I visited Marseille on a cruise and I definitely want to go back again, as it is a charming town with a lot to offer and beautiful surroundings to explore, which I have had the pleasure of passing through before on roadtrips to Nice and Spain. I also discovered a French perfumery here, Le Jardin de Fragonard, which finally cured my inability to like a fragrance.
Where to stay in Marseille
Marseille is a city where the neighbourhood makes a huge difference. The surest bet for a first visit is the area around Vieux Port, the old port. You have everything within easy reach there, from restaurants to boat trips to the Calanques. A fine area too is Le Panier, the city’s oldest neighborhood full of street art and small cafes. If it’s the sea and tranquillity you’re after, check out the hotels by the Corniche or Prado beaches, where you can reach the centre in a few minutes by metro.
Be careful around Gare Saint-Charles and the northern quarter, I wouldn’t want to stay there, especially in the evening. Marseille is a gritty city with a lot of charm, but you have to pick the right place.
Tips for accommodation in Marseille
- Hôtel Hermès – A pleasant smaller hotel right by the Vieux Port. Some rooms have views of the harbour and for the price it’s a bomb.
- Hôtel C2 – A beautiful boutique hotel in a historic building a short walk from the harbour. Design, spa, and atmosphere that will make you feel like you’re in another world.
- nhow Marseille – Modern design hotel by the Prado beaches with a rooftop bar and sea views. Ideal when you want to combine the city and the beach.
Tickets, day trips and experiences in Marseille
Marseille is a city where it pays to have some things booked in advance. MuCEM tends to have queues, and island trips have limited capacity and fill up fast in high season.
- MuCEM – skip-the-line ticket – Queues here get long, especially in summer. With a ticket in advance you walk straight in.
- Marseille – hop-on hop-off bus – The city is spread out and some sights are far from the centre. Handy if you’re short on time and want to see as much as possible.
- Full-day trip to Cassis and Aix-en-Provence – Both places are close to Marseille, but without a car it’s hard to manage in a day. This trip solves transport and the itinerary.
Things to see in Marseille
Marseille has its unmistakable Mediterranean charm and offers a lot, the harbour, the streets of the old town and the beautiful views of the city and the coast.
Vieux Port (Old Port)
The historic heart of Marseille and one of the liveliest places in the city. The old port served as the main gateway to the city for centuries and today is a nice place to stroll and sit in the gardens of the restaurants and just watch the boats leave and arrive. There are restaurants all around and I have to say they mostly looked pretty good. You can also get fresh seafood at the local market, brought in from the sea by fishermen right here.
There are many boats leaving the harbour for short and day trips.
The harbour is guarded by two 17th century forts, Fort Saint-Jean on the north side and Fort Saint-Nicolas on the south side.
Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica
The majestic basilica dominates the city’s skyline, standing at the highest point of Marseille. Which means that, apart from the basilica, the main reason to come here is the spectacular view of the whole city, the harbour, the Mediterranean coast and the Frioul Islands. Marseille is right below you. The Basilica is also the symbolic centre of Marseille, where locals come to ask for protection for their sailors.
It towers over the city, visible from the centre, the harbour and the cathedral. As the great view suggests, the road here is very uphill, just over 2 kilometres from the centre. Right at the top, however, is where bus 60 drops you off, which you can get on at the very beginning of the route at the museum at the Mucem St Jean stop, or at many stops thereafter, the route runs along the harbour. A ticket costs €1.70 (€2 directly from the driver). There is also a tourist train from the harbour (much more expensive).
It is a large and beautiful building. You can walk all around Notre Dame, admiring it from several different viewing platforms. Inside, you can visit the church itself and the crypt.
La Major Cathedral
The Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure or Cathédrale de la Major dominates the coastline, is 142 metres long and the highest dome reaches a height of 70 metres. It can accommodate 3,000 people and is one of the largest cathedrals in France. It was built in the 19th century in the Byzantine-Romanesque style. The interior is richly decorated, with many mosaics and inlays.
Entrance to the cathedral is free.
Château d’If fortress on the island of If
On the island of If, which is part of the Frioul Islands near Marseille, is the Château d’If fortress. Basically, the whole island is the fortress. It was built in the 16th century to protect the port of Marseille from threats, thanks to its strategic location.
The fortress also served as a prison. Among the most famous prisoners were Edmond Dantès, the main character of the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, and also the Man with the Iron Mask.
The fortress is open to the public and can be reached by boat.
Quartier La Panier
On the hill above the Old Port is Marseille’s oldest district, La Panier. It is nice for its narrow streets and colourful facades. There are also street performers here, and various festivals are held here.
In squares such as Place des Moulins and Place des Pistoles, you can visit local markets selling fresh produce and regional specialities.
MuCEM
The MuCEM, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations, has a distinctive design with a fibre cement grid façade, which looks quite interesting. So, traditionally, I haven’t been inside.
Book MuCEM tickets online for a timed slot — the rooftop bridge to Fort Saint-Jean gets packed midday.
There is a high bridge between the museum building and Fort Saint-Jean, which offers views of the harbour and the surrounding area.
Palais Longchamp
The palace was built in the 19th century to celebrate the construction of the Canal de Marseille, which brought water from the River Durance into the city. Surrounding it is the Parc Longchamp (a kind of palace garden).
It takes less than 30 minutes to get here from the centre. From the cathedral, take bus 49, from the Old Port even faster on the M1. The ticket costs 1.70 euros.
What to taste in Marseille
Provence is of course one of the many gastronomic paradises in the world, so trying something local is a must. From here comes the aromatic fish soup bouillabaisse with several types of fish, tomatoes and saffron. Ratatouille is a stew of vegetables with Provençal spices, eaten plain, with a baguette or as a side dish with meat.
Pieds et Paquets are braised lamb shanks and sheep tripe. Well, it may not sound all that appealing, but it looks nice. If this Provençal specialty doesn’t appeal to you, you might prefer navettes, biscuits flavoured with orange blossom water. And, of course, pastis, aniseed liqueur mixed with water.
Where to go on a trip from Marseille
As a coastal city with islands, an adjacent national park and as the capital of the Provence region, Marseille has much to offer. You can take day trips from here, but you’ll definitely have a good time if you drive or rent a car locally.
Provence
Provence is one of the most popular regions of France, known for its lavender fields, vineyards and picturesque villages. Lavender is in season in July and there are extensive fields in areas such as the Valensole Plateau or the Luberon.
Apart from the town of Valensole itself, Gordes is worth a visit, a town with stone houses built on a rocky hill with beautiful views of the surrounding area.
Frioul Islands
Apart from the island of If, which is famous for the Count of Monte Cristo, as I wrote above there are other islands worth a visit and a boat trip. The island of Pomègues has beautiful scenery and beaches, Plage de la Pointe and Plage de la Rade are popular. There are also a couple of hiking trails that offer beautiful views.
Ratonneau Island will be more interesting for history buffs. There’s a former leprosy hospital from the 18th century, as well as an old fortress that was part of the Marseille defence system.
Calanques National Park
The national park is on the coast, so it has beautiful rocky cliffs and turquoise blue bays. There are lots of hiking trails and beautiful beaches.
Avignon
Avignon is famous for its Pont d’Avignon, half of which is now a toll section (and no, it’s not such a special experience — it’s enough to look at the bridge from the surrounding area and move on, buying a ticket is just a case of “I stood on that bridge”, but I did).
Other than that, it’s a really nice French town for just walking around (and sampling the bakeries) and sitting in a square, like Place de l’Horloge. There’s the Palais des Papes, the palace of the popes from when Avignon was the center of the Catholic Church. Next door is the Notre-Dame des Doms Cathedral with a golden statue of the Virgin Mary at the top of the tower.
Avignon is a 30-minute train ride from Marseille.
Where is Marseille
After Paris, Marseille is the second largest French city on the southeast coast of France, on the Mediterranean Sea in the Gulf of Lion. It is the capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region and an important port, founded as early as 600 BC with the name Massalie. Ships sail from here to Corsica, Sardinia and as far as Africa.
How to get to Marseille
Marseille has its own airport, Aéroport de Marseille Provence (MRS). It’s about 27 km from the city centre.
Coming from Paris? Take the TGV high-speed train. It gets you here in just over 3 hours.
From the airport into the centre there’s a direct bus line L 91. It runs every 10 minutes and costs €8.30 one way. Or take the train for €5.20. Either way the ride takes half an hour.
