Parc Borély, a haven of peace

With its 17 hectares of greenery, Parc Borély combines a formal French garden, a race track and a landscaped park whose striking English influence never fails to amaze visitors. This green jewel in the city is an oasis where all residents of Marseille come to relax and unwind at times of intense heat or to have a family picnic. It surrounds a Marseille bastide which was turned into a château between 1767 and 1778 under the supervision of the architect Brun.

The château and its gardens were bought by the municipality of Marseille and transformed into a public park in 1860. Subsequently, the park became famous as a garden for experimenting with and acclimatising food plants in the 19th century.

At the very heart of the garden lies its main attraction: water. This precious liquid, so prized by those who know about the aridity of the harsh Mediterranean climate in summer, is a major player in the success of parc Borély, which pays homage to water by presenting it in all its forms: as running water in the Huveaune, as bubbling water in the waterfall, as the dormant water of the lake, as water with a mirror-like surface in the various ponds and fountains.