A Summer Day in Marseille

France’s second-largest city has shed its dingy image and now scores points with lively neighborhoods, cool shops, lots of green spaces, and a relaxed event culture. C&C author Cornelia Menner was enchanted by Marseille…

Marseille – a cultural hub and a problem area: that’s how the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper described the entire Mediterranean region years ago, with the capital of Provence as its mecca. The selection as European Capital of Culture 2013 changed that. The city fathers dug deep into their pockets and allocated a huge budget: 90 million euros for events, almost 700 million euros for urban planning and traffic calming measures.

Environmental protection and sustainability

The latter is particularly evident: trains, buses, and subways are now a natural part of Marseille’s cityscape. They run frequently and are fairly reliable. That’s why we leave our car at our hotel in La Ciotat, 40 km to the east, and travel comfortably by public transport to Marseille’s main train station, St. Charles, in an hour.

Not a bad decision: the monumental 19th-century building is slightly elevated, and we can enjoy a first view of the city and the famous Notre Dame de la Garde basilica, which towers high above Marseille. A sweeping staircase leads from the station into the heart of the city, past huge statues documenting the colonial past in Africa and Asia.

Our morning destination is the fish market at the Old Port, Port Vieux. But first, we need coffee, since we left the hotel without breakfast. We make up for that at Chez Paul, a french bakery chain famous for its oven-warm, crispy croissants and frothy café au lait. Refreshed, we walk along the Canebière, the city’s boulevard lined with huge plane trees, which clearly shows how deeply Marseille is rooted in its colonial past: kebab stands, Moroccan tagine restaurants, and caftan shops alternate.

Between fish stands and floral splendor

The old harbor is bustling with activity every day from 7 a.m., or so I am told. The fish market is in full swing: freshly caught sea bream, tuna, squid, sea bass, and sardines are on offer, filleted and scaled on the spot—and, much to the chagrin of the sellers, photographed far more often than purchased.

Right next door, the salty, tangy smell of fish suddenly gives way to a sweet aroma: this is where the flower market is located. Stalls with lavender, jasmine, sunflowers, roses, and hydrangeas showcase the full diversity of plants in Provence. And when, as now, Mother’s Day is coming up at the end of May, which is celebrated even more enthusiastically in France than in the US, the vendors outdo each other with colorful bouquets and arrangements in honor of maman.erbieten sich die Händler an farbenprächtigen Gebinden und Sträußen zu Ehren der maman.

I don’t know where to look first, and there’s an optical illusion on top of that. The flower market is covered by the so-called L’Ombrière, a mirror pavilion created exclusively for the Capital of Culture by renowned architect Norman Foster. Here, the quay is virtually reflected in the sky. This creates some funny perspectives—you have to contort yourself quite a bit to take selfies with your cell phone.

Spectacular views

It’s now late morning—a good time to climb to the top of the city. As the thermometer is already approaching 30 degrees, we decide to skip the steep climb and take the bus to the Notre Dame de la Garde pilgrimage church, which towers 161 meters above the city. Around two million visitors make the pilgrimage here every year. Could it be that most of them are already here today?

The huge queue in front of the church portal is certainly off-putting. So we decide to enjoy the spectacular views of the city, the Mediterranean Sea, the Frioul Islands off the coast, and the famous Château d’If, the literary prison of the legendary Count of Monte Cristo. And, of course, the barges, sailboats, and yachts that make the port of Marseille so colorful. From up here, even the huge cruise ships look like toy steamers.

In the belly of Marseille

At lunchtime, we stop at Cours d’Estienne d’Orves near the harbor. This is where the “belly of Marseille” is located, with countless fish restaurants, Italian, and Asian street bars. It was supposed to be the national dish, Marseille bouillabaisse. But given the temperatures, we decide against the hot fish stew. Much more suitable is the typical tapenade at the restaurant „L’Inattendu“ a spread made from olives and anchovies served on toasted bread, and a huge salad with mussels and crabs—which we hope really do come from the area.

After culinary delights, it’s time for culture: the first highlight of the afternoon is a visit to MUZEM. This “Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations” was also created when Marseille became the European Capital of Culture: a chic new building and a cult temple for modern exhibitions. The MUZEM s connected to the old fortress of St. Jean by a narrow, tube-shaped pedestrian bridge. Old and new can go well together, as Marseille proves time and again. This is also the case with the Notre Dame de la Major Cathedral, whose neo-Romanesque-Byzantine façade refers to the Moorish part of the city and is surrounded by modern buildings.

In the oldest district of the city, Le Panier, life is much more relaxed than in the market area. It is said that the Greeks founded the colony of Massalia here around 600 BC, from which the city developed. For a long time, fishermen had their quarters here—today it is mainly artists. The many old houses in the narrow streets are home to cafés (where espresso actually still costs €1.20), cool concept stores with accessories, clothing, and tableware.

And, of course, shops selling the famous Marseille soaps, either plain or scented with lavender. Olive oil is always the main ingredient, explains Vincent at Le Panier du savonnier. A really hip district – with huge graffiti decorating the facades of houses and walls: lions, bistro visitors, and former personalities of the district are immortalized.

Hip street art in the bohemian district

Street art is very much “très Marseille,” as we discover in the bohemian district around Cours Julien, affectionately abbreviated to “Cours Ju” by the locals. Entire walls and buildings are covered in art, and we hardly know where to look first. Street musicians give their best, the markets offer chic hand-knitted items, and the bars and bistros serve cool drinks and imaginative finger food. We treat ourselves to a round of tapas at the restaurant „L’escalié“.

The city is, of course, famous for pastis, the aniseed-flavored schnapps enjoyed as an aperitif. The “51,” perhaps the best known, was invented in Marseille. Oh, and a little beach flair is also part of a city that is considered France’s gateway to the Mediterranean. So we end the day at the Plage du Prado“, one of the city’s beaches in the south, just a few minutes away by bus. And, luckily for us, the sun sets as romantically as we could have hoped – and the salty sea air in our noses goes wonderfully with the taste of pastis on our tongues.

photos: Cornelia Menner (10)