Marseille Photo: Igor Stepovik / Shutterstock.Com Marseille Is the Undiscovered Jewel in the Crown of France’S Mediterranean Coastline
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Marseille Photo: Igor Stepovik / Shutterstock.com Marseille is the undiscovered jewel in the crown of France’s Mediterranean coastline. The rocky hills of Provence look down onto the ancient port and the thousands of boats docked in its clear blue waters. Countless artists have been seduced by the sunny climate and the hustle-and-bustle of the town. France’s second city has all you could ask for - beautiful beaches, ancient buildings, thriving arts, and a dynamic nightlife. Welcome to a place fiercely proud of its unique cultural heritage, dubbed "Planet Mars" by its youthful population. Giancarlo Liguori / Shutterstock.com Top 5 Château d'If Château d'If was, historically, France’s very own Alcatraz, built in 1527 an... Basilique Notre-Dame de la... The defining symbol of Marseille towers on a hilltop 154 metres above the ci... Vieux Port Fish Market Ekaterina Pokrovsky / Shutterstock.com There is a bustling fish market in the Vieux Port (old port) well worth expl... Saint Victor Abbey Abbaye Saint Victor is Marseille's oldest church. The abbey is built by the ... Marseille History Museum Musée d'Histoire de Marseille is an interesting and well-visited museum with... S-F / Shutterstock.com Updated 07 October 2019 Destination: Marseille Publishing date: 2019-10-07 THE CITY DO & SEE Mariia Golovianko / Shutterstock.com Igor Stepovik / Shutterstock.com Founded by Phocaean Greeks 2 600 years ago, Marseille is an urban cultural hot spot, a French Marseille is France’s oldest town, a melting pot city with historical and maritime museums, of peoples and cultures, and a gateway to lovely architecture and beautiful nature in the southern Europe and North Africa. Today, the form of parks and a stunning beach. Visit the city is still dependent on the port for its revenue main harbour and take a stroll around the and is dominated by shing boats and people Abbaye Saint Victor, explore the narrow streets selling fresh produce. of the old quarter, or make time for one of the beaches not too far from the city centre. Marseille is cut in half by La Canebière, one of the main shopping streets, which runs west to Château d'If east from the Vieux Port. The city is divided into Château d'If was, 15 arrondissements (districts), ranging from historically, France’s very gentried to run-down, and is famed for its own Alcatraz, built in sh-dominated culinary menu and its potent 1527 and used as a prison aniseed tipple, called pastis. in the 17th century. This place was the inspiration The exclusivity increases as you head further for Alexandre Dumas's novel "The Count of south to the corniche and Prado, the city’s best Monte Cristo", and occupies an island of its own beach, with three kilometres of ne sand. 1.5 km oshore. Photo: Boris Stroujko / Shutterstock.com Address: L’Archipel du Frioul, Marseille Public Transport: Boat leaving from Quai des Belges (Vieux Port) Opening hours: Opening hours depend on the season Phone: +33 6 03 06 25 26 Internet: www.chateau-if.fr/en Destination: Marseille Publishing date: 2019-10-07 Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde used as a church, prison, warehouse and The dening symbol of barracks. Entry is free of charge, but a small fee Marseille towers on a is collected for seeing the crypt containing hilltop 154 metres above important historical artefacts and sarcophagi. the city, with the gilded statue of the Virgin Mary Photo: RnDmS / Shutterstock.com stretching skywards. The Address: 3 Rue de l'Abbaye, Marseille Public Transport: Métro Vieux Port views from up here are simply stunning. Take the Opening hours: Opening hours depend on the season shuttle for convenience or embark on a Phone: +33 4 96 11 22 60 just-under-an-hour-long hike up from the old Internet: www.saintvictor.net/?lang=en port. Marseille History Museum Photo: Inu / Shutterstock.com Musée d'Histoire de Address: Rue Fort du Sanctuaire, Marseille Marseille is an interesting Opening hours: Opening hours depend on the season and well-visited museum Phone: +33 4 91 13 40 80 Internet: www.notredamedelagarde.com/?lang=en with historical and Email: [email protected] archaeological artefacts dating back to the city's Vieux Port Fish Market founding times. You can nd it ideally located There is a bustling sh next to the Old Port. An English audio guide is market in the Vieux Port available to visitors. (old port) well worth exploring. The intense Photo: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com smell of sh and salty sea Address: 2 Rue Henri-Barbusse, Marseille Public Transport: Métro Vieux Port breeze contributes to Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10am-6pm making this experience engaging to the senses. Phone: +33 4 91 55 36 00 Why not buy some fresh sh and try your hand at Email: [email protected] the local speciality sh stew (bouillabaisse)? Prado Beaches Photo: Artens / Shutterstock.com Located at the end of the Address: Quai des Belges, Marseille corniche are the Plages Public Transport: Métro Vieux Port du Prado, Marseille’s Opening hours: Daily 9am-12am. May not take place in case of bad weather. stretches of sandy beaches. With a steady Saint Victor Abbey sea breeze, the beaches Abbaye Saint Victor is are excellent for kite-ying or a rst windsurng Marseille's oldest church. lesson. Prado encompasses several compact The abbey is built by the beaches with multiple shopping and dining graves of Marseille’s rst opportunities in the vicinity. martyrs. Throughout history, the building was Photo: velirina / Shutterstock.com Address: Avenue Mendès, Marseille Destination: Marseille Publishing date: 2019-10-07 Park Borély cheering locals, and will likely prove enjoyable Park Borély (Parc Borély) even if football isn't exactly a passion of yours. is a stunning Photo: Gilles Paire/Shutterstock.com development covering Address: 3 Boulevard Michelet, Marseille many hectares, situated Phone: +33 4 13 64 64 64 not too far from the Prado Internet: www.orangevelodrome.com/en/accueil beaches. Along with the 18th-century château, there are the superbly La Corniche well-maintained English and French Botanical Enjoy this romantic Gardens and a rowing lake. walkway along the sea and the stunning views Photo: Ulrike Haberkorn / Shutterstock.com that it provides. En route Address: Avenue du Parc Borély, Marseille you will see the Château Opening hours: Daily 6am-8:45pm d'If, as well as beautiful Roman Docks Museum coves called "calanques". The entire 12-kilometre Roman Docks Museum long Corniche leading down to the Prado (Musée des Docks Beaches is best explored by bike, with stops for Romains) is situated on photos and dining. the site of a Roman docks Photo: STUDIO M/Shutterstock.com warehouse discovered Address: Corniche du Président John F Kennedy, Marseille after World War II. Here you can nd a range of impressive artefacts Place Castellane discovered during the reconstruction of the old This is an impressive harbour. One of its primary attractions are the Marseille roundabout "dolia" - large ceramic containers once used to where many tourist store oils and wines. photos have been taken. It is a major transport Photo: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com hub, whose focal point is Address: 28 Place Vivaux, Marseille Public Transport: Métro Vieux Port a large fountain with an interesting obelisk Opening hours: Mid May-mid Sep: daily 10am-7pm. Rest of statue. There are several cafés around the year: daily 10am-6pm - closed Mon square's perimeter and o down the streets of Phone: +33 4 91 91 24 62 the neighbourhood. Orange Vélodrome Stadium Photo: Zyankarlo/Shutterstock.com The Orange Vélodrome is Address: Place Castellane, Marseille where the oicial football club in Marseille, Olympique de Marseille, is based at. Attending a football game here is a lot of fun thanks to the lively atmosphere created by Destination: Marseille Publishing date: 2019-10-07 Les Calanques The garden contains an interesting mix of Greek A "calanque" is an inlet, and Roman remains. The majority of its nds are cove or bay, and the ones ruins of the old port. you nd outside Marseille are no less than Photo: oksmit/Shutterstock.com mesmerising. The Address: 2 Rue Henri-Barbusse, Marseille Public Transport: Métro Vieux Port impressive limestone More Info: The entrance is located at the Marseille History formations and the turquoise waters make for an Museum excellent retreat. There are a wide range of sporting activities available here, as well as Lighthouse Palace plenty of relaxation for the weary. On the left hand side of the port you can nd the Photo: Gaspar Janos/Shutterstock.com Lighthouse Palace, a Address: Les Calanques de Marseille, Marseille congress and conference Internet: www.calanques-parcnational.fr building ideally located in The Old Charity a park with great views of The 17th century brought the water and islands. Heralded as one of a cruel repression of Marseille's most beautiful palaces, "Palais du beggars to France, and in Pharo" was rst constructed for Napoleon III in Marseille many of them 1858. were imprisoned. Photo: Zyankarlo/Shutterstock.com Almshouses were opened Address: 58 Boulevard Livon, Marseille to serve as workhouses for beggars and this Phone: +33 4 91 14 64 95 specic building was just that. Nowadays the Internet: palaisdupharo.marseille.fr building, called La Vieille Charité in French, is a Email: [email protected] cultural centre and houses, among other things, Palais Longchamp museums such as the Museum of Mediterranean Palais Longchamp is an Archaeology and the Museum of Art of Africa, extraordinary, majestic Oceania and Amerindia. building right in the Photo: Mariia Golovianko/Shutterstock.com middle of the city that Address: 2 Rue de la Charité, Marseille throws you years back in Internet: www.vieille-charite-marseille.com time with its ornamental staircases and large fountains.