The arrival of the TGV (Train a Grande Vitesse) high speed train means that Marseille is only 3 hours away from Saudia destination Paris. With its extraordinary variety of architecture, diverse heritage and ambitious Euromediterranee renewal project France’s colourful and forward-thinking third city has become a European City of Culture.
Most of the population are immigrants, among their number are Muslims from the Mediterranean Basin and North Africa. Many of them attend the Khalid Ibn Al Walid Mosque on Rue Malaval. Soon they will be able to worship at the Great Mosque of Marseille, designed in Mediterranean style. Work started recently on the site in the city's 15th arrondissement. And upon completion in 2016 it will become the largest mosque in France with a capacity of 7,000.
Around 600 BCE a band of Phocaen Greeks sailed into the Vieux Port – Old Port. Since then life in Massalia (as it was then known) has revolved around this trading post. A century later Massalia’s cargo routes extended throughout Mediterranean Europe and north to the Baltic. In 49 BCE the Roman Julius Caesar besieged the city and since then it has both prospered and been ransacked many times.
Louis XIV pulled down the city walls in 1666 and extended the urban area with La Canabiere marking the dividing line between rich and poor. Today it is Marseille’s best-known avenue, the local answer to Paris’ Champs Elysees. The Sun King also expanded the port to the Rive Neuve and built a new Arsenal along with Fort St Nicolas. The city soon became France’s main port. Today it has 36 miles of seafront from L’Estaque in the north to the Calanques in the south. And 15 arrondissements spiral out from the Vieux Port.
This port area is the location of a bustling fish market and more souk-like retail districts set against backdrops of steep streets, historic 19th century thoroughfares and tranquil squares. This neighbourhood is known as Le Panier – the Basket - and was the site of a Greek agora, or marketplace.
Several outstanding buildings here must be seen. La Centre de la Vielle Charite was a former almshouse designed by Marseille-born architect Pierre Puget. The edifice, which has open loggias surrounding a courtyard, was recently reopened as a cultural complex. It houses the Musee Archaeologique Mediterranee and the Musee des Arts Africains, Oceaniens and Amerindiennes.
The 17th century Hotel de Ville (City Hall) with its twin pediments and baroque armorials now surrounded by a vast pedestrian space on the quay. Just behind is La Maison Diamantee, home to the Musee de La Vieux Marseille and is so named after its diamond-faceted facade built in the 16th century. Here the displays evoke daily life in the city with photographs, costumes and furniture. And just west of the Hotel de Ville the Musee de Docks Romains showcases a 1st century Roman shipping warehouse, complete with coins, terracotta jars and amphorae.
Take one of the stairways or any road leading up to Rue Caisserie and the striking Hotel Dieu will catch your eye above. Originally built in the 12th century as a hospital, this is one of Maraeille’s emblematic buildings towering over the port area. It was redesigned with its galleried façade in 1753 and is a listed building.
Recently it found a new identity when reopened as the InterContinental Marseille, a jewel among Marseille hotels. The historic building’s seven floors offer 194 guest rooms and suites. Other facilities include a spa with swimming pool , two saunas, a hammam and a fitness centre. In the dining department there is the gastronomic restaurant Alcyone, the Brasserie des Fenetres and a spectacular open terrace where one can enjoy a coffee, fresh orange juice and light meals.
Back beside the Vieux Port take Rue Beauvau to see the colonnaded facade of the Opera de Marseille. Originally built in the 18th century, it was destroyed by a fire in 1919. Rebuilt in Art Deco style in 1924 this ornate theatre offers regular opera performances along with National Ballet productions. Alternatively take part in a guided tour or enjoy a meal or a coffee at the onsite restaurant. Behind is the upmarket shopping area around Rue Paradis and Rue St Ferreo.
To the north Belsunce is a remarkable, dynamic mainly Arab quartier. The district is also home to the marvellous municipal library. Designed by Adrien Fainsilber and recently opened, it is built around the old Alcazar Music Hall. Rue d’Aix is lined with North African jewellers and patisseries and leads to Porte d’Aix.
To the east are boutiques and shops selling inexpensive fabrics, sweets and every type of gadget imaginable. On the other side of La Canabiere, the future Great Mosque is being built on Cours St Louis. On Rue d’Aubagne you will find grocers from the Maghreb selling couscous, spices and pulses. Nearby Cours Julien is the bohemian artists’ district with bookshops, theatres, restaurants with sunny terraces and a bi weekly flower market.
Go down to docklands at La Joliette. This area is a new upmarket shopping hub with cafes and restaurants aplenty. Similar to London’s docklands, the Cite de la Mediterranee development now spans almost two miles of waterfront. It stretches from the southside Vieux Port to Arenc in the north. A pedestrian walkway outside Fort St Jean will include an elevated promenade and the C-shaped Centre Regionale de la Mediterranee now houses exhibition spaces, private apartments and yet more boutiques and cafes
The recently opened Museum of Civilizations from Europe and the Mediterranean (MuCEM) has three sites covering 47,000 sq yds. This must see addition to Marseille’s cultural life offers permanent collections, exhibitions, lectures, discussions and film screenings. Nearby Villa Mediterranee is eye catching as its architecture appears to defy gravity. This place was designed as a meeting place for both the public and professionals to share and discuss the region’s culture.
The wide Esplanade de la Major is to be home to an expanded ferry terminal. Here Italian architect Massimiano Fuksa’s futuristic complex will comprise a convention centre, Marriott hotel, housing - and film director Luc Besson’s multiplex cinema. Quai d’Arenc will see Iraqi British architect Dame Zaha Hadid’s 33 floor skyscraper as the new home to international shipping group CMA GCM. The area’s former silos are to be transformed into new office and residential blocks and a new performing arts centre.
While in the waterfront area take the Friol If Express from Quai des Belges to Chateau d’If. This was the setting for literary legend Alexander Dumas’ book The count of Monte Cristo. Today the islet is home to seagulls and salamanders. Nearby are the Iles de Friol, small islands with a marina, isolated beaches and windswept rocks. Bring a picnic and enjoy the clear water and landscape studded with fragrant Provencal herbs rosemary and thyme.
Other attractions include Le Corbusier’s Radiant City, considered the ultimate future lifestyle complex when it opened in 1952. This vertical ‘Garden City’ is a Unesco World Heritage Site with a special artistic atmosphere. It was designed to be a model for community living. Along with apartments the building includes a creche, nursery school, shops, a gym, theatre, hotel and rooftop paddling pool. Split level accommodation means that everyone has both sea and mountain views...and what a view it is! The hotel has beautifully restored studios and low budget cabins.
Apart from the aforementioned InterContinental Marseille, the city’s other top hotel, Sofitel Marseille Vieux Port, sits on the hillside with splendid views of the harbour and coastline. It is home to one of the top restaurants, Les Trois Forts, and has an outside dining area. A bonus for hydrotherapy fans is the spa with hammam and sauna plus two swimming pools, both indoor and outdoor, with spacious relaxation areas.
In the mid range hotel Residence du Vieux Port is one of the most sought after places in town. The 1950s building has rooms with primary colours and swoop-back furniture. Some reflect Provencal style while others have been redesigned to reflect the Fifties’ mood. And most have balconies with amazing port panoramas. For budget travellers the HI Youth Hostel Bonneveine lies just 200 yards from the beach.
In the dining department bouillabaisse is a must-sample delicacy of fish soup. And the legendary place to taste it is Le Miramar in the portside dining room or out on the terrace. For oysters Le Cornice is a failsafe option. And Chez Fonfon, a Marseille institution, is known for its stylish dining room overlooking the Vallon des Auffes harbour. Choose the catch of the day, chargrilled or baked, and expertly deboned and served with panache.
There is no shortage of halal restaurants either. At Une Escale de Maroc you can sample fish, lamb and mint tea on the terrace. Al Jennah on Cours Julien is the place to go for dishes from the Maghreb, including couscous. Le Prince de Belsunce does French cuisine and for Turkish treats there is Cappodocia. And if you fancy some Egyptian fast food, check out Nefertiti on La Joliette.
Just a 30 minute train ride away is Aix-en-Provence, arguably the most appealing town in Provence. It is known for its calissons - almond and candied melon sweetmeats - and for being the birthplace of post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne. You can still visit his studio today. For an overnight or weekend stay the place to go is Grand Hotel du Roi Rene. Conveniently located near the SNCF rail station and the Cours Mirabeau, the hotel’s best features are an outdoor pool and a floral patio for al fresco dining in summer. Gourmet Provencal dishes are also served at the stylish La Table du Roi restaurant. Don’t miss the Coquilles with Courgette Tart.
A little further on is the medieval walled town of Avignon, a leading Gallic artistic centre. And many visitors rate Cassis, 23 km east of Marseille, as the best resort west of St Tropez.

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