Château d'If, Marseille

About the Château d'If

The Château d'If stands on the Île d'If, the smallest island of the Frioul archipelago at the mouth of Marseille's harbour. The three-hectare island is almost entirely taken up by ramparts, and apart from the castle there's nothing on it. It's easy to spot from the shore: a square stone keep with three towers in the middle of the sea.

The fortress was built in 1524–1531 on the orders of King Francis I, who after a visit decided to defend the sea approaches to Marseille. It never had to withstand a real attack. It was later turned into a prison, and in 1890 it opened to visitors. Today it's a historic monument and one of Marseille's most visited sights, with around a hundred thousand visitors a year.

What to see

• Dantès's cell — the 'dungeon' of Dumas's hero.
• Abbé Faria's cell — with the 'tunnel' between the cells.
• The courtyard — a well and three storeys of galleries.
• Towers and walls — views of Marseille and Notre-Dame de la Garde.
• The island — rocks and clear water all around.
• The boat trip — the Old Port and coast from the sea.

The Count of Monte Cristo

The castle's world fame comes from Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo of 1844. Its hero, the sailor Edmond Dantès, is falsely denounced, locked up in the Château d'If and spends fourteen years here. In the next cell is the scholar Abbé Faria, who tells him the secret of a treasure, and then Dantès makes his famous escape, sewn into a sack thrown into the sea.

In reality no successful escape from the castle is known, but visitors are shown the 'cells' of Dantès and Faria with a hole in the wall between them. A sign by one cell claims the Man in the Iron Mask was held here, but that's only legend. Mark Twain visited in 1867 and described it in The Innocents Abroad.

Inside the fortress

The castle is a square three-storey building 28 metres a side with three towers. The cells are arranged around the courtyard on three levels. As everywhere at the time, conditions depended on wealth: the poor were kept in dark basements, while better-off prisoners paid for cells upstairs with a window and a fireplace.

Be sure to climb to the upper terrace: it has one of the best views of Marseille, the Old Port, the hill with Notre-Dame de la Garde and the surrounding mountains. Panels on the walls and in the rooms tell the history of the castle and of Dumas's novel.

Tips for your visit

Allow two to three hours including the crossing. The boat ticket and castle ticket are usually sold separately. In summer, take one of the first sailings, as queues on the quay grow long later.

The castle combines easily with a walk round the Old Port and the climb to Notre-Dame de la Garde, from where the Île d'If is laid out below you.

There's almost no shade on the island and nowhere to buy food, so bring water, a hat and sturdy shoes: the paths are stony and uneven, hard going with a pushchair.

Places in Marseille: compare and choose

Places in Marseille rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.

Nearby and on the way

29

Frioul islands

Marseille, France

4 h · Free; boat by ticket · 27 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Frioul islands

How to do it right

• Take a morning boat.
• The mistral cancels sailings.
• Bring water and a hat.
• The view is from the top terrace.

Questions