Bienvenue à Marseille. Welcome to Marseille, the lively southern French city whose name rhymes with 'soleil'. There's beauty in the Old Port and the stunning coastline, there's history and culture a-plenty in the museums, there's a Provencal feel - boules and bouillabaisse - overlaid with a vibrant multi-ethnic mix. There's a little grit too, for this is the home of Marseille Noir crime fiction and the notorious Château d'If so graphically portrayed in The Count of Monte Cristo.

This introductory episode will help you get your bearings and pick up the basic facts which underpin everything. As the French say, 'On y va!' - Let's go!

Links and Reading Three useful websites for tourist Marseille Tourist Office Marseille Tourisme.fr About France: a short guide to Marseille

3 Guide Books The Rough Guide to Provence and the Côte d’Azur Marseille Travel Guide by Angela J Rea Marseille Travel Guide by Betty Vanslyke 4 books on Marseille Culture The Wicked City The many cultures of Marseille by Nicholas Hewitt Garlic, Mint and Sweet Basil by Jean-Claude Izzo Unveiling Marseille Your Insider’s Guide to the Multicultural Marvel by Tailored Travel Guides Taste the World in Marseille by Vérane Frédiani

City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Marseille series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk

We love to receive your comments and suggestions! You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode. That would be very much appreciated!