Marseille (mahr-say; pop. 821,000) is much like the bouillabaisse soup for which it is famous: an array of ingredients and cultures contribute to the vibrant final product. A blend of color and commotion, the city buzzes with traffic, construction, and endless partying. Although Marseille inherits a typical French legacy—complete with Roman ruins, crumbling forts, and traditional 18th-century art workshops—a walk through its side streets is punctuated by the vibrant colors of West African fabrics hanging in market stalls, the sounds of Arabic music blaring from car stereos, and the smells of North African cuisine wafting out of hole-in-the-wall restaurants. A true immigrant city, Marseille offers a taste of both the ancient and modern cultures of the Mediterranean.
Marseille is divided along major streets into 16 arrondissements. La Canebière is the main artery of the centre-ville funneling into the vieux port (old port) to the west and turning into urban sprawl to the east. North of the vieux port and west of rue de la République lies Le Panier, Marseille’s oldest neighborhood. Surrounding La Canebière are several Maghreb (North African and Arabic) communities, including the market-filled Belsunce quartier. Although travelers should be careful here at night, both Le Panier and Belsunce are great for daytime exploration. Upscale restaurants and chic nightlife cluster around the vieux port on quai de Rive Neuve and place Thiers. Big-name fashion brands and boutiques fill the shops along rue Saint-Ferreol and rue Paradis. The area around rue Curiol (near rue Sénac) should be avoided late at night. Marseille’s two Métro lines are quick but provide limited service. The bus system is more thorough but complex—a map from the tourist office helps enormously. Use buses to access the beach and Les Calanques, a string of islands along the coast.
Pricey establishments cluster in the vieux port while the less reputable but temptingly cheap places can be found in the Belsunce quartier. Exercise caution when picking a budget hotel; the tourist office provides a list of recommended accommodations. In summer, reserve at least a week in advance.
Marseille’s restaurants reflect the city’s diversity. Options range from African eateries and kebab stands along cours Saint-Louis and rue d’Aubagne to the places provençals on rue Saint-Saens and rue Fortia. The streets surrounding the vieux port are packed with restaurants serving the city’s trademark bouillabaisse (a heavy stew made with Mediterranean fish, broth, and a spicy red sauce called rouille, or “rust”). Eclectic restaurants line the streets around cours Julien. There is a Monoprix, 36 La Canebière, a few blocks from the vieux port. (☎04 91 54 15 97. Open M-Sa 8:30am-9pm. AmEx/MC/V.) A daily fish market on quai des Belges (open 8am-1pm) supplies fresh ingredients for bouillabaisse, while vegetable and fruit markets on cours Pierre Puget (open M-F 8am-1pm) and Noailles on La Canebière (open M-Sa 9am-7pm) provide the fixings.
Check www.museum-paca.org for more museum info. Unless otherwise noted, all the museums listed below have the same hours (Tu-Su June-Sept. 11am-6pm; Oct.-May 10am-5pm).
Basilique De Notre Dame De La Garde. A stunning view of the city, surrounding mountains, and island-studded bay make this a must for all travelers. Visit the winding perch in the evening, when crowds are small and the setting sun lends an unforgettable glow to the red roofs below. Climb the stairs to the intimate basilica to see gilded mosaics and touching ex votos, symbolic objects presented by the faithful in thanks for protection. The model ships hanging from the ceiling are the work of grateful shipwreck survivors. Towering nearly 230m above the city, the church’s statue of the Madonna is regarded by many as the symbol of Marseille. The east face of the church remains pocked with WWII bullet holes and shrapnel scars. (Take bus #60, dir.: Notre Dame, or from the tourist office, walk up rue Breteuil and turn left onto rue Grignon, which becomes bd. de la Corderie. Turn left onto bd. André Aune to reach the basilica’s huge staircase. ☎04 91 13 40 80. Open daily July-Aug. 7am-7pm; Sept.-June 7:30am-5:30pm. Free.)
Harbor Islands. A short ride to the islands takes you between the batteries of Fort St-Jean. Resembling a child’s sandcastle, the Château d’If guards the city from its rocky perch outside the harbor. The tiny island’s most famous resident was the fictional count of Monte Cristo. Nearby, Île Frioul housed quarantined plague victims for two centuries, beginning in the 1600s. It was only marginally successful; a 1720 outbreak killed half of the city’s 80,000 citizens. In June, crowds enjoy open-air jazz concerts within the crumbling, starlit walls. All events depend on the weather and ferry schedules—check with the tourist office for details. Tiny inlets perfect for swimming make the islands a convenient escape. (Société des Armateurs Côtiers sends boats from quai des Belges to numerous islands in the bay. ☎08 25 13 68 00. 1½hr. round-trip. Boats leave at 10, 11:30am, 1:30, 3, 4:30pm. €15, students €14. Reserve ahead in high season. Château ☎04 91 46 54 65. Château entry required for visit to Île d’If. €5, ages 18-25 €3.50, under 18 free. Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.)
Abbaye Saint-Victor. Fortified against scurvy pirates and Saracen invaders, this medieval abbey’s crypt is one of the oldest Christian sites in Europe; its construction in the fifth century brought the first traces of Christianity to the pagan Marseillais. The crypt holds the remains of two third-century martyrs, along with photos of their skeletons. Inscriptions and ancient rubble litter the space. The abbey hosts an annual choral concert festival from September to December. (Rue Sainte, at the end of quai de Rive Neuve. Follow the signs from the quai. ☎04 96 11 22 60, festival info 05 84 48. Open daily 9am-7pm. Crypt €2. Festival tickets €33, students €15.)
Musée Cantini. This chic, warehouse-style museum chronicles the region’s artistic successes of the last century. Major Fauvist, Cubist, and Surrealist collections—including works by Ernst, Kandinsky, Masson, Matisse, and Miró—are displayed. (19 rue Grignan. Estragin-Préfecture. ☎04 91 54 77 75. €2.50, students €1.50, under 10 and seniors free.)
Palais Longchamp. The sweeping columns, majestic statues, and imposing stone facades of this palace, constructed in 1838, were meant to honor the completion of a canal that brought fresh water to the plague-ridden city. Today, the complex includes a museum, peaceful park, and an observatory. The spacious galleries of the Musée de l’Histoire Naturelle are filled with an assortment of stuffed wildlife and fascinating temporary exhibits recounting the history of subjects as diverse as dinosaurs, milk, and human speech. (Take Métro #1 to 5 Avenues/Longchamp. ☎04 91 14 59 50. Open Tu-Su 10am-5pm. €3, students €1.50, under 10 and seniors free.)
La Vieille Charité. A formidable example of the famous 17th-century work of local architect Pierre Puget, La Charité was constructed to house the beggars who crowded the entrances of Marseille’s churches. Later, the building served as a hospice center for orphans; parents could leave their unwanted children in front of the church, where a wood turnstile near the gate kept the nuns inside from seeing their faces. Now a national historical monument, it contains several of the city’s museums. Egyptian, prehistoric, and anthropological collections are held in the Musée des Arts Africains, Océaniens, et Amérindiens. Temporary art exhibits are displayed beneath a soaring oval dome in the central Baroque chapel, and the Musée d’Archéologie Méditerranée houses the city’s collection of Egyptian artifacts along with an assortment of ancient Greek pottery. (2 rue de la Charité. Vieux Port or Joliette. ☎04 91 14 58 80. Temporary exhibits €5, permanent collections €2.50 each; students €2/1.)
Mémorial Des Camps De La Mort. This memorial houses sobering exhibits on the death camps of World War II and the deportation of thousands of Jews from the vieux port in 1943. Contained in a blockhouse built by the Germans during their occupation of Marseille, the memorial has three levels. Glass panels on the first floor are engraved with poignant quotes by Primo Levi, Elie Wiesel, and Anne Frank; on the second floor, photos display the details of Hitler’s control of Marseille. A group of ashes from concentration and death camps provokes reflection on the third floor. (Quai de la Tourette. Vieux Port. ☎04 91 90 73 15. Open Tu-Su June-Aug. 11am-6pm; Sept.-May 10am-5pm. Free.)
Waterfront. From the Palais du Pharo to the av. du Prado, the promenade de la Corniche du Président John F. Kennedy runs along Marseille’s most beautiful stretch of beaches. The picturesque views of the Mediterranean and nearby islands make the typically heavy traffic—human and automotive—bearable. Make a stop at Vallon des Auffes, a hidden cove where residents once spun intricate fishing nets by hand from coconut fiber. Today the nets are synthetic, but little else has changed. Rows of brightly painted dories still dip and pull at their moorings as they have for years. Take bus #83 from the vieux port (dir.: Rond-Point du Prado) to Vallon des Auffes. The bus continues on to Marseille’s public beaches; get off just after it rounds the statue of David and turns away from the coast (20-30min.). Alternatively, take bus #19 (dir.: Madrague) from Rond-Point du Prado. Both the north and south plages du Prado offer sandy stretches, clear water, and stunningly beautiful views of Marseille’s surrounding cliffs. (☎04 91 32 03 90. Open M-Sa 8:30am-8pm.)
Other Sights. The rotating exhibits at the Musée de la Mode feature international clothing designers from different periods. (Espace Mode Méditerranée, 11 La Canebière. Vieux Port. ☎04 96 17 06 00. €3, students €1, seniors free.) At the nearby Musée d’Histoire de Marseille, Greek and Phoenician artifacts reveal Marseille’s lively past. Don’t miss the massive potter’s oven, which dates to the first century BC. The museum ticket also provides access to the adjacent Jardin des Vestiges, marked by crumbling medieval foundations. Grab a sandwich in the Centre Bourse (above the museum) and picnic among ruins. (Buy tickets on the 1st fl. and enter through the lowest level of the Centre Bourse mall. ☎04 91 90 42 22. Open Tu-Sa noon-7pm. English text available. €2, students €1, under 10 and seniors free.) The MAC, Galeries Contemporaines des Musées de Marseille, features art from the 1960s to today, including works by César and Wegman. (69 av. d’Haifa, off av. Hambourg. Bus #23 or 45. ☎04 91 25 01 07; dgac-mac@mairie.marseille.fr. €3, students €1.50.)
Late-night restaurants and a few nightclubs center on place Thiers, near the vieux port. On weekends, there’s a rush for seats at the bar tables that spill out onto the sidewalk along quai de Rive Neuve, but a more eclectic crowd likes to unwind along cours Julien. Tourists should exercise caution at night, particularly on the dimly lit streets of the Le Panier and Belsunce quartiers; night buses are scarce, taxis are expensive, and the Métro closes early (M-Th and Su 9pm, F-Sa 12:30am). Marseille also has plenty of gay nightlife, and men and women often frequent the same establishments.
GACM, 1 quai des Belges (☎04 91 55 50 09), operates 3-4hr. boat trips along Les Calanques to Cassis and back (from mid-June to Sept. daily 9:30am, with a stop in Friou 2, 2:30pm; from Sept. to mid-June W 9:30am, 2pm, Sa-Su 2pm; €25, ages 6-15 €20, ages 3-5 €13). Tickets are available at the tourist office. Raskas Kayak organizes kayak expeditions leaving from Auberge de Jeunesse Marseille Bonneveine, at the end of bus line #20. (☎04 94 73 27 16; www.raskas-kayak.com. 3hr.; 9am, 1, 5pm; €30.)
Centuries ago, glacial erosion, sea-level fluctuations, and climatic change shaped the southern coasts of Les Calanques (kah-lahnk) into a string of magnificent rock formations. This region, stretching from Marseille to Toulon, provides spectacular natural scenery. Plunging limestone cliffs shelter a fragile balance of terrestrial and marine animals and plants, including foxes and peregrine falcons. They also serve as Marseille’s largest outdoor playground for scuba divers, mountain climbers, and cliff jumpers. If heights and depths aren’t your cup of tea, get your thrills by going au naturel at one of the nude beaches along the coast. Les Calanques are very windy, so check the weather forecast before making plans; boat trips are sometimes canceled.
Hiking is possible, though most of the 28km national trail between Marseille and Cassis (the GR98 ) is only recommended for those with considerable experience and proper supplies and gear. Others can pick a calanque (fjord), admire the view, and get their feet wet. Before planning to go on foot, call ☎08 11 20 13 13, a multilingual automated system that provides info on fire risks and opening times for Les Calanques the following day; black means closed, red means open 6-11am, and green or orange means open all day. (Call after 7pm for the most up-to-date information.) Forget about camping and abandon any fire-producing objects (lighters, cigarettes, etc.), all of which are forbidden. In summer, the massif is also closed to cars. The most spectacular and most visited calanques are those of Sormiou (bus #23), Morgiou (bus #22), and Luminy (bus #21). All buses leave from Rond-Point du Prado and cost €1.70; for each, a ¾-1hr. walk from the bus stop leads to stunning views of the coast, distant Marseille, and the turquoise waters down below. The directionally challenged can join a small group led by a professional guide (Jan.-June and from mid-Sept. to Dec. F 2-5pm, Sa 9am-noon; €15; sign up at the tourist office).
23km from Marseille, Cassis is accessible by bus and train. Buses leave from rue du Prado, past Castellane (40-60min., 10 per day 9:15am-7:30pm, €2.70). Trains run later (15-20min.; from Marseille 24 per day 6am-11:06pm, from Cassis 26 per day 5:17am-10:04pm; €5.10, students €3.70). NAP Tourism runs a ferry twice per day from Cassis port to Marseille’s vieux port and then sends a bus back to Cassis (☎04 91 31 90 46). 11:30am, 4pm from Cassis; 5:15, 7:30pm from Marseille. €25. For a taxi from the train station to town (€8-10), call ☎04 42 01 78 96. By bus, take the free #2 shuttle (dir.: Gendarmerie). From the stop, walk 5min. toward the beach and find the tourist office to the right on quai des Moulins. Open July-Aug. M-F 9am-7pm, Sa-Su 9:30am-12:30pm and 3-6pm; Sept.-Oct. and Mar.-June M-F 9am-12:30pm and 2-6pm, Sa 9:30am-12:30pm and 2-5:30pm, Su 10am-12:30pm; Nov.-Feb. M-F 9:30am-12:30pm and 2-5:30pm, Sa 10am-12:30pm and 2-5pm, Su 10am-12:30pm.
With slopes above and an emerald-green port below, Cassis (kah-seess) is a network of staircases, alleyways, and gardens. Wine enthusiasts will enjoy sampling delicate rosés from the 14 vineyards that surround the town.
To explore the renowned calanques of Cassis, pick up a map from the tourist office and follow the signs to Port Miou (30min., following the GR98-51 marked in red and white). The trail continues to the Calanque de Port-Pin (30min.). From there, scramble up the green-marked rocky trail and down toward the beach of the stunning Calanque En Vau (45min.). The steep trail offers rewarding views but is best for experienced hikers. Avoid getting too close to the cliff on days with strong winds. Bring water, since there are no sources in the massif. Grab picnic supplies from the Petit Casino, 2 rue Victor Hugo. (☎04 42 01 70 56. Open M-Sa 8am-12:30pm and 3-7:30pm, Su 8am-12:30pm and 4-7pm. MC/V.)
Boats leaving from the Cassis port can take you to three to eight calanques . (½-1½hr., every 30min. for 3 calanques, less frequently for more; departures Feb.-Oct. 9:30am-5pm or 6pm; €13-19. Buy tickets at the yellow stands in the port or on board. Cash only.) Explore the crystalline water with a kayak at Club Sports Loisirs Nautiques, plage de la Grande Mer. (☎04 42 01 80 01; culturel.cassis@wanadoo.fr. Single kayak €40 per day, double €65.) The calanques are known for great diving; for information, contact Narval Plongée, 11 av. de la Viguerie. (☎04 42 01 87 59; www.narval-plongee.com. Dives €27-59. Equipment rental €15. MC/V.) Food and wine connoisseurs will enjoy Cassis’s festivals. In early September, dances and a parade, complete with costumes and horses, animate the Fête du Vin. On the last weekend of June, the Fête des Pêcheurs et de la Mer celebrates Cassis’s original source of income: } fish.
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