Founded around 600 B.C. by the Greeks, what is the oldest city in France?

France's oldest city owes its existence to Greek sailors from Phocaea, an ancient Ionian city in modern-day Turkey. Around 600 B.C., these explorers established a trading post they called Massalia on the Mediterranean coast. Its strategic location and excellent natural harbor made it the perfect gateway for commerce between the sophisticated Greek world and the resource-rich lands of Gaul. This settlement marked the first major urban center in the region, laying the foundation for a city that would thrive for millennia.

Massalia quickly grew into a bustling commercial hub. The Greeks exchanged goods like wine, olive oil, and fine pottery for local products such as tin, salt, and amber from the Celtic and Ligurian tribes of the interior. This legacy of trade and maritime culture has never faded. For more than 2,600 years, the city has remained a vital port, evolving from an ancient Greek colony into the vibrant, multicultural metropolis that is now France's second-largest city.