The city’s most famous avenue has a tumultuous history marked by trade, pomp, wealth, old-fashioned costumes and fishing.

Canebière (formerly “la Cannebis”) comes from the Provençal canebe, which in turn comes from the Latin cannabis, meaning hemp. Indeed, Marseille was one of the largest hemp trading posts in the world for the manufacture and trade of slings and ropes.

Stretching from the Vieux-Port to the Eglise des Réformés, the Canebière is probably the best known avenue in Marseille. Opening onto the sea, this axis is very lively. Nevertheless, the time when people used to come to La Canebière to shop is long gone.

Nevertheless, Canebière remains a must-see, whether you are a local or a tourist.