Facts and Figures

The second city of France, Marseille has a population of 800 000, and is the provincial capital of the Bouches du Rhone department, extending over 57 kilometres along the Mediterranean Coast.

Just three hours by high speed train from Paris, Marseille is located in the middle of the Sun Belt, a socio-economic corridor which links Venice to the East with Valencia to the West.

The Vieux Port is the heart of the city. Although no longer commercially active, it is still a harbour for the fishing fleet, pleasure craft and ferries. The entrance to the port is guarded by the Bas Fort St. Nicholas, built in the 13th century. The Notre Dame de la Garde dominates the city from the hill overlooking the Vieux Port.