This is an old fortress/prison set on the island of If a few kilometres from the main port of Marseille.
While the fortress has been on the island since the 16th century, its main claim to fame is as the place of imprisonment of the fictional inmate Edmond Dantès, the hero of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Montecristo.

Only 20 minutes by boat from Quai des Belges in the old port of Marseille.

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Third-generation chocolate makers in Marseille. This family-run business produces chocolate made from unlikely ingredients such as onion and lavender, as well as pralines (well it is France!) and traditional barres Marseillaises (dark chocolate covered in fruit such as oranges).

A very small shop but apparently is world famous amongst chocolatiers. Well worth a visit. Black and white pictures of previous generations line the walls.

49 rue du Petit – Puits close to Rue du Panier.

chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2004/07/un_weekend_a_marseille_part_i.php

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This might seem like an odd idea but the Alcazar library is honestly an interesting thing to visit in Marseille for those seeking to understand the life of the city.

An old music hall and theatre, which welcomed Jacques Brel, Charlie Chaplin and Georges Brassens before closing, the Alcazar has only been open to the public as a library since 2004. It is part of a scheme to invest in the Belsunce area of the city which, like most of the centre of Marseille, has an overwhelmingly working class and immigrant population.

It is a vast, modern and beautiful building, clean and filled with light and people during its typically Mediterranean 11am until 7pm opening hours.

The contrast is incredible between the cool, tranquil space of the library and the noisy, dirty and sunbaked road outside, where a tram line is currently being built and hundreds of people go in and out of shops and cafes selling Muslim wedding clothes, north African pastries, mint tea, halal meat, and CDs and videos of Moroccan pop stars.

There are constantly changing exhibitions, a press area and frequent film screenings.

Bibliothèque l'Alcazar
58 Cours Belsunce
13001 Marseille
www.bmvr.marseille.fr
Map: tinyurl.com/2rwy9j

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1950s revolutionary apartment construction by Le Corbusier, it houses a very well situated and reasonably priced hotel. The view is spectacular.

Cité radieuse Le Corbusier
280, Bd Michelet
13008 Marseille France

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Out in the hills to the east of Marseille is the small village of La Treille. The village is featured in Marcel Pagnol’s stories of childhood. Of course, this won’t mean a thing if you’re not familiar with Pagnol, but if you are, visiting La Treille will bring back the wonderful stories and take you tantalisingly close to the countryside that he Pagnol roamed back in the early 1900s.

You can visit Pagnol’s grave in the tiny cemetery, see the village square and follow the path that leads out of the village and into the hills. You can only realistically reach La Treille by car unless you fancy a good day’s trekking to get there and back.

Head east out of Marseille on the Aubagne Road then watch for signposts

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