Place aux Huiles (Olive Oil Square), Marseille

The Olive Oil Square lives up to its name, It is a great place for olive oil. You can sample every kind of olive oil, some are flavored with a variety of herbs. Just dip a piece of bread into the oil you fancy and enjoy. If you like it, you can buy it. It will be bottled especially for you.

The square is located on the west bank of the old canal de la Douane (the Customs canal). In the time of the kings of France the canal enabled galleys to access the arsenals, a military facility. After the military left, the canal was reserved for commercial use.

Barrels of olive oil were shipped up and down the canal. That's how the square got its name. The canal was filled in between 1927 and 1929. A big canal, it took a lot of filling. Today the plaza is used mostly by factories along the rue Sainte and the old arsenals have been turned into cafes, galleries and shops, including of course olive oil dispensaries.