The best activities in Marseille are listed below for you to actually enjoy. beneath its sour, worn, mistral-whipped exterior.

Marseille is a dynamic, high-octane city that never stops moving thanks to its roots in traditional Greece and its legitimate claim to the title of France’s next city. This loud, once-infamously unsexy port has transformed over the past ten years into a peacefully cool influencer. Provence’s all-consuming capital deserves much more time than a quick weekend thanks to its diverse selection of museums, churches, and maritime parks in its sprawling metropolis reportedly stitched from 111 wildly varied “villages.” Rethink conventional travel. Art de vivre à la Marseille is the lifeblood of this historic Mediterranean harbor in southeastern France. The real draw is nearby lifestyle, an interesting concoction of old and new, which is bursting with current cultural and culinary creativity, framed by background, and anchored by seafaring tradition. Here are the best activities to engage in in Marseille to truly penetrate its spicy, weathered, mistral-whipped exterior. Adrienne Pitts and Lonely Planet1 are located in the welcoming wharf area of Vallon des Auffes, where you can catch the sunset. Find the best locations to watch the sun set during the sweltering summer days while visitors search for the most stunning ( most lovely ) sunset. The state’s highest point, which is crowned by the lavish Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde, requires a steep ascent, but the bird-eye views of the golden area at dusk are unmatched. The chic Café de l’Abbaye’s road deck is close by and overlooks the Vieux Port. Snag a chapel by the ocean at La Caravelle’s port side for the opposite view. The top bars in Marseille, such as Rooftop Hôtel Hermes, R2, or the buzzing new top club at uber-cool Tuba in Les Goudes, are the best places to watch the sun set. Local advice: Follow the crowd along the southbound corniche ( coastal road ) to the main beach strip Plages du Prado, or stop at a rocky inlet ( reached by steps down ) en route. 2. There is much more in Marseille’s casserole of cooking tastes than just fish and seafood, so sample some of it at an outdoor market. An essential component of the Vieux Port experience is looking up boxes of ice and plastic containers holding the day’s catch at the day bass market on Quay des Belges. However, to fully enjoy the terminal city’s ethnic diversity, explore the souq-like maze of outdoor booths at March é des Capucins in the upscale Noailles area. This street market reflects the diverse Marseille, whether it’s seasonal fruit and vegetables from Provence, papaya and pistachios from distant lands, Middle Eastern halvah ( a syrupy sesame seed treat ), or North African spices. Breakfast at one of the many culturally diverse eateries on crazy hip Cours Julien will help you maintain your flavorful, global meals tour. 3. A quick boat ride to the picturesque beach fortress of Château d’If, immortalized in Alexandre Dumas ‘ 1844 traditional book The Count of Monte Cristo, is necessary to fully explore Marseille’s bustling Vieux Port. As captivating as the magnificent views from the isle of the Vieux Port, which is guarded by its own beguiling twinset of thick forts, are the dark, giant tales of numerous prisoners incarcerated in cells around. When Marseille was the European Capital of Culture in 2013, MuCEM was established by Jorg Hackemann and Shutterstock4. Explore the ancient Mediterranean culture at MuCEM Marseilles, where the city’s most cutting-edge modern exhibition brings it to life. Follow the footpath that helter-skelters between the cube-shaped building’s glass wall and its exterior fabric shell, which is made of high-tech black masonry to resemble the fish nets cast around Marseille since its inception, for a unique view of the top-drawer Musée des Civilisations d’Europe et de la Méditerranée. The structure is beautifully lit at night. The vast and varied series at the museum is essential for comprehending Marseille’s past. Finish in the tranquil Jardin des Migrations, which is close to Fort St. Jean, where the area’s social diversity and migration are given a botanical spin. 5. Visit Cosquer Méditerranée From MuCEM to view ancient cave art. The interesting new occupant of Villa Mottarnée is a modern white building with opulent cantilever that hangs over an ornamental pool. The ground-breaking gallery, which debuted in June 2022, allows visitors to view a copy of some of the rarest Paleolithic artwork that ancient people engraved and painted nearby Marseille. Grotte Cosquer, which was firmly on dry land at the time and was about 12 kilometers ( 7 miles ) from the ocean, is still buried and inaccessible at sea. Board a funfair-style exploratory vehicle equipped with multicultural headphones to explore the dark duplicate cave and discover the origins of this intriguing menagerie of ancient drawings. A fascinating climate change show featuring a fur, life-size Megaloceros, chamois, bird, grasslands bison, and cave lion comes to an end on the top floor. Taxidermied types are not dead. Getting lost in Marseille’s oldest neighborhood, Le Panier Javier Garca Blanco/Getty Images6, which has roadways that resemble labyrinths. Lose yourself in Le Panier’s rabbit den. The ancient Greeks first settled this area, which is known as” The Basket” due to its steep streets that smooch slowly upward. Here, you’ll find dusty, sun-baked squares, linen-draped back alleyways, and the occasional low-key cafe. Give yourself plenty of time to explore the museums of art and anthropology inside La Vieille Charité, Le Panier’s unique guesthouse, which was built by Pierre Puget, a local designer who later served Louis XIV. 7.. Finding the “best” bouillabaisse in Marseille can arouse anxious behavior in visitors to the culinary establishment. Michelin-starred L’Épuisette and Le Rhul are excellent choices if you have a tight budget to sample the traditional fish stew, which traditionally serves four different types of fish and is served as two different courses ( fish soup as entrée or starter, fileted fish as main course ). Choose a more rustic, down-to-earth approach further south along the coast in hunting village Les Goudes in the 8e arrondissement, out on an incredibly scenic limb on Cap Croisette. Visit the Intercontinental Marseille Hôtel Dieu for a dismantled Bouille-A-Baisse smoothie if it’s bizarre you want. Local tip: Street food favorite Pain à l’Ail serves pains bouillabaisses ( fish sandwiches ) to scoff on the spot, and L’Oromat at the Vieux Port makes panisse-based burgers with chickpea fries. Explore Les Calanques ‘ limestone cliffs and beaches near Marseille using iStockphoto8 and Getty Images. The Parc National des Calanques is an almost magical combination of herbal-scented Mediterranean scrub, pine-strewn promontories, shimmering marble cliffs, and teeny clandestine coves cradling pocket-handkerchief beaches and sun-drenched jewel-blue water. It is a great natural escape in Les CalenquesMarseille. The most well-known ( Calanques de Morgiou, Sormiou, and d’En Vau ) are horribly overrun with tourists; this summer, Calanque de Sorgiton is testing an online booking system to cap visitor numbers to 500 per day. Instead, think about the 50-minute climb from the campground in Callelongue in the 8th district to Calanque de Marseilleveyre. Bring your costume, plenty of water, and a picnic. Trip: Paddling it with Raskas Kayak is an even better way to observe Les Calanques. 9. Shop in the Quartier des CréateursExplore the hippy heart of the city with a shopping spree through the imaginative alleys of Noailles. In the small and beautiful, mural-tagged lanes surrounding bustling Cours Julien, there are many bistiques specializing in antique style, including Sepia Swing Club for old-world glamour, Lilou Vintage for great 1970s pieces, and Marcel et Simone for 1940s to 1990s secondhand. Unsurprisingly, the neighborhood is known as the” Creators Quartier.” A few blocks to the north, in France’s oldest hardware store, Maison Empereur, where, if you fall completely over, you can spend the night. At Marseille’s renowned Herboristerie du Père Blaize and Saladin Épices du Monde on La Canebière, you can purchase organic remedies to treat any illness. Its homemade ras del hanout, which combines 22 different ingredients, is unmatched. Planning advice: After your shopping spree at the renowned Le Fémina vieux Kachetel, a revitalizing black-soap scrub and cardamom and clay rub at Hammam Rafik, as well as drinks, dinner, and late-night dancing at Waaw, you can stop your Noailles shopping binge. 10. With its small but welcoming LGBTIQ+ field, world-class electrical, and earth music, Nightlife in France’s second-largest metropolis seduces partygoers from all over the world. Dance until dawn on an industrial rooftop. When the dance group moves outside onto industrial rooftops in the summer, the cutting-edge image comes into its own. Catch best French and American musicians and DJs spinning drill, pit, hip-hop, music, and stone outside at Le Baou de Marseille, R2, and the roofing terrace at La Friche La Belle de Mai from April to October. 11. Eat pizzaScoffing finger-licking, wood-fired pizza topped with anything and all, from Italianate tomatoes, jet, and parmesan cheese to seafaring jellyfish paint and squid. There is always a pizza truck parked up somewhere along the waterfront ( coastal road ) near the Prado beaches, and the city claims to have launched the world’s first one in 1962. Add the crowds lining up in the city to grab a seat at seasoned favorites like L’eau à la Bouche toward the lake, La Bonne Mère near Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde, or Chez Étienne in Le Panier. At Marseille’s variety of fantastic beaches, you can be as effective or unwind as you like. Kirsty Lee / Getty Images12. Spending time at the beach in Marseille offers both a glass into the local culture and the chance to laze around in the water. Marseille has a beachfront with your name on it, from the high-adrenaline sand and distinctive underground sculptures of Plage des Catalans, the closest beach and tennis hub in the city, to the totally unexplored coves on the nature-rich Les Calanques. Choose your style ( powder- smooth sand, stone, stones with a retro ladder into the waters ), family fun, water sports, back to nature, and lunch on the beach ) and head out to sea in accordance. 13. Explore blue Marseille from a less-traveled view by exploring strong and sassy concrete mosaics of distorted aliens, Pastis bottles, and various octopuses that are hidden up higher on building facades or underneath stairs by European street artist Invader. You could also concentrate on the city’s numerous art museums and galleries that are devoted to both modern and contemporary art. Visit the Musée d’Art Contemporain to get to know Marseille-born sculptor César Baldaccini ( 1921–1998 ), after whom the French equivalent of the Oscars is named. Annual contemporary art exhibitions at MAMO, the empirical rooftop art gallery that tops La Cité Radieuse, are a fantastic chance to observe the newest artistic trends and learn more about Le Corbuiser’s avant-garde contemporary architecture. Local idea: Kids especially enjoy searching for street art and keeping track of their finds using the Flash Invaders application on their smartphones. 14. Spend some time relaxing in a city park in Marseille. The city’s raucous, turbo-charged rate offers shelter and green-fueled peace. A fascinating window into backstage native life, some cradle passionate sea or city views. The after-work crowd adores the beautiful Jardin du Pharo, which is the closest stretch of clean to the city center. On the weekends, family-friendly Parc Borély is overflowing. At the courtyard restaurant Sépia, Jardin du Pierre Puget, perched on a hills above the Vieux Port, is renowned for its patio wines and inventive, local fare. 15. Meet Marseille’s new-gen chefs, who have long been regarded as the rough-cut house nobility of pizza and bouillabaisse. Marseille is emerging with a dynamic new generation of chefs. Make reservations well in advance to reserve a seat at Alexandre Mazzia’s little Michelin triple-starred restaurant, where world flavors—the chef was born in the Congo—mingle exquisitely with those of the homemade Med. Grab a board at Signature for excellent one-star market-driven cuisine by younger woman chef Coline Faulquier. Chefs Sylvain Roucayrol and Paul-Henri Bayart, from Caché in Paris, handle the sizzling shared-plate list at chef beach club Tuba for a style of Paris in Marseille. In order to open Maison des Nines, a hip table d ‘hôte ( shared-table dining ) and pop-up brunch venue in epicurean Noailles, three women working in finance gave up their day jobs in Paris. The group always stops at the fiesta-fueled Splendido, a Big Mamma party import from Paris.