At first glance, Marseille seems unlikely to be France’s oldest city, with its modern energy and 19th-century buildings, but the Musee d’Histoire de Marseille will change those assumptions. Founded by Greek colonists from Phocea in the 6th century B.C., Marseille has seen every wave of southern European powers come and go: Greeks, Ligurians, Romans, Goths, Catalan and French. Its status as a port has ensured that all those cultures would be mixed together. Visit the Musee d’Histoire de Marseille to see that mixture on display through thousands of artifacts.

Follow the museum’s well-organized design, which splits a visit into 13 chronological steps, each opened with a multimedia presentation from a historian or archaeologist who is a specialist in the field.

Start with the museum’s masterpiece, a 2nd-century wooden boat, one of the best preserved from this period in the world. It was discovered during excavations of the site of the museum in the 1960s. Notice the shallow hull, perfect for moving along the Mediterranean coast on trips from Rome to Marseille and then on to ports in Spain and North Africa.

Peruse the more than 4,000 artifacts on display, spanning much of the history of Marseille from the Iron Age to the city’s reconstruction in the 19th century. See how different elements of culture, from Hellenized Antiquity to early Christianity to today’s lively multi-religious spaces, have affected the people and things here.

The Musee d’Histoire de Marseille is located in the very heart of Marseille’s tourism and shopping district, almost within the Centre Bourse shopping mall. Walk here from the Old Port in about 5 minutes. From the main train station travel by tram in just over 5 minutes or walk directly in 10 minutes. Metered parking is available in a few nearby garages.

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from mid morning to early evening. The ticket price includes access to a free audio guide available in French, English and Italian.