What to do in Marseille

With the proviso that I was last there 20 years ago, I enjoyed wandering around the old port, a boat trip out to Chateau d’If, taking the public bus on route 83, which skirts the coastline on the corniche (very scenic), and exploring the Pannier district and up to La Vielle Charite, which was beautiful.

Since then a big new showcase museum called Mucem has opened on the waterfront.

I also used it as a relatively low cost base for exploring Provence by train - I just popped into the main train station a couple of mornings and randomly went to places - Avignon and Aix-le-Provence, from memory. I also went to Nîmes but I think that was by car (I drove down through France from the UK so I had my car with me.)

I really enjoyed it - very bustling, beautiful but also slightly edgy and gritty. I don’t know whether it’s become a bit more gussied up since then.

I stayed at a Citadines aparthotel as I was there for a week. Slightly out of town but very near a metro stop and some beaches. It worked for me but if I went back for just a short break I’d want to be nearer the Vieux Port.

clgeorge383,
Marseille has lots to offer. I can't speak to lodgings as we always stay with family in Marseille or Bandol, but things to do are many:

MUCEM...Artifacts and history predating the Roman Empire, when Marseille was a main port for the Phoenicians and the Greeks. Fascinating walk through time in this oldest city in France.

Boat to Chateau d'If...Read The Count of Monte Cristo to put yourself in the mood. Fiction but it feeds your imagination and enhances your experience of this one-time actual prison.

Notre Dame de la Garde...The large church is 19th century, but the site goes back to a small chapel in the 13th century and has a history as a place of refuge and a place of prayer for the sailors of Marseille. Inside are models of boats hanging from the ceiling in thanks for a safe return from the sea. Outside are bullet holes in the facade from 20th century German attacks. Good views from the hilltop as well.

Vieux Port...Still a place where fishermen come in from their nighttime fishing trips to sell their catch. Marcel Pagnol's books and stories (some made into films) catch the ambience of early 20th century life in the Vieux Port (see Fanny, Marius, My Father's Glory, etc.) and you can still get that feeling in a stroll around the area, just be on the lookout for it, and go early.

Vallon des Auffes...An inlet where other groups of fishermen keep their boats, with a couple of really good restaurants...Chez Fonfon for fish and Chez Jean not for pizza (try pissaladiere). Nice ambience in the Vallon.

Day trips...depending on weather, a boat trip to the calanques. Or a drive to Bandol, a seaside community with a small sandy beach, a small casino, a Tuesday market at the harbor, a good place to stroll and have lunch outside. Or take a tour of some nearby wineries and enjoy sipping the great rose wines of the area. The Camargue, with flamingos and horses and some interesting food (bull meat, red rice).

Marseille can be gritty (It is no longer fun to stroll down La Canebiere from Gare St. Charles to the Vieux Port), but the city breathes its long and vibrant history as an entry point to Europe proper from the other countries bordering the Mediterranean. And the fish dishes shine, along with the excellent produce of Provence!

Chez Jeannot, NOT Jean not. Darn autocorrect!

About a year ago, when I spent a day in Marseille, I took the Petite Train (tourist train) around part of the city across the bay from Vieux Port and up the steep hill to the Notre Dame church others have mentioned. I more or less followed the RS guide walk and enjoyed wandering the small winding hilly streets and little squares of the historic Le Panier district.

Marseille is very close to Aix-en-Provence. It could be done as a day trip (the full day). The train takes about 45 minutes.

Another side trip from Marseille is to Aubagne (sweet little town), about 20-30 minutes by regional train. It is the home of the Foriegn Legion museum, the birthplace and small museum of Marcel Pagnol, and the center for the production of santons (creche figures, etc.) and other ceramics. Pagnol truly captured the essence of Provence of his time (pre-WWI to the middle 20th century). The films of his stories and plays really charm you. And the Foreign Legion (begun in Marseille) has its own mystique.