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.
55 of 55 places, sorted by distance from the center
MuseumMusée d'arts et traditions populaires Albert Reynaud
Marignane
Musée de l'Aviation
Saint-Victoret
MuseumMusée Ziem
Martigues
Musée des Amis de Castrum Vetus
Châteauneuf-les-Martigues
MuseumGalerie de l'histoire de Martigues
Martigues
MuseumMusée du vieux Saint-Chamas
Saint-Chamas
MuseumPetit Musée de Carro
Martigues
MuseumMusée Suffren et du vieux Saint-Cannat
Saint-Cannat
MuseumFondation Vasarely
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumMusée du pavillon de Vendôme
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumMusée du vieil Aix
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumMusée des tapisseries
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumMusée Paul Arbaud
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumMusée de l'atelier de Paul Cézanne
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumAtelier des Lauves
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumMusée Granet
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumGranet XXe, chapelle des Pénitents blancs
Aix-en-Provence
MuseumMx Experience
Marseille
MuseumFrac Sud - Cité de l'art contemporain
Marseille
MuseumMusée des civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée
Marseille
MuseumMusée Regards de Provence
Marseille
MuseumMusée des arts africains, océaniens, amérindiens
Marseille
MuseumMusée d'Archéologie Méditerranéenne de la Ville de Marseille
Marseille
MuseumMémorial des déportations de la ville de Marseille
Marseille
MuseumMusée de Paléontologie - Aix-Marseille Université
Marseille
MuseumMusée des docks romains
Marseille
MuseumCentre de Conservation et de Ressources du Mucem
Marseille
MuseumMusée Provençal
Marseille
MuseumMusée d'histoire de la Ville de Marseille
Marseille
MuseumCentre d'art Tadao Ando
Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade
MuseumLe Musée du Savon de Marseille
Marseille
MuseumMusée des Beaux Arts de Marseille
Marseille
MuseumMusée Grobet-Labadié
Marseille
MuseumMuséum d'histoire naturelle de la Ville de Marseille
Marseille
MuseumMusée Cantini de la Ville de Marseille
Marseille
MuseumMusée de Notre-Dame de la Garde
Marseille
MuseumMusée des arts décoratifs, de la faïence et de la mode de la Ville de Marseille
Marseille
MuseumMusée d'art contemporain de Marseille
Marseille
MuseumPavillon Southway
Marseille
MuseumMusée Arteum
Châteauneuf-le-Rouge
MuseumMusée de la Légion Etrangère
Aubagne
MuseumMusée-fondation Louis Jou
Les Baux-de-Provence
MuseumMusée Estrine
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
MuseumMusée des Alpilles Pierre de Brun
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
MuseumMusée municipal d'arts et traditions populaires
Cassis
MuseumFondation Manuel Rivera-Ortiz
Arles
MuseumLEE UFAN ARLES
Arles
MuseumMuseon Arlaten
Arles
MuseumMusée Réattu
Arles
MuseumFondation Vincent van Gogh Arles
Arles
MuseumMusée de l'Arles antique
Arles
MuseumMusée Frédéric Mistral
Maillane
MuseumMusée ciotaden
La Ciotat
MuseumMusée camarguais
Arles
MuseumMusée des Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
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.