France · Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur · Marseille
Le Merlan, Marseille — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Le Merlan is a quarter of Marseille, in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France, set around the église Notre-Dame-des-Grâces du Merlan near Sainte-Marthe.
About Le Merlan
Where to stay in Le Merlan
Not every neighbourhood fits every trip — here's what each one is good for.
Le Merlan draws travellers after a plain inland quarter of Marseille rather than a seaside one, with playing fields and open ground close at hand. It is a residential edge. Its housing spreads around the église Notre-Dame-des-Grâces du Merlan, the piscine la Busserine and the stade du Merlan, with the adventure park at Ecopark Adventures nearby.
If you would rather stay among everyday estates than visitors, close to Sainte-Marthe and Saint-Barthélémy, this makes a workaday base at the edge of Marseille.
About Le Merlan
What are the main landmarks in Le Merlan?
Le Merlan's landmarks are its churches and a spread of sports grounds. The église Notre-Dame-des-Grâces du Merlan serves the quarter, the Église Sainte-Marthe de Marseille stands toward Sainte-Marthe, and an Orthodox church, Notre-Dame de Kazan, keeps a Russian tradition here. Sport takes up much of the map.
The piscine la Busserine, the stade Malpasse, the complexe sportif Saint-Jerome and the gymnase Antonin Artaud lie between the estates of Saint-Barthélémy and La Busserine.
What is the history of Le Merlan?
Le Merlan was drawn into Marseille when the city reached the villages and farmland at its far edge. Its past is an ordinary one. The église Notre-Dame-des-Grâces du Merlan and the Église Sainte-Marthe de Marseille anchored the older village life as housing estates and playing fields came to cover the land around them.
A Russian Orthodox church, Notre-Dame de Kazan, adds a further strand to the quarter.
Where is Le Merlan?
Le Merlan spreads across the inland quarters of Marseille, its streets set between Sainte-Marthe, Saint-Barthélémy and La Busserine.
Good for
More areas in Marseille
Updated July 2026