Experience
France

BUCKET LIST TRAVEL : MARSEILLE

Marseille accents and a melting pot of cultures

Far from relying on its exceptional natural beauty (its National Park is famous worldwide), Marseille is a fast-moving city that never sleeps. From its Le Panier quarter to its coast road, the city is dynamic, surprising and utterly charming.

IN THE CITY’S STREETS

The city’s oldest and most traditional district, Le Panier, is an unmissable place to soak up the Marseille spirit. Boosted by the success of the French TV series, Plus belle la vie, this district on the north side of the Old Port could not be more typical of Provence, with its colourful houses, cobbled streets and beautiful leafy squares. A lively and ever-changing place, this district welcomed people from Italy, Corsica and North Africa when they first arrived in Marseille. To explore the area differently, stroll around looking for the street art dotted around the walls. Local artists and well-known international street artists have left their mark here. You’ll see work from Brazilian artist, Nhobi, with his characters with bulging eyes, and Mexican Valé Stencil, who creates striking portraits of women. Tours are organised by local graffiti artists who can provide added insight into the works and the artists behind them. These colourful tours usually last two hours and are popular with families and groups. Thanks to the short-lived nature of this art form, the street art found around Marseille walls is constantly changing, but some of the creations are exhibited in the UndArtground gallery at 21 rue des Repenties, a more permanent celebration of the work of street artists in Marseille.

Must-sees in Marseille

THE MUCEM

With its lace-like concrete structure designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations is immediately eye-catching. Opened in 2013 at the mouth of the port in the La Joliette district, this vast cultural space is the first big national museum dedicated to Mediterranean civilisations.

THE OLD PORT

Marseille wouldn’t be Marseille without its Old Port. The city’s nerve centre, the port, sets the tempo for its inhabitants and vice-versa. Lively bars and restaurants surround it, while the port’s entrance is guarded by Fort Saint-Jean, a defence system dating back to the 17th century.

THE CALANQUES

A true natural paradise, the fifteen rocky inlets of the Calanques National Park between Marseille and Cassis are spellbinding thanks to their sandy beaches and turquoise waters.

CHÂTEAU D’IF

This fortress off the coast of Marseille is famous worldwide thanks to Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 novel, The Count of Monte Cristo. Château D’If is where the novel’s hero, Edmond Dantès, escaped from imprisonment with the help of his friend, Abbé Faria. The location was indeed a prison for almost 400 years.

NOTRE-DAME DE LA GARDE BASILICA

Nicknamed the Bonne Mère (Good Mother), Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica is set 150 metres on a hill overlooking the Old Port. Its Roman-Byzantine style is reminiscent of certain Florence monuments.