Located north of the Old Port, the Panier Quarter is one of the oldest areas of Marseille, a must-visit place and one of the main tourist attractions of the city.

Built in the 16th-17th centuries, it is a labyrinth of narrow and crooked streets with an indescribable medieval atmosphere.

The history of Marseille started here: in 600 BC, this area became home to the first city inhabitants, the ancient Greeks, who founded the city of Massalia here. Perhaps the streets of the Panier Quarter still hide the true, unmatched spirit of this ancient city.

Throughout its history, the appearance of the quarter has hardly changed. Local cafes and shops have been operating for centuries. Even the air and smells are still the same.

Medieval yellow buildings with a unique structure are decorated with red-tiled roofs, colorful shutters, elegant black lanterns, wrought-iron balconies, and, of course, flowers. Locals often dry things on clotheslines thrown between houses. Besides, many facades feature original and bright graffiti by street artists.

However, it is also associated with tragic events. During the Second World War, Marseille was one of the main centers of the Resistance, whose fighters lived in the Panier Quarter. In January 1943, the Germans decided to blow up this residential area. Thousands of people were sent to concentration camps. Buildings were destroyed. Nevertheless, after the end of the war, the stubborn French restored the original appearance of the quarter.

In French, "panier" means "basket". Some people believe that the outlines of this labyrinthine area with narrow streets resemble this wicker object, while others claim that the name of the quarter appeared because of an image of a basket on one of the store signs.

The Panier Quarter is adjacent to many city attractions: the Diamond House, home to the Museum of old Marseille, the Maison de l'Échevin de Cabre which is the oldest house in the city (it was spared by the Germans), the building of the former almshouse named La Vieille Charite, as well as the Church of Notre-Dame des Accoules.