ms_go

We spent about a week in Marseille around the US Thanksgiving holiday. We weren't planning to write a trip report – but since there isn’t much information here about this city, we thought we'd share our experience. Marseille has a reputation for being dangerous. It is a little gritty, but we had such a great time there and never felt uneasy.

Why Marseille? We started the year with a mountain of United Airlines Plus Points (upgrade awards) that expire in January 2024. These aren’t easy to use, but I’ve been determined not to let them go to waste. I had a hunch I could find some transatlantic (Chicago-Germany) flights with award availability around the holidays, when business travel is lighter. I was right. The question then was, where to go?

We had a maximum of one week. For a late-November trip, we wanted to be around the Mediterranean, where the weather wouldn’t be too cold. And because it would be a short trip, we wanted one destination – a city that provided diverse experiences plus some easy day trips but that was new to us (we’ve been to Valencia, Barcelona, Nice, Rome, Naples…and are planning to go to Sicily next year). After a quick look at the map, we zeroed in on Marseille and Genoa. The flight schedule was more favorable for Marseille, so decision made.

Accommodation: Les Appartements du Vieux Port
For a stay of this length, we prefer an apartment with space to spread out. This establishment has 30-40 apartment options. We chose a one-bedroom unit with a nice outdoor terrace. It was a little chilly and windy for sitting outside, but we were able to use the terrace a few times. Otherwise, our unit was very comfortable, with modern furnishings including a washer. There’s a reception desk open during the day and evening, and the staff are very responsive and helpful. The location can’t be beat – two blocks off the port and walkable to just about everything, including the train station.
https://www.lesappartementsduvieuxport.com



Our fantastic third-floor patio

Vieux Port
The “old port” has been at the center of city life since the ancient Greek civilization. Today, there are wide pedestrian walkways around much of it, particularly on the Quai du Port (north side), and activity all day. In the morning, there’s a small fish market right at the top end – and a larger farmer’s market on Sunday. Ferries leave from here to the islands and calanques. Otherwise, you can admire the numerous and varied watercraft, including a collection of historic boats along one side. If you don’t want to walk around the port, there’s a ferry that crosses from one side to the other for 50 cents. Two old forts – Fort Saint-Jean and Fort Saint-Nicolas – tower over the entrance to the port. We enjoyed the views down to the port from various vantage points. I think it’s certainly one of the most picturesque city waterfronts we’ve seen.


Spot your yacht!


Ferry to cross the port


View down on the port from the hills of Le Panier


Sailing out (more on that later)


Sailboat passing Fort Saint-Jean


Sunday morning farmer's market


Cathedrale de la Major, behind Fort Saint-Jean


Looking down on the port from Palais du Pharo


At sunset


Along the walls of Fort Saint-Jean

Next up, exploring the history.

MmePerdu

I'm so glad to see this report. Marseille is a place I haven't been despite many trips to France & I've been thinking about the possibility. Thanks for this!

ms_go

Thanks, MmePerdu! Same for us. I'm so glad we were finally able to spend some time there.

History
Marseille has a fascinating history. The city was a prominent port during the Greek civilization, and the prehistoric settlements in the area date much further back. We had intended to visit MuCEM – the Museum of the Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean – on our last day. Oops: We neglected to check which day it was closed and, yes, that was Tuesday. Not to worry. The Musee d'Histoire de la Ville de Marseille is well worthy of the time, with educational exhibits across three floors that span prehistory to the current day, including extensive coverage of the evolution of the port. Roman ruins in the yard outside were once part of the old port. Better yet, admission is free. Museum staff outnumbered the visitors.


Ruins of a Cassis-stone paved road dating to the 2nd-4th C BC. The grooves make the pavement less slippery for horse carriages. There's an older pebbled road underneath.


The fortifications were part of the entrance to the old city. They date to the 2nd C BC.


Excavated boats


Greek era amphora ~500-600 years BC


Greek stele representing a woman in a chapel, ~500 BC


3D exhibits show what the port looked like at various stages. In this one, Greek temples are visible in what is now Le Panier.


A later rendering about 500 years old. The red arrow points to our apartment.


Giant floor map of modern Marseille. The red dot between us is the location of the museum, which was on the site of the ancient port. The green dot (I added) is where we stayed.

ms_go

Notre-Dame de la Garde
The basilica is set on the site of an ancient fort on a hilltop, towering about 500 feet over the city. Construction on the current basilica began in the 1850s, and it is known for its Neo-Byzantine mosaics. Our Uber driver from the airport had a number of suggestions for our time in the city. One of those was to walk up to the basilica and arrive a little before sunset. Once we got settled into our apartment, that’s exactly what we did.














On the walk back down

geetika

Along for the ride, thanks for the TR. Yes, Marseille isn’t one of the popular tourist destinations, but it’s highly underrated IMO, thanks for sharing your experiences.

SusanP

Glad to read more about a city that interests me. Did your apartment building have an elevator?

kerouac

Very happy to see a positive report about much maligned Marseille. Usually all that one sees here is "I heard it was dangerous and I'm not interested."

geetika

Much maligned indeed! Similar to what we heard about Naples before our visit last year. Gritty, yes, but with so much to offer…

progol

Fabulous TR, ms_go! And it’s at the top of our list to visit! Your photos are beautiful - that light at sunset from the basilica is a big WOW!

We had a trip here planned for the fall of 2020 but we all know what happened then. You’ve reminded me that we really do want to make sure to visit Marseille before too long.

FTOttawa

Thank you! I loved Marseille but left with much unseen, so itks great to have your lovely photos and story to motivate me. Looks like a stellar choice of apartment hotel, too.

TDudette

Kudos for walking to Notre Dame de la Garde! It took the bus 20+ minutes. Gorgeous pictures, ms_go.

ms_go

Thanks, all! Now I think a better name for this report would have been, A Marvelous Week in Much-Maligned Marseille

SusanP: Our apartment was three floors up, and there was no lift. This helped us walk off all the good food we were eating (post on that to come later). That said, that apartment company does have 30 or 40 units in several buildings right in that block, and it is possible one of the other buildings may have a lift.

Frioul Archipelago
Normally, a day trip out to walk/hike in the Calanques (rocky, limestone coves that are mostly east of Marseille) would be right up our alley. But with the wind and temps struggling to reach 50, that didn't sound appealing. Instead, the Frioul Archipelago, a small group of four islands about a 20-minute boat ride from the port, offered a little taste of the coast in a more compact timeframe. Due to the wind, ferries were not able to dock at the most popular of the four islands, If (site of the Chateau d'If of "Count of Monte Cristo" fame), so we instead headed to the Port du Frioul. A couple hundred people live on the islands, and there are some ruins of old fortifications and other structures scattered around. We had limited time due to a Sunday lunch reservation but still enjoyed 1.5 hours of exploring.



We had a nice view of the archipelago on our flight into Marseille


A murmuration as we started our walk


We spent our time on the island of Pomègues - the walk from the port to the far end is about 45 minutes


You can see Marseille in the distance


Hopital Caroline was a quarantine station built on the island in the 1820s (now ruined)


Steps from the waterfront to Hopital Caroline


View across the calanque to the ruined Hopital Caroline


There are a couple hundred people living on the island - but many, many more birds


Some of the ruins on the island


More ruins


Calanque de Morgiret


Port du Frioul


Chateau d'If from the boat on the ride back - no stopping there on this day due to high winds

kerouac

I just hope that you get a chance to return and visit the MuCEM, which I consider to be essential to any trip to Marseille, as well as a stroll around the "Panier" which is right next to it.
The "Panier" district of Marseille | Any Port in a Storm (proboards.com)

ms_go

We did spend quite a bit of time in Le Panier - that's coming in my next post (after I finish work today). I am sorry we missed the MuCEM. That was just poor planning on our part. We will have to make it back sometime.

kerouac

And since you didn't go to the calanques, which is very hit-or-miss depending on the wind (The day before I went the trips were cancelled, and the day after I went, the trips were cancelled due to the wind.), here is my view of them:
The calanques of Marseille | Any Port in a Storm (proboards.com)

SusanP

Thank you for the elevator info.

Maribel

ms_go,
I love your report and your photos are gorgeous. I had always put Marseille on my "maybe but..." list but you've now convinced me!

Adelaidean

What a great set of photos and report of such an interesting city.

ms_go

Thanks for sharing! Another reason for us to go back. Things do look a little different in November - no one sunning on the rocks/boats in swimsuits.

Thank you, Maribel! After all your great advice for Spain over the years, I'm glad to have something to share. You should go sometime - and it's much closer for you!

And thanks for following along, Adelaidean. It is a very interesting city, and I'm glad we were able to have the time there that we did.

KarenWoo

ms_go, it's wonderful to see your report and photos of Marseilles! Our oldest daughter lived in Provence for 10 years with her French husband and their children. In June they re-located to the Dallas area for their jobs, but while they were in France we visited on a fairly regular basis for 10 years. We made several daytrips to Marseilles (in fact our daughter bought her wedding dress in Marseilles), but we never stayed overnight. The last time we were there was a year ago in December to help our son-in-law with the children when our daughter was on a work trip. We spent a day in Marseilles and visited the Le Panier district for the first time which I thought was absolutely fascinating! I took tons and tons of photos of the gritty and unique street art.

We visited the calanques once in the summer many years ago. Last December we decided to visit Cassis again. None of the boats were running of course. It was a drizzly windy day and it was interesting to see Cassis without the tourist crowds.

Looking forward to more of your report and photos!