Department
Museums, galleries and heritage in Bouches-du-Rhône
258 places to discover across Bouches-du-Rhône.
Including Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure and Château des Baux.
60 of 111 places, sorted by distance from the center
MuseumMusée Ziem
Martigues
GalleryEloge de l'Art
Salon-de-Provence
GalleryPavillon Des Arts
Carry-le-Rouet
GalleryShowroom Sandrine Berthon
Pélissanne
GalleryGalerie d'Eon
Salon-de-Provence
GalleryLe Pôle Chezanne
Marseille
MuseumFondation Vasarely
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryArts-Discovery
Aix-en-Provence
GallerySpeech Art
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumMusée du pavillon de Vendôme
Aix-en-Provence
Arterravins
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryGalerie Goyet
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryGalerie d'art Carré d'artistes
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryGalerie Jeanne Bossert
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumMusée des tapisseries
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumMusée Paul Arbaud
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryGalerie Le Container
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryGalerie Portalis - Les 3 Ormeaux
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryGalerie À Miriam Hartmann
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryGalerie Ars Longa
Aix-en-Provence
Gallerygalerie nea
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryBel-Air Fine Art
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryWildlife Art, Aurélien Raynaud
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumMusée Granet
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryGalerie Ramand
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryLa Non-Maison
Aix-en-Provence
GalleryMichelle Picca Angers
Eyguières
MuseumMx Experience
Marseille
MuseumFrac Sud - Cité de l'art contemporain
Marseille
MuseumMusée Regards de Provence
Marseille
GalleryBert et CathA ici ou là
Marseille
GalleryArtotheque Antonin Artaud
Marseille
GalleryGalerie des Augustines
Marseille
GalleryArt Dialogue
Marseille
GalleryGalerie Au service de l'art
Marseille
GalleryGalerie Alexis Pentcheff
Marseille
MuseumCentre d'art Tadao Ando
Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade
GalleryGalerie Mourlot
Marseille
GalleryGalerie Beatrice Soulié
Marseille
GalleryGalerie Béatrice Soulié
Marseille
GalleryStudio Fotokino
Marseille
GalleryFaces
Marseille
GalleryGalerie d'art Carré d'artistes L'Expo
Marseille
GalleryGalerie1809
Marseille
GalleryGalerie de Francony
Marseille
GalleryYann Letestu
Marseille
GalleryGalerie Zemma
Marseille
GalleryGalerie Béa-Ba
Marseille
MuseumMusée des Beaux Arts de Marseille
Marseille
MuseumMusée Grobet-Labadié
Marseille
GalleryCapitale & Victor Orly
Marseille
GalleryGalerie Pluskwa
Marseille
GallerySarl 5 J Espace Jouenne
Marseille
GalleryYellowKorner
Marseille
MuseumMusée Cantini de la Ville de Marseille
Marseille
GalleryGalerie l'Atelier des Arts
Marseille
GalleryGalerie Andrea Ferro
Marseille
GalleryNendo Galerie
Marseille
GalleryDouble V Gallery · Marseille
Marseille
GalleryGalerie Najuma
Marseille
A Department Shaped by Three Distinct Cities
Bouches-du-Rhône, part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, owes its cultural weight to three towns that developed almost independently: Marseille, France's oldest city and a major Mediterranean port; Aix-en-Provence, the former capital of Provence and birthplace of Paul Cézanne; and Arles, where Roman infrastructure and Van Gogh's brief but intense stay left a permanent mark.
Marseille alone gathers a cluster of civic museums, many built around the 19th-century Palais Longchamp, including the Musée des Beaux Arts de Marseille and the Muséum d'histoire naturelle de la Ville de Marseille, housed in the same building's two wings.
Marseille, Aix and Arles: Distinct Cultural Territories
In Marseille, the area around the Vieux-Port concentrates history museums, notably the Musée d'histoire de la Ville de Marseille, built directly on the excavated remains of the ancient port, and the Musée d'Archéologie Méditerranéenne de la Ville de Marseille. Further south, the industrial heritage site Friche de l'escalette occupies a former lead factory along the coastline.
Aix-en-Provence is best explored on foot between the Musée Granet in the old town and the hillside Atelier des Lauves, Cézanne's last studio, a twenty-minute walk north. Contemporary art has its own circuit here, from 3 bis f - Centre d'arts contemporains to the Granet XXe, chapelle des Pénitents blancs.
Arles is compact enough to cover on foot, with Roman and medieval monuments recognised by UNESCO as Arles, monuments romains et romans standing a few streets from the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles and the Musée Réattu, set in a former Grand Priory of the Knights of Malta.
Cézanne, Van Gogh and the Painters of Provence
Paul Cézanne was born and worked in Aix-en-Provence, and the town preserves the most direct trace of his practice at the Atelier des Lauves, where his easel, coat and studio props remain in place. Nearby, the Moulin Cézanne in Le Tholonet recalls the countryside he painted repeatedly.
Vincent van Gogh lived in Arles for just over a year, a period that produced some of his best-known canvases; the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles does not hold his original works permanently but pairs contemporary art with pieces on loan that dialogue with his legacy. In the same city, the more recent LEE UFAN ARLES brings the minimalist sculptor and painter's work into a Roman-era setting.
Frequently asked questions
How many days are needed to see the main museums of Bouches-du-Rhône?
Plan at least three to four days: one full day in Aix-en-Provence for Cézanne sites, one to two days in Marseille for its civic museums, and one day in Arles for its Roman monuments and Van Gogh-related sites.
Is it possible to visit Marseille, Aix-en-Provence and Arles without a car?
Yes, all three cities are connected by regular train service, with journeys under an hour between Marseille and Aix, and around 20 minutes between Marseille and Arles.
What is the best time of year to visit Arles' Roman monuments?
Spring (April-June) and early autumn (September-October) offer mild temperatures for exploring the open-air amphitheatre and Roman theatre without the summer crowds and heat.
Are the Marseille museums at Palais Longchamp free to enter?
The permanent collections of the Musée des Beaux Arts de Marseille and the Muséum d'histoire naturelle, both housed in the Palais Longchamp, are free of charge, though temporary exhibitions may require a ticket.
Can you still see where Cézanne actually painted in Aix-en-Provence?
Yes, the Atelier des Lauves preserves his final studio exactly as he left it in 1906, and the nearby Moulin Cézanne in Le Tholonet sits within the countryside he depicted in numerous landscapes.
Is the Musée du Savon de Marseille a working factory or just an exhibition?
It is both: the museum is operated by an active soap works, the Savonnerie de la Licorne, so visitors can see traditional production methods alongside the historical displays.