Marseille

France·Europe

Currency

EUR

Language

French

Timezone

Paris

Continent

Europe

Our guide

Discover Marseille

Marseille is twenty-six centuries old: Greeks from Phocaea founded it around 600 BC, making it France's oldest city. Everything radiates from the Vieux-Port, where the fish market still trades each morning. Above it, Notre-Dame de la Garde — la Bonne Mère — is visible from everywhere and makes the city legible at a glance. Below, Fort Saint-Jean is joined to the MuCEM by a footbridge strung over the water, and the contrast between seventeenth-century stone and 2013 latticed concrete is the best summary of what Marseille is. Le Panier, the oldest quarter, climbs a hill of narrow lanes around La Vieille Charité. Offshore, the Château d'If keeps the reputation Dumas gave it. The Basilique Saint-Victor is a fortified abbey whose crypt dates from the fifth century.

When to go

May, June and September are the right months: twenty-five degrees, the sea still warm in September, the calanques walkable. July and August are fierce and full, and access to the Calanques massif is regulated day by day according to fire risk — an official map published the evening before says which sectors are open. Winter stays mild, around twelve degrees, but the mistral can blow for days and changes the feel of the cold entirely.

Getting around

Two metro lines, three tram lines, and the Vieux-Port as the hinge: the centre is walkable. Saint-Charles station puts Paris three hours away and Nice two and a half. Boats leave the Vieux-Port for the Château d'If and the Frioul islands in about twenty minutes. For the Calanques, take the boat from the Vieux-Port or walk in from Luminy; a car is useless here and parking is an expensive problem.

Where to eat

Bouillabaisse is governed by a charter signed in 1980 by restaurateurs tired of imitations: it specifies the fish, the two-part service, the broth first. It is expensive and must be ordered a day ahead. The rest is simpler: panisse, a fried chickpea cake; navettes scented with orange blossom; pizza from Le Panier; pastis before dinner. Twenty halal addresses are listed here.

Good to know

The euro is the currency. Marseille carries a reputation that does not match what a visitor experiences: the tourist quarters are safe and ordinary big-city care is enough. Thirteen sites are free. The mistral often decides whether boats sail, and island crossings are cancelled when it strengthens. Sunday morning at the Vieux-Port remains the best hour of the week.

Smart Planning