is one of the largest cathedrals in the world, alongside St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Designed in the Romano-byzantine style, it blends Christian and Islamic elements, opening a cultural gateway to the Orient. Three architects collaborated in its construction: Léon Vaudoyer, Henri-Jacques Espérandieu and Henri Antoine Révoil. Inside the building, admire the statutes and the spectacular floor mosaic designed by Charles Errard. As you leave the cathedral, take a few steps towards the sea, on the wide pedestrian square which offers a panoramic view of the bay of Marseille and reveals the new face of the Joliette district. The Côte Bleue appears in the background and on your right you will recognize the CMA-CGM tower built by Zaha Hadid, which is the tallest tower in Marseille and its little sister, the Marseillaise, designed by the Jean Nouvel workshops. Going down the steps, you can walk along the voûtes de La Major, a group of shops and restaurants set up in former warehouses at the foot of the cathedral.