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Fortress · Île d'If, off the Vieux-Port, Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Château d'If

Château d'If

Château d'If is a fortress on a small island off Marseille, later a state prison, reached by boat from the Vieux-Port and run by the Centre des monuments nationaux.

Why go

Château d'If stands on an islet about one nautical mile from the Vieux-Port of Marseille, according to Marseille's tourism office. King Francis I ordered the fortress after visiting Marseille in 1516, and the tourism office dates the works to 1528-1531. From 1540 it held prisoners for about four centuries, and it inspired Alexandre Dumas's Count of Monte Cristo. The monument is run by the Centre des monuments nationaux. It can only be reached by boat; the ferry is a separate service from the monument, with a separate boarding point at the Vieux-Port recorded below. Opening days vary by season and are given on the operator's site, so none are stated here.

Getting there

Reached only by boat. The ferry boards at the Quai de la Fraternité pier in the Vieux-Port of Marseille; Marseille's tourism office puts the island one nautical mile away and says the ferries are run by Frioul-If-Express. Ferry transport is not included in the admission product.

Getting here

How to get to Château d'If

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Vehicle suitability unknown

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Road last checked 2026-10-03.

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  • Guided tour · skygate

    Château d'If Admission Ticket

    Admission to Château d'If, the island fortress off Marseille. Ferry transport from the Vieux-Port is not included in this option and is a separate service.

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Château d'If Admission Ticket

Admission to Château d'If, the island fortress off Marseille. Ferry transport from the Vieux-Port is not included in this option and is a separate service.