Marseille's oldest district in all its splendour

Guided tour of the Panier district

Le Panier, Marseille’s oldest district. With its ancient architecture and colourful alleyways, let’s set off together on a journey of discovery through images and text that will transport you to this legendary district of Marseille.
If you want to discover it with your own eyes, I highly recommend this guided tour.

Published on 14 June 2023

Andréa Lebihan

Marseille in 3 words

Versatile, sunny, cultural.
My favourite neighbourhood

I spent my childhood in L’Estaque district, and it has left me with so many incredible memories thanks to its family atmosphere and atypical character.

A district full of history

Born and bred in Marseille, I grew up in neighbourhoods far from the city centre, so my knowledge of it is more limited, although I do know the emblematic places. Today I had the chance to visit one of Marseille’s must-see places, the Panier district, which really touched me.
At 2pm, we meet up with our guide Gaëlle at the Musée d’Histoire. I was excited, but not being very sporty, I was very apprehensive about the long walk.

Before starting the tour, we were treated to a short history lesson, just as fascinating as in my secondary school days. I loved and still love this subject, which, despite what you might think, is useful and fascinates many people. It was a real pleasure to listen to the legend of Gyptis and Protis, the founders of Massalia (otherwise known as Marseille). I won’t divulge this fabulous story to you, I’ll leave you to discover it for yourself…
Gaëlle explains that during the construction of the Centre Bourse, the wreck of a Roman ship was found!
I invite you to come and discover this beautiful place and find out a little more about the founding of Marseille.

Guided tour of Le Panier © Mel OTLCM (94)

Guided tour June Basket © ALB OTLCM (21)

Guided tour June Basket © ALB OTLCM (49)

Discovering the city’s most famous landmarks

After this fascinating history lesson, we set off along the lively, brightly-lit streets.

On our way to the Panier district, we stopped in front of the Hôtel de Cabre, the oldest house in Marseille. Its history fascinated and touched me.
We continue wandering through the streets of Marseille and stop in front of the Hôtel Dieu, a former hospital transformed in 2013 into a luxury hotel, the Intercontinental Marseille Hôtel Dieu. The hotel is well known for its exceptional view of the Old Port and Notre-Dame de la Garde.

We then took a stroll up to the montée des Accoules, and after a bit of effort (it’s quite a climb!) we were treated to an extraordinary view. In this narrow alleyway with its huge staircases, I suddenly caught a whiff of something special and familiar… of course I quickly recognised the smell of my Marseille soap, a must-have and one of our city’s flagship products.

Destination… Le Panier

After a series of magnificent stops, we arrived in the heart of the Panier district. Its craft shops and famous colourful walls are revealed before our very eyes. I took full advantage of the incredible atmosphere. We pass by the Vieille Charité centre and our guide explains the history of the place and tells us a few anecdotes.

We arrive at the seafront. On our left are the Mucem and the J4 esplanade, and on our right the Cathédrale de la Major. My eyes filled with wonder at the superb view… A light, fresh breeze was blowing in, which did us a world of good in the heat!
Gaëlle tells us about the history of the Cathédrale de la Major. Its architecture is splendid. I’ll be back for a longer visit next time! It’s resplendent from the outside and it must surely be the same inside.

As the tour draws to a close and Gaëlle answers our last questions, I contemplate the breathtaking view one last time and thank the guide for this marvellous visit, which has given me so much more than I could have imagined. To finish off the visit, I set off for a stroll along the Old Port, skirting the sea.