Immortalised in Alexandre Dumas’ classic 1844 novel Le Comte de Monte Cristo (The Count of Monte Cristo), the 16th-century fortress-turned-prison Château d’If sits on the tiny Île d’If, 3.5km west of the Vieux Port. Political prisoners were incarcerated here, along with hundreds of Protestants, the Revolutionary hero Mirabeau, and the Communards of 1871.
Frioul If Express boats leave for Château d'If (€10.50 return, 20 minutes, around nine daily) from the Vieux Port.
