Parc Borély

PARC BORÉLY AND ITS GARDENS

One of Marseille's seven wonders for some, the best weekend ally for others, everyone appropriates one of Marseille's busiest parks according to their desires. On the sports side, with its vast green expanses where many kids have kicked their first ball. On the nature side, with its canals where ducks and swans paddle, barely disturbed by visitors. On the family side, because it's an ideal park for children. On the romantic side too, Parc Borély remains the meeting place for lovers in search of intimacy. This garden is deeply rooted in the collective unconscious of Marseille.

Every person from Marseille can draw memories from it, starting with one of the most famous! Marcel Pagnol, for instance, recounted his childhood memories in Parc Borély in "La Gloire de mon Père" ("My Father's Glory").

At the beginning, Louis Borély was a wealthy shipowner and merchant from Marseille in the 17th century. He harbored the desire to build himself a domain in the Bonneveine district. The country house, at the time, served both as a place to live and work, reflecting the wealth and power of its owners. Louis Borély not only wanted a country house, but he also wanted it to surpass all others, both in size and splendor. Initially, the country house consisted of "land, vineyards, meadows, gardens, trees, and buildings," and it expanded throughout the 18th century. Upon his return from Egypt in 1767, now wealthy and ennobled, Louis de Borély could carry out his project and entrusted its realization to the Provencal architect Esprit Brun. When he became the heir to the estate in 1770, his son Louis Joseph Denis de Borély enlisted the help of gardener Embry to create a classical garden.

In the course of the 19th century, the city of Marseille became the owner of the estate and commissioned the famous landscaper Alphand to create a public park. Alphand, who had notably worked on redesigning the woods of Vincennes and Boulogne, designed his project with three distinct parts.

The first is a typical French garden, the second part is an English-style park, while along the seafront, an racecourse takes shape. The works took place between 1860 and 1880. At the same time, the botanical garden of Chartreux was relocated to Parc Borély. Today, it extends over 12,000 square meters, housing more than 3,500 plant species. Since 2004, a traditional Chinese garden has also enriched the park.

Parc BORELY Today

Today, Parc Borély has also been equipped with a promenade along the beach, which connects the greenery of the park to the sea at Escale Borély. Rollerbladers are numerous there. If you feel inspired by seeing them, you can always rent bicycles or why not a Vélib de Marseille? And if you like to step out of the ordinary, segway rental is made for you! But be careful to keep your balance ;-)

For the more sporty, if you plan to go running in Marseille during your stay, look no further, Parc Borély is the place to go! This "little" piece of nature in the city offers the perfect setting, making it one of the most popular gardens in Marseille for joggers. Its opening hours leave you with no excuses: from 6 am to 9 pm every day!

Parc Borély is a must-visit in Marseille for anyone stopping by our beautiful Phocaean city.