Maison Emperor exterior

Maison Empereur

Marseille


If you only have time to visit one shop in Marseille, make it this one. Run by the same family since 1827, France’s oldest hardware store remains a one-stop shop for beautifully made homeware items including Opinel cutlery, Savon de Marseille soaps, wooden toy sailing boats and ceramic shaving bowls.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Marseille attractions

1. Musée d’Histoire de Marseille

0.21 MILES

This intriguing 15,000-sq-metre museum traces the story of 'France's Oldest City' from prehistory (the paintings of the Cosquer Cave) to the present day,…

2. Musée Cantini

0.27 MILES

Donated to the city by the sculptor Jules Cantini on his death in 1916, this 17th-century mansion-turned-museum conceals some superb art behind its…

3. Fotokino

0.31 MILES

Its subdued façade makes the Fotokino visual art gallery easy to miss, but inside it offers a dazzling world of graphic eye-candy. Expect illustrations,…

4. Cours Julien

0.32 MILES

Marseille's most vibrant bohemian quarter centres on Cours Julien, an elongated concrete square shaded by palm trees. It’s lined with great bars, cafes…

5. Le Panier

0.46 MILES

'The Basket' is Marseille's oldest quarter – site of the original Greek settlement and nicknamed for its steep streets and buildings. Its close, village…

6. Vieux Port

0.49 MILES

Ships have docked for millennia at Marseille’s birthplace, the vibrant Vieux Port. The main commercial docks were transferred to the Joliette area in the…

7. Galerie Trajectoire

0.55 MILES

This teeny tiny art gallery, located along a narrow sloping road in the historic neighbourhood of Le Panier, offers a platform to emerging artists and a…

8. La Vieille Charité

0.61 MILES

In the heart of Marseille's Le Panier quarter is this grand and gorgeous almshouse, built by Pierre Puget (1620–94), an architect and sculptor born just a…