Who’s afraid of Marseille?

So let’s be honest, you prefer not to stay Marseille in Provence. If you happen to land at its airport, you rent a car and settle in Avignon or Aix-en-Provence. In those places, you reckon, you can have your comfortable base from which to explore Provence in peace and quiet. If you happen to arrive on a cruise ship to the mammoth port of Marseille, you probably want to get on a taxi and escape quickly to a nearby town or village.

Now, why is that? What have you heard?

Perhaps you’ve heard it’s a dangerous city. That it’s it’s filthy and ugly? You’ve heard it all. So let’s examine these hearsay and accusations:

• Is Marseille filthy? Well, it is the second largest city in France. Population generates filth and garbage. The city itself is innocent. Marseille is not any more dirty than Paris for that matter.
  
  

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• Is Marseille ugly? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When I look at the old port, with its two towers guarding the entrance, the serpentine streets of the Panier, its beautiful churches and museums, its colorful streets and mayhem, I find Marseille stunning. And towering above her all is the Notre Dame de la Garde. Frankly, I prefer Marseille to Paris. This is real. Mediterranean real.

• Is Marseille teeming with immigrants? Yes. This is the city of immigrants just like New York, but you aren’t afraid of New York, right? Italians make up 37% of the population. Other notable ethnic groups are North Africans (25%), Armenians (12%).
  
• Is Marseille dangerous? Cities, like all big cities harbor crime. Though the days of the Corsican mafia are mostly gone from Marseille. As a tourist, you need to exercise caution with your belongings like you would anywhere. Yes, I see drunks and homeless people in Marseille, like I see everywhere else in France. And ironically, somebody tried to pickpocket me in the posh Aix-en-Provence, but never in Marseille.

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Marseille, has a long history of rebellion, and the spirit of freedom and justice. Not for nothing is the national anthem called the Marseilaise. It suits us, thorny sabras, all this balagan and craziness. Marseille is a city that makes its own rules and answers to nobody. Sounds familiar?

How to get to Marseille:

1. From the airport in Marignane: Either a taxi (about 50 euros) or a bus (about 8 euros) to Marseille St. Charles train station.
2. From a cruise ship: walk about 1 km to the port exit from there take a free shuttle to the center city (old port). Otherwise, take a taxi (30-40 euros).
3. With a rental car: Program on waze “vieux port, Marseille”.

What’s to see in Marseille:

A disclaimer- I am not sure how to do this well, so I won’t even try. I was thinking of talking about the history of the city. But Marseille is 2600 years old! The oldest city in France, and the oldest port in the Mediterranean. Everyone was here! So shouldn’t you?

Instead of me writing a book (maybe I should?) or you reading one, the best way to learn about Marseille’s history in a fun way is to join me for a guided tour of Marseille. I promise to enchant you.

But if you want to discover Marseille at your own leisure, here are my recommendations, more or less in this order:

1. Old Port: Walk around taking in the sights and smells. This is where you can also find boats to the Calanques or Ile d’If (to visit Chateau d’If). This is the beating heart and soul of the city.

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2. Marseille History Museum: A great place to escape the heat in the summer, and an extraordinary collections of artifacts and ancient boats from 500 BC to modern age. At the entrance you will find recently unearthed excavations of the “real old port”. Incredible finding.

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3. Le Panier: The oldest neighborhood in Marseille, feel free to get lost, and then stop for a beer in one of the lovely plazas.

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4. Vieille Charite: An old asylum, free to enter. It used to house all the homeless, orphans, prostitutes, vagabonds, and other outcasts of society.

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5. Cathedral Le Major: IMO even more impressive than the Notre Dame, it commands a stupendous spot between east and west, the old and the new port. Built to accommodate 3000 worshipers.

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6. MUCEM: Inaugurated in 2012 this Museum for Mediterranean Cultures is not just a must see in terms of art & culture value, but its architecture is second to none, especially on the upper terrace and bridge.

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7. Fort St. Jean: One of my favorite spots, teeming with history of protecting the port. From the Greeks to the Romans to the Crusaders to King Rene to Louis XIV, to Napolean, to the Nazis.

8. Abbey St. Victor: A very very old monastery. Another church you say?! No. The secret is in the crypt!

9. Palais du Pharo: Napolean III built this palace as he wanted a home with “feet in the water”. Poor lad, never got to enjoy it, this pesky little thing called the revolution of 1870 got in the way.

10. Notre Dame de la Garde: Take bus 60 from the old port (2 euros) to the top and explore the most visited site in Marseille. Stand awe struck before the incredible mosaic inside the main church. Outside, the site offers 360 degree views of Marseille and the sea. I Recommend to walk your way back down to the port. I also recommend to walk it up in order to truly savor the ‘pilgrimage’ experience of it all, but not during the summer!

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11. Palais Longchamp: A water castle erected to celebrate the divergence of the Durance river to Marseille. An ode to man’s strife over nature. A beautiful structure, park and museum complex.

So I hope I managed to convince you that Marseille is worth a shot, a nod, a visit, a lifetime.

Everyone was already here, shouldn’t you be?