The city of Marseille, located in the South of France, holds a special place in my heart! It is the second largest city in France; I stayed there for five weeks and there was endless fun and plenty of activities. It is such a lively city and is so close to countless beautiful sight-seeing spots and weekend destinations. From spending the day at the beach to taking a short trip to another country, I can guarantee your time in Marseille will be enjoyed! Here are the top things to do while in Marseille, France.
1. The Catalans
The catalans (Plage des Catalans) is a beautiful beach with soft sand, clear waters and unique rocky edges. It is a lovely place to go swimming, tan in the sun, and my personal favorite - to go snorkeling. If you don't have snorkeling gear when you arrive, no worries! There is a shop that is open during the high seasons that sells all kinds of beach accessories. Besides laying on the soft sand, you can lay out with the locals on the little rocky cliffs pictured below. This is also the best place to snorkel since there is not too many waves or movement, making the water extra clear and full of all kinds of fish that live on & in the rocks under the water. To get to this location, when you enter the catalans walk towards the pier and go left! If you choose this area, climb down the rocks carefully to get in the water! If you further explore the coast of Marseille, you will find that the locals will find a spot on the rocks pretty much anywhere to swim, tan or hang out!
This beach is about a 20-25 minute walk from the Vieux Port (the old port of Marseille), or a 7-10 minute scooter ride. Taking an electric scooter is a quite common method of transportation in both Marseille and most large cities of France, and they're a lot of fun, too! There is a parking zone for the scooters very close to the catalans which is convenient for people chosing to get around using this method. I preferred using Uber scooters as I found the scooters themselves to be the most stable, but there are a few options; you have to download an app on your phone in order to rent them - it is a very easy procedure to follow. They are extremely cheap and convenient, costing around $0.15-$0.30 cents per minute. Visiting the catalans is definitely one of the top things to do in Marseille, France!
Address: 1 Rue des Catalans, 13007, Marseille, France
2. Day Trip to the Calanques National Park
Going to the Calanques National Park is one of the top things to do in Marseille, France. The national park stretches from Marseille to Cassis, France at about an hour train ride if you are staying near the Vieux Port. There are over 20 calanques at this national park; some of which you are able to hike to, while others are only accessible by boat or kayak. There are outstanding views from the top of the massive, steep cliffs during the hike, and views just as beautiful from the bottom if you climb down to swim. You could also choose to explore by means of water transportation (i.e. kayak or boat!). When visiting this national park you'll swim in the insanely blue waters, snorkel with the fish and picnic with breathtaking views. It is definitely a must-see and one of the top things to do in Marseille. I would highly recommend hiking to three of the most popular calanques - Port Miou, Port Pin and d'En Vau, starting from Port Miou in Cassis and ending at d'En Vau. For more information on how to get there, what to pack, which trails to take and more, visit my post on the Calanques National Park!
Address (of Port Miou): 50 Avenue des Calanques, 13260, Cassis, France
3. Visit Notre Dame de la Garde
Notre Dame de la Garde is a stunning catholic church with panoramic views of Marseille, the Mediterranean sea, small off-shore islands and countless surrounding mountains. Featuring statues and intricately designed mosaics both inside the church and out, it is definitely worth taking a visit; not only for the best views in Marseille, but also for the church itself. It is the highest natural point in the city - you can even see it from miles away, including from the Vieux Port. From the Vieux Port, it only takes about 20-25 minutes to walk to, and 8-10 minutes to drive to. I am not sure there is many places to park, so I would recommend walking or taking a bus. It is all uphill so walking can get a little difficult, but if you bring some water it's sure to be worth it for the views! The walk itself was also rather fun because we were able to explore other parts of Marseille that we haven't yet gone to. Exploring the church is free, so don't pass up going inside as you make your way around.
Address: Rue Fort du Sanctuaire, 13006, Marseille, France
4. Go to a Football (Soccer) Game at the Orange Vélodrome
Going to one of Marseilles football games is an extremely fun and unique experience. If you are visiting Marseille, it is definitely one of the top things to do! The stadium for football games, called the Orange Vélodrome, is about 3 miles away from the Vieux Port and would take over an hour to walk to, so I recommend taking public transportation. I took a metro and it took around 25-30 minutes. The game we went to see was a champion leagues game, Frankfurt vs. Marseille. To say it was wild and intense would be an understatement! The craziness started outside before the game even began; from the beginning the energy is unmatched. Once you enter and the game starts, the fans and Ultras from each team begin their entertaining chaos. 'Ultras' are essentially extreme fans that will follow their favorite teams everywhere they play, and celebrate the games with passion. These groups from opposing teams 'fight' with each other with fireworks and throwing other items at each other. There is chanting, jumping and so much life in the stadium! Don't worry though - you are safe! Families can go to these games as the ultras have their own seating section and don't interfere with the crowds, it is just a very fun experience to watch unfold before your eyes while enjoying some football.
Address: 3 Boulevard Michelet, 13008, Marseille, France
5. Walk Around & Explore the Vieux Port (Old Port)
The old port of Marseille, called the Vieux Port, is a very popular area surrounding a large marina holding boats of all sizes. In the marina you can find water transportation to get to small nearby islands or to the calanques national park. In the main square in front of the marina, there is a large mirrored canopy called the Port Vieux Pavilion. This is an art instillation and attraction for tourists; it is definitely cool to walk under and often has dancing and people playing instruments underneath. Walking along the marina, you will discover lines of cute small business shops selling many different items such as soap, lavender, souvenirs and jewelry. There are also so many waterfront restaurants, bars, and clubs with delicious food, great drinks and amazing music!
Next to the Vieux Port, Fort Saint-Jean is definitely worthy of exploring. The fort has such an interesting history which you can read about while walking through; it was built to defend the port of Marseille in 1660 under Louis XIV. So many events occured at Fort Saint-Jean and it, at different times, had many different uses including being used as fortress, a prison during the french revolution and a munitions storage facility during Nazi occupation. Famously, when it was built it actually had its cannons pointed at the city rather than away from it to defend against uprisings against royal rule. The Cathedral of the Major, a beautiful Roman Catholic church, is also worthy of exploring and is nearby fort St. Jean. If you walk from the fort to the cathedral, you will pass some cool art instillations including a very large orange bear!
Nearby, a few blocks away but on the other side of the port are streets with full of stores and boutiques perfect for a day of shopping. There are more popular stores such as H&M, Zara and Pull & Bear, as well as smaller, lesser known shops. Rue Saint-Ferréol is the best shopping street in my opinion with the most popular and well known stores, however if you walk around this area you will find there are some shops on nearly every street!
6. Enjoy the Nightlife
Along the marina in the Vieux Port there are many bars and clubs along the street Quai de Rive-Neuve. There is a hang-out spot for every kind of person - quiet bars, bars with outdoor seating perfect for conversation, loud dance clubs, lounges and every type of nightlife in between! We visited five bars and clubs along this street during our time in Marseille, including Pub O'Malley's and The Queen Victoria - lounge/conversation pubs - as well as L'exit Cafe, The Shamrock and Bar de la Marine - clubs with dancing and great music. It is a perfect street for bar hopping and is always very busy, especially during high season in the spring and summer. Because this street is so popular for nightlife, it can get a little crowded in the bars and clubs, which is why it is great there are so many options to choose from and plenty of outdoor seating when you need a breath of fresh air!
7. Take a Weekend Trip to Nice or Monaco (or both!)
Nice (pronounced like 'Niece') is a 2.5-3 hour train ride away from Marseille, and Monaco (a tiny country nestled into the side of the South of France) is only 20-30 minute train ride from Nice! We booked a hotel for one night in Nice and one for the following night in Monaco (staying in the city of Monte Carlo), that way we were able to have at least a full day in both locations. From Monaco we simply took a train back to Marseille. This wonderful weekend experience is one of the top things to do in Marseille.
Surrounded by mountains, a large marina and tall city buildings, Monte Carlo is very luxurious; it has a famous casino, is the location of the formula 1 race, has extremely nice cars, luxurious hotels, giant yachts, and incredible views. Some of my favorite activities while visiting Monaco were going into Casino de Monte Carlo (and walking through the beautiful casino gardens behind the building), walking up to and exploring the Prince's Palace, walking down high-end and luxury shopping streets, and being able to stand on the roads used as the formula 1 racetrack.
Nice is a gorgeous city on the coast with long, pebble beaches accompanied by a beachside walkway called promenade des anglais that stretches nearly 7 kilometers (around 4 miles). We got some roller-skates and had a lot of fun skating down this lovely promenade! There are casinos, shops, bars, and gorgeous parks with amazing views, along with the iconic '# ILoveNice' landmark. There are panoramic views in and around Parc de la Colline du Château, and I would highly recommend walking up the stairs near the sign to Panorama de la Baie des Anges for more scenic views. Going further back into the city and away from the coast, the streets give a coastal mixed with old town feel, so walking around and exploring the different squares, narrow alleys and seeing the historical churches & buildings is a must as well!
Comments