As a coastal city, Marseille benefits from good beaches at which activities for both families and outdoor pursuit enthusiasts are available. In the countryside of the Provence region are plenty of pleasant nature spots where a variety of activities are possible. Sports fans can enjoy watching a game of soccer at the Stade Velodrome, while golfers can get a round or two in at the excellent Aix Marseille Golf Club.
Beaches Within easy reach of Marseille are beaches such as Plages de Bonne Veine, Plages des Planchistes and Plages Escale Borély, at which family visitors can enjoy the usual array of sand and sea activities while more adventurous types can take advantage of the various water sports on offer.
Football Football enthusiasts might want to try their hand at getting hold of a ticket (it can be tricky) for a home game of local team Olympique de Marseille. Matches are played at the impressive Stade Velodrome and local support is exceedingly enthusiastic.
Golf
The Aix Marseille Golf Club, an 18-hole course located just 15kms (nine miles) north of the city is perhaps the best course available to golf enthusiasts visiting Marseille. Alternatively, there is the Golf Marseille La Salette, a smaller course offering putting and pitching greens plus club, buggy and trolley hire. Phone: +33 4 42 24 20 41 (Aix Marseille Golf Club).
Head for the area known as the Calanques for the perfect blend of stunning scenery and ideal hiking terrain. There are numerous well-established trails in the area, and visitors can pick up a good local map from the city’s tourist office for more information.
Marseille Skate Park Skateboard and in-line enthusiasts will love the facilities on offer at Marseille’s impressive skate park. One of the best centres of its kind in the country, the park is home to a variety of purpose-built skating areas including a number of different sized interconnected bowls.
Parks and Gardens
The city has some excellent parks where families can enjoy a vast range of activities on fine, sunny days. Parc Borely is the city’s largest park, and as well as offering several scenic gardens it has areas well suited to walking, cycling and rollerblading plus a go-kart track. Also of note are Parc des Bruyères, with its two manmade lakes and various playgrounds, and Parc Montredon Pastré, also with lakes plus a canal and hiking trails.
A mixed selection of cultural activities is on offer to Marseille’s visitors, with some emphasis on museums. The Marseille History Museum (Musée d'Histoire du Marseille) is the best place to learn something of the city’s past, while the Museum of Fine Arts (Musée de Beaux Arts) is unquestionably the city’s finest gallery space. Castles and palaces are among the other highlights, offering cultural heritage with an aesthetic edge.
Chateau d'If Alexandre Dumas’s famous novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, used this 16th century island fortress as one of its chief settings and for many visitors this is perhaps its greatest appeal. The fortress, which later became a prison, is located on the island of If and it can be visited easily from the mainland on a ferry journey that takes just 20 minutes. Besides its literary associations, the structure is also of significant historical interest.
Musée Cantini
Art enthusiasts should not miss out on the chance to view the Fauvist and Surrealist works that make up the collection housed within this splendid 17th century mansion. Among the most notable works on display are those by Picasso, Matisse and Bacon. Phone: +33 491 54 77 75.
Marseille History Museum (Musée d'histoire de Marseille)
The city’s fascinating past is explored in detail at this impressive museum facility situated in the Vieux Port area of the city. Ancient and more recent history is covered by a varied collection of exhibits, among which are archaeological findings, original sea vessels and textiles. Highlights include the remains of a Greek ship dating to the 4th century. Phone: +33 491 90 42 22.
Museum of Fashion (Musée de la Mode) Fashion enthusiasts and anyone with an interest in how clothing has developed over the last few centuries should not miss out on Marseille’s Museum of Fashion. The permanent collection features over 2,000 outfits and accessory items including an exhibition dedicated to trends from the 1930s to the present day. Phone: +33 491 56 59 57.
Museum of Fine Arts (Musée de Beaux Arts)
The city’s first ever museum is also one of France’s oldest, dating back to early post-French Revolution years and owing its existence to the famous French architect, Henry Espérandieu. The museum’s collection is extensive and exceptionally varied; however, of particular note are the Italian works from the 16th and 17th centuries by artists such as Perugino, Assereto and Caravaggio Bassetti. Phone: +33 491 14 59 30.
Palais du Pharo As interesting historic buildings go, this is one of Marseille’s best, dating to the late 19th century and occupying a splendid location that overlooks the entrance to the port and the famous Château d'If. The palace was a gift to Napoleon III from the city and its interior décor and furnishings are suitably majestic. The gardens that form a part of the palace’s estate are pretty and well worth taking the time to explore.Phone: +33 491 55 1575.
Eating out in Marseille is rarely a disappointing experience, with the local cuisine offering its own unique and tasty creations, often based on or influenced by traditional Provençal recipes.
For an authentic Marseille dish, give the seafood soup creation known as bouillabaisse a try; this tasty delicacy is usually comprised of squid, crab and a variety of fish plus tomatoes and other vegetables. Others favourites to look out for include ratatouille, tapenade and mechoui.
The local restaurant scene is comprehensive and caters to the majority of tastes and budgets. Among the most popular places to eat, the Corniche is notable for its mixed selection of local and international eateries, while the Plage du Prado is a favourite with visitors unconcerned with price and looking for a luxurious dining experience. Budget dining is available at locations such as Cours Belsunce, Le Panier and Rue Pavilion.
Shopping opportunities are plentiful in the city, and indeed Marseille is up there with the likes of Paris and Lyon as one of France’s top shopping destinations. For high fashion clothing the locals usually head for the boutiques of Cours Julien, while for more generalised shopping the likes of Rue Saint Ferréo, Rue Paradis and Rue de Rome are some of the best places to shop.
Covered shopping can be found at the Centre Bourse located behind the Old Port. Here there’s a mall with a large selection of popular French stores and retail outlets. If markets are more your thing, then the flea market known as Les Puces is the ideal place to visit at the weekend for its lively atmosphere and varied mix of local products.
Very pleased about proximity to stations no need for taxi , I hope to return to Marseille later in September and will stay there at this hotel again.Breakfast selection was also good in bright dining ...
