Château d'If
A 16th-century fortress on a small island off Marseille, later used as a prison and made famous by Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo, in which Edmond Dantès is imprisoned here.
Château d'If was ordered built by Francis I in the 1520s to defend the port of Marseille, and later became a prison for political prisoners and Protestants. In the novel, Alexandre Dumas imprisons his hero Edmond Dantès here. The island recreates Dantès's cell and the tunnel dug by Abbé Faria, drawing huge numbers of readers. From the top of the castle you can look back over the city of Marseille and the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde. The Frioul If Express ferry from the Old Port takes about 20 minutes; castle admission is about €7 (boat ticket extra), and ferries may be cancelled on very windy days.
Opening hours
Approx. 10:00–17:00 (extended in summer); check official website
Nearby sights
- Frioul Archipelago
- Vallon des Auffes
- MuCEM & Fort Saint-Jean
- Cosquer Méditerranée
- Corniche Kennedy
- Abbey of Saint-Victor
- Marseille Cathedral (La Major)
- Notre-Dame de la Garde