Marseille in a nutshell
Skipped the dregs of Berlin winter and headed to Marseille for a long weekend with two good friends. All we wanted was better good weather, but we were blown away.
Marseille’s a cultural gem with everything: great nearby nature, old stuff, new stuff, super friendly quirky locals, fantastic gastronomy.
My tips
Where I stayed
We stayed in Le Panier, which was fun + quaint - it’s the oldest neighborhood of Marseille, dating from Roman-ish/early AD times.
When I go back, I’ll definitely stay in Cours Julien, and I’d recommend the same to anyone. That’s where the action is, and generally one of the coolest neighborhoods I’ve seen firsthand — period.
What we did
- Notre Dame de la Garde: Beautiful church, and an invigorating walk up the hill from town
- La Friche: Former tobacco factory, now a cultural center on Marseille’s northern edge
- Calanques: Rock formations by the Mediterranean, just a short drive southward. Apparently the best bouillabaisse can be had around here too, although we didn’t get to that.
- Cours Julien: Coolest neighborhood ever. Cafes, bars, restaurants, street art, skate spots, record shops, indie movie theaters. Heaven.
- Galette Records - got some great stuff here.
What we ate/drank
I didn’t keep a list — but it’s hard to go wrong. Bouillabaisse is the local specialty.