Region: Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur (PACA)
Population: 860,363
City ambassadors: Basile Boli (former French international), Florent Manaudou (2012 Olympic-winning swimmer)

Marseille is a rich, pulsing port city bubbling over with history, cutting-edge creative spaces and hip multicultural urbanites. Since Greek settlers came ashore around 600 BC, waves of immigrants have made Marseille (now France's second-largest city) their home.

The city is looking fabulous after its tenure as the European Capital of Culture in 2013. Its maritime heritage thrives at the vibrant Vieux Port (Old Port), or you can explore the ancient Le Panier neighbourhood, set on a hill above the water; the Republique quarter, with its swanky boutiques and Haussmannian buildings; and the stunning contemporary architecture of the Joliette area around Marseille’s famous striped Cathedrale de la Major. Along the coast, seaside roads and cycling tracks veer around sun-scorched coves and sandy beaches.

What to See

•  Le Panier

Splendidly situated on a hillside above the Vieux Port, this colorful neighborhood is the historic center and cultural heart of Marseille. Le Panier is Marseille's oldest quarter, inhabited since antiquity when the ancient Greeks settled here in 600 BC. With its steep, narrow winding streets and quaint pastel buildings, this quarter offers a glimpse into the charming personality of Marseilles.

•  Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde

In a breathtaking hilltop location, this spectacular church stands on the summit of Marseille as its most important landmark, visible from afar. The site was used in ancient times as an observation point, and during the Middle Ages, was the location of a pilgrimage chapel. Today, the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde is a beacon for the faithful, with an enormous gilded Madonna crowning the belfry.

Transport

Marseille is served by an international airport, a TGV railway station and several motorways. The city is easily accessed and has a network of over 1,100km of roads. Marseille is linked to the Rh?ne Valley and northern Europe by the A7 motorway, to Spain by the A55 and to Italy by the A50 and A8.

In addition to overland access, the Marseille-Provence airport at Marignane, with its MP2 terminal for low-cost airlines, connects Provence to the rest of the world via 132 scheduled flights, the most in France outside Paris. More than eight million passengers used the airport in 2012. Connections to the city are by bus and motorway.

The TGV arrives at the Saint-Charles railway station in the heart of Marseille. The journey time to Paris is just over three hours while Lyon is a mere one hour and 40 minutes away. Marseille's international bus station is adjacent to the railway station and has departures to all major European cities. Ferry lines also link Marseille to Corsica, Algeria and Tunisia.

Football

The city boasts a wide variety of sports facilities and teams. The most popular team is the city's football club, Olympique de Marseille.

Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and has spent most of their history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions ten times (nine times in Ligue 1) and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In 1993, coach Raymond Goethals led the team to become the first and only French club to win the UEFA Champions League. In 1994, Marseille were relegated because of a bribery scandal, losing their domestic trophy, but not the Champions League title. In 2010, Marseille became French champions again under the stewardship of former club captain Didier Deschamps.

UEFA capacity: 67,000
Tenants: Olympique de Marseille
Reopened: October 2014 (originally opened June 1937)

Stade Velodrome was built to serve as a playing venue for the 1938 World Cup. Soon after it became the new home of Olympique de Marseille after Stade de l’Huveaune had become too small for the club.

The stadium was almost completely rebuilt for the 1998 World Cup, and it was then when the stadium got its characteristic round-shaped stands. Capacity got increased to about 60,000 seats, though the new stadium was also criticised for its lack of cover.

During Euro 2016, Stade Velodrome will host four first round group matches, of which one of the French national team, a quarter-final, and one of the two semi-finals.

UEFA EURO 2016 matches

Group stage
11/06/16, 21.00: England v Russia
15/06/16, 21.00: France v Albania
18/06/16, 18.00: Iceland v Hungary
21/06/16, 18.00: Ukraine v Poland

Quarter-finals
30/06/16, 21.00: W37 v W39

Semi-finals
07/07/16, 21.00: W47 v W48