The 10 most beautiful castles in Bouches-du-Rhône
10 châteaux
Chosen among 85 recorded castles
What to see in Bouches-du-Rhône when you only have a weekend: the 10 most visited castles according to their visitors’ reviews, among those open to the public whose visiting conditions we checked on the official website. For each: what you see, the entry price, the link to the full entry.
Ranked by renown: how often their name is searched on Google each month, and how many reviews visitors have left. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Palais du Pharo
Marseille 7e Arrondissement
The Pharo palace overlooks the entrance to Marseille's Old Port, built on a headland given to Napoleon III for a residence intended for Empress Eugénie. Begun in 1858, the building was never actually lived in by the imperial couple and later served as a hospital before becoming a municipal reception venue.
No. 2
Château des Baux (Baux Castle)
Les Baux-de-Provence
Perched on a rocky spur above Les Baux-de-Provence, this ruined hilltop fortress has overlooked the valley since the 11th century. Once the stronghold of the powerful lords of Baux, it endured the medieval wars of Provence before falling into disrepair.
No. 3
Château de la Buzine (Buzine Castle)
11e arrondissement de Marseille
On the heights of Saint-Menet, in Marseille's 11th arrondissement, the château de la Buzine owes its fame to Marcel Pagnol, who described it in his childhood memoirs before later owning it from 1941. The current building, erected in the 1860s in an eclectic style on the foundations of an older Provençal farmhouse,…
No. 4
Château d'Estoublon (Estoublon Castle)
Fontvieille
At the foot of the Alpilles, in Fontvieille, the Château d'Estoublon is a working estate built in the second half of the 16th century, its facades and roofs listed as a historic monument. The property is now the centre of an organic wine and olive oil estate, classified under the Les Baux de Provence appellation.
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No. 5
Château de Cassis (Cassis Castle)
Cassis
Perched above the bay of Cassis, this château combines medieval remains with recent renovations that turned the old fortress into a private guesthouse. Its origins go back to Antiquity, with a Roman watchtower, followed by a fortified enclosure built by the des Baux family in the 13th century.
No. 6
Château de la Gaude (Gaude Castle)
Aix-en-Provence
Set in the countryside near Aix-en-Provence, the Château de la Gaude is an 18th-century Provençal manor surrounded by a formal French garden with fountains and carved basins.
No. 7
Château Pastré (Pastré Castle)
Marseille
Château Pastré is a 19th-century Provençal bastide located in the southern districts of Marseille, set within a large park known as the Campagne Pastré.
No. 8
La Barben Castle
La Barben
The château de la Barben stands in the village of the same name, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, on foundations dating back to the 12th century.
Adult €17.90Hours, prices and access
No. 9
Bastide la Torse dite aussi château de la Torse
Aix-en-Provence
Along the road to Le Tholonet, on the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence, the Torse bastide shows the understated elegance typical of 18th-century country houses in Provence.
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No. 10
Château de Fonscolombe (Fonscolombe Castle)
Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade
The Château de Fonscolombe stands in Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, in the Bouches-du-Rhône region, built in the 1730s for Honoré Boyer, a parliamentarian from Aix. The estate underwent alterations in the mid-19th century following an earthquake.
Every castle in Bouches-du-Rhône (85)Which ones open this weekend?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Bouches-du-Rhône?
- The most visited in Bouches-du-Rhône is Palais du Pharo, first in this selection according to its visitors’ reviews. All 10 castles listed are open to visitors with checked hours.
- How much does a visit cost?
- The adult entry price is shown under each castle when the official website publishes it; 0 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 85 castles recorded in Bouches-du-Rhône, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.