France · Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur · Marseille
Saint-Lazare, Marseille — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Saint-Lazare is a central hillside quarter of Marseille, gathered around the Église Saint-Lazare among the streets above the centre.
About Saint-Lazare
Where to stay in Saint-Lazare
The right area depends on your trip — here's what each neighbourhood is best for.
Saint-Lazare gives visitors a central, unpolished base within walking distance of Marseille's museums and old streets. Its blocks climb the slope beside Les Grands Carmes, close enough to reach La Vieille Charité and the centre on foot, yet quieter and plainer than the show-front quarters. Places to stay in Saint-Lazare are in short supply.
Many travellers weigh a room here against the busier centre, trading polish for a short walk to almost everything.
About Saint-Lazare
What are the main landmarks in Saint-Lazare?
Saint-Lazare centres on the Église Saint-Lazare, the parish church at its core. The Saint-Charles-Borromée church stands close by on the heights, while a short way downhill the old streets open toward La Vieille Charité, and the Musée Grobet-Labadié lies a little to the east. Churches mark the slopes.
The Église des Grands-Carmes anchors the neighbouring quarter of Les Grands Carmes just below.
What is the history of Saint-Lazare?
Saint-Lazare took shape on the high ground of Marseille as the city climbed away from the port. Faith and work met here. Around the Église Saint-Lazare and the parishes of Les Grands Carmes, workshops, tenements, and market streets filled the slopes through the nineteenth century, drawing families from across the Mediterranean.
The old streets remain dense.
Where is Saint-Lazare?
Saint-Lazare occupies rising ground in central Marseille, above the old streets of Les Grands Carmes and within reach of La Vieille Charité and the harbour.
Good for
More areas in Marseille
Updated July 2026