Every design for Marseille

Greek sailors from Phocaea founded Marseille on this stretch of Mediterranean shore around six centuries before Christ, which makes it the oldest city in France and one of Europe's longest continuously inhabited places. The ancient Greeks called it Massalia; locals today simply call it home, and they say so with a fierce, particular pride.

The city faces the sea to the west and south and is boxed in by limestone hills on every other side, so its neighbourhoods tumble down towards the water. The Old Port remains its beating centre, the place where Marseille soap was first made. To the south-east lies Calanques National Park, inside the city limits, so a bus ride can take you from busy streets to white cliffs and turquoise coves. Being Marseillais means belonging to a port that has welcomed people from Southern Europe, North Africa and the Near East for centuries, a city that has always been a gateway.

High above it all stands the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, the Bonne Mère, visible from almost every street. Anyone who grew up under her gaze knows why you would want her on your chest.