The city of Marseille is arguably the most-visited city in France next to Paris. Due to its line-up of historical landmarks and museums, noteworthy natural attractions, iconic city landmarks, and wide ports, many tourists find traveling to Marseille an exciting experience. They say Marseille has the climate blessed by gods, as it enjoys a 300-day of sunshine each year, just perfect for exploring all its majestic corners.
Sitting on France’s Mediterranean coast, Marseille’s visitors enter its premises through Marseille-Provence International Airport. Conversely, tourists coming from nearby places have the option to go to Marseille by bus, train, boat, or private car. Since the city has a compact size, the best way to discover the inviting features of the city is by joining a group tour or by renting a car. In places where tourist attractions are near each other, the best to uncover its wonders is through biking or walking.
Because Marseille is not for a single-day visit, many excellent hotels have sprawled on this beautiful side of France. Depending on what is in the itinerary, tourists choose among the City Center hotels, Marseille Airport hotels, Aix-en-Provence Hotels, Arles Hotels, or Cassis Hotels. Accommodations range from inexpensive yet decent lodging such as Hotel Lutetia in the old port to five-star luxury type hotels like Le Petit Nice Passedat. Whatever the budget and preference is, there is a hotel to serve as a home for the Marseille getaway.
Because Marseille is a city of water, all sorts of water sports are welcome here. Le Vieux Port, or commonly known as the Old Harbor, is an attraction not to miss, most especially on days when fishermen sell their catch by auction. The small beaches found in the south of the city center are worth visiting as they are less crowded and calm, very ideal for a relaxing and pleasant getaway.
One of the remarkable assets of Marseille is no doubt its heritage. Its relevant past made the city of Marseille marked by the most stunning archaeological sites such as the Panier District, Notre-Dame de la Garde and the Saint-Jean and Saint-Nicolas forts in the Old Port. The boulevard of Longchamp is lined-up with ancient buildings leading to the intricately-done Palais Longchamp.
Part of discovering Marseille is taking part in the unique shopping experience. Being France’s major tourist destination, Marseille has created a unique market place that attracts about 4 million tourists. Three large dynamic places are considered tourists’ market place: Marseille’s center for its almost 5000 shops, La Valentine for its quality and quaint locally-made furnishing, crafts and culture-related products, and of course, Grand Littoral Retail Park, the Marseille’s biggest shopping destination and fourth-largest shopping center of the country that attracts about 13 million shop-goers each year.
Marseille’s local cuisine mostly focuses on seafood, which is not surprising at all. Bouillabaisse and aioli are two of the most famous dishes here and almost all local restaurants have these on the menu. Among tourists, La Table du Fort and Le Petit Nice Passédat are two of the must-try restaurants in Marseille, though there are modestly-priced dining choices in every corner of the city. There are also varied cuisines such as Mexican, kebab, Chinese and fast-food chains for those craving for the more familiar taste.
Marseille is a place where the significance of history, wonders of nature, and modernity of the city meet, creating a perfect harmony enough to enthrall discerning sophisticated tourists all over the globe. With so many attractions to see and experience, the visit to Marseille surely creates wonderful moments hard to forget.