Marseille, is the second-largest city of France and with a population estimated to be approximately 1,6 in 2007, after those of Paris and Lyons, it forms the third largest metropolitan area in France. With its 26 centuries of history, Marseille combines tradition and modernity. The city extends across a wide geographical area divided into 16 arrondissements.The central six contain most of the city's historic buildings and its services.

Marseille has numerous museums covering every period of history from Antiquity to the present day, and from archaeology to motor bikes, Fine Arts and Marseille traditions. These museums are in historic buildings, such as the Vieille Charité and an architectural masterpiece by Pierre Puget. The site contains a number of collections, including the Egyptian Antiquities collection  which is the 2nd most important in France after the Louvre collection.
 
The city's main thoroughfare is the wide boulevard called the Canebière. Visiting Marseille’s millenial history and its museums and strolling its parks and its gardens are important in discovering the city. Marseille enjoys a splendid location in an outstanding natural environment, between the sea, the hills and the Calanques. These natural frontiers, the sea to the west and the encircling hills, have helped towards the emergence and creation of original places and landscapes. Around half of the city’s area is made up of public parks and gardens as natural spaces resulting in boasting a wide variety of sports facilities and teams. Additionally, some of the attractive places and historic buildings not to forget on your trip are the Phare de Sainte Marie, the Musée d'Histoire, the Museum of Old Marseille, the Marseille historical museum, the Palais de la Bourse and the Musée Cantini.