The port city of Marseille is the oldest city in France. Located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, it's been a thriving trade hub since 600 BCE. The port evolved and during the 19th century Marseille boasted Europe's largest stockpile of oil. Those made rich by the oil trade opened soap factories and Marseille thrived. Soap is still a famous local product. Due to shipbuilding and the chemical industry, the economy still prospers, encouraging people from all over to relocate here for work.