Marseille is the second-largest city of France, its main commercial port and the most significant city of the historical province of Provence. Marseille was originally founded circa 600 BC as the Greek colony of Massalia and became the preeminent Greek polis in the region of southern Gaul. As a big trading centre and the gate of France to Africa and the East, it has always been a city with a unique culture, being the crossroad of many civilisations. French, Italians, Armenians, Jewish and North Africans all have participated in their own way in the multi-ethnic identity and the vibe of the city.
Marseille is a city where rich and poor neighbourhoods co-exist side by side and for many years was notorious for criminality and underdevelopment. However, since 2013, when the city was the European Capital of Culture, it has begun to change, and now it is a lively city that respects its traditions and way of life. The heart of the city beats around Le Vieux Port (Old Port),which is the main touristic area.
Here are the reasons why you will love this city from the moment you arrived:
1. Le Panier
This was the first site settled by Greeks and has always been the area where the new immigrants found shelter. The Panier (meaning the basket) was expanding until the Second World War, when the Nazis destroyed large parts of it in a plan to deal with the criminals and Resistance fighters who were hiding in its maze of streets. Panier today is a multi-coloured and multi-ethnic neighbourhood with a strong artistic character.
The best way to explore Panier is on foot. There is something intriguing to discover on every street, making it an excellent area for shopping for crafts, local products, and artists’ galleries. The highlights are Le Vieille Charité, a wonderful baroque building which was established as a poorhouse (now a museum and cultural centre); the Maison de La Boule, a museum and shop dedicated to the traditional game of boules (aka petanque); and also the laid-back Place de Lenche with many cafes and an amazing view of the port.
2. Le Vieux Port (Old Port)
The Old Port, mast-to-mast with yachts and pleasure boats, is the epicentre of the whole area. The promenades have numerous cafes, restaurants and bars. Quai des Belges, during the summer evenings, is full of street performers, artists and hundreds of people walking leisurely. During your walk along the port, you should visit the garden of the Musée ‘d’Histoire de Marseille (on Rue Henri Barbusse), where you can see the ruins of the ancient docks built by the Greeks. Finally, at the north end of the port, you will meet the magnificent boulevard Canabiere, with impressive buildings and many shops. It was the centre of the artistic and commercial life of the city during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
3. Mucem and Fort Saint-Jean
Mucem (aka Musée des Civilisations de ‘l’Europe et de la Méditerranée) was founded in 2013, when the city was the European Capital of Culture. It is dedicated to the civilisations of the Mediterranean Sea (for info and tickets, visit the official site). The museum is located at the entrance of the harbour, opposite the Joliette neighbourhood and the Cathédrale de la Major. Although its exhibits are very interesting, more impressive is the building itself. The museum was built “by stone, water and wind” by architects Rudy Ricciotti and Roland Carta. It is in fact a cube of 15,000 m² in an innovative latticework shell of concrete.
A suspended above-the-sea pedestrian passage connects the terrace of the museum (where a cafe-restaurant is located) with Fort Saint-Jean. The 12th-century fort was first a monastery and castle of the Order of the Knights of St John. The knights were commissioned with the protection of the harbour. During the French Revolution the monks were expelled, and the fort became a prison. Nowadays several parts, like the church, the hospital and the command station, have been restored, and the fort, as a part of Mucem, is a great place for a walk. The view from both the fort and the terrace of Mucem is magnificent, especially at sunset.
4. Savon and Pastis
Marseille is a very good shopping destination, with open markets, shopping malls and commercial avenues. But you cannot leave Marseille without buying its two most famous products: savon (soap) and pastis.
Savon de Marseille is a world-famous traditional hard soap. It is made by mixing seawater, vegetable oil and alkaline ash from sea plants and has been produced here for over six hundred years. The first documented soapmaker was recorded there about 1370. By 1688, Louis XIV introduced regulations limiting the use of the name Savon de Marseille to olive oil-based soaps. The law has since been amended to allow other vegetable oils to be used. During the first half of the 20th century, the number of companies that produced soap was 132, but nowadays only 5 survive. During your walk around the Old Port you could buy excellent traditional soaps at La Grande Savonnerie (1 Rue Henri Fiocca) and Savonnerie Marseillaise de la Licorne (240 Quai du Port).
On the other hand, pastis is an anise-flavoured spirit and aperitif. It typically contains less than 100 g/l sugar and 40–45% alcohol. The name “pastis” comes from the Occitan word which means “mash-up”. It was first commercialised in 1932 and became extremely popular in Marseille and Southeastern France after the ban of absinthe. Pastis is part of the tradition of Mediterranean anise liquors like ouzo, raki and sambuca. The best place to taste and buy pastis is none other than La Maison Du Pastis (108 Quai du Port).
5. Bouillabaisse or Pizza
The city offers a good variety of restaurants to please all tastes. But the majority comes here to taste the famous bouillabaisse. Bouillabaisse was originally the stew of the Marseille fishermen, which they made by using the rockfish, which they couldn’t sell. Apart from the various kinds of fish, the stew could include shellfish, urchins, mussels, crab and octopus. Vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, celery and potatoes are cooked together and served with the fish. What makes this soup different are the Provencal herbs and spices, that raise the taste to another level. Although tasting this unique soup is no longer a cheap treat, our favourite places to taste it and avoid any tourist traps are: Chez Madie Les Galinettes (138 Quai du Port) and Chez Fonfon (140 Rue du Vallon des Auffes).
But Marseille also has another unexpected famous treat, which is pizza. Due to the proximity with Italy and the huge flow of Italian immigrants in the previous centuries, the city has a strong Italian tradition. This tradition is evident (among other things) in its love for pizza. In Marseille, you will probably taste the best pizza in France. The pizza here has a crispy, airy dough, tomato sauce on top and real Italian cheese. Every Marseille resident has his favourite spot for pizza. Our favourite ones are Chez Sauveur (10 Rue d’Aubagne) and La Bonne Mere (16 Rue Fort du Sanctuaire).
6. Marseille at night
In order to feel the atmosphere of the city, you should have a beer or a drink in one of the bars on the streets around the Old Port. In Cours Honoré ‘d’Estienne, Quai des Belges, Cours Jean Ballard and many more, when the sun sets and the night comes, the city is transformed into the traditional harbour it once was. The authentic and genuine air of strong nautical tradition is evident. At once you have the feeling that you are at home and you are becoming part of this melting pot of nations, cultures and civilisations. You
7. Cassis
With wonderful blue waters, pastel-coloured houses, cobbled streets, irresistible charm and just 30 km from Marseille, this seaside town is popular with tourists and French holidaymakers. Excellent local food, welcoming inhabitants and characteristic architecture have made this a famous resort since the early 20th century. There are several beaches inside and near the town. However, for a truly unique experience, board one of the numerous boats that leave from the port for a day trip to the nearby Calanques, a must-see natural wonder. The Calanques are essentially inlets that have been formed in the limestone cliffs, leaving behind a series of beautiful little bays. The clear turquoise waters in contrast with the pure white rocky cliffs are a sight you will carry with you for a long time. Upon your return to Cassis, do not forget to grab an ice cream cone with lavender flavour (a local speciality).
An epilogue
As an epilogue, we believe that the above graffiti on a wall in the Panier neighbourhood somehow manages to capture the true nature of the city. At the same time, street art and high art, a fisherman and a mythic giant, welcoming and aggressive, warm colours and cold colours. A city you might never think to visit, but if you did, your first thought would be when to come back again.
