Marseille - what to see in one day on a cruise. What sights of Marseille can be seen in one day The best things to do in and around the port of Marseille

Marseille is the largest Mediterranean resort, the second most populated city in France. After arriving from a cruise ship, it will pleasantly refresh you with a fresh breeze and southern romance. This is a bright and noisy town that evokes different feelings among tourists: someone will love it with all their heart at first sight, and someone may be repelled by its noise, simplicity and straightforwardness.

French today port Marseille far from the stereotypes of sleepy and calm seaside towns. Yes, it's all the same colorful markets, seafood and delicious bouillabaisse. But it is also an explosive mixture of emigrants, especially African Comorians. The most amazing thing is that there are even more Comorians here than on the Comoros themselves!

But if you want to see the real life of the French, feel the temperament and energy of the sea, Marseille is exactly what you need!

old port Marseille and Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde on the hill

Walk through the Old Quarter of Pannier

If you have just arrived in Marseille on a cruise ship, your itinerary will most likely start from Joliette Square, since the exit from the port is located there, this is where the free port bus and transfers of many cruise companies arrive. From the square you can walk to the old quarter of Panier.

The area was destroyed by the Nazis during the war and completely blown up with dynamite, starting from the embankment to rue Caisserie. But when you get here, you immediately feel the unique bohemian atmosphere, noting the warm facades of 2-3-story houses, bistros and art galleries. The streets here are confusing, going up and down, so you can easily get confused in the oldest district of Marseille. Better take a card.

In the center of the Old District is the Old Almshouse La Vieille Charité, a 3-story building that houses the city's scientific and cultural center, including the Museum of Archeology and the Museum of African, Oceanic and Aboriginal Art.

In the Pannier quarter, everyone can experience the everyday life of Marseille. If you want something tasty, be sure to try pastis - aniseed vodka at Le Charité Café. This is a cozy bistro serving drinks and light snacks, and self-service is accepted here. By right, the Old Quarter of Le Panier is called the most authentic area of ​​the city, "Marseille's Montmartre".

We visit the Old Port from the embankment

Now from Le Panier we are moving south, towards the port. Arriving at the Old Port, the tourist will be able to walk along the docks, enjoy the view of small ships, and also dine on delicious fish dishes.

By the way, in the port of Marseilles, be sure to order the crown fish soup - bouillabaisse. The most delicious, but not the most affordable dish, can be tasted, for example, in the Le Miramar restaurant (12 Quai du Port). There are also plenty of other culinary delights from seafood for real gourmets to choose from.

In the north of the Old Port (7 Promenade Robert Laffont), it is worth visiting the city's newest museum, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations, with an amazing exhibition on the origins of European culture.

In general, here you will feel everything that this city is full of at the moment.

Seller at the market in the old port area of ​​Marseille

Heading to Notre Dame de la Garde

After walking along the Old Port and enjoying the views of the promenade, you can go to Notre Dame de la Garde. You can get to the Basilica from the Old Port by a tourist train (it costs about 7 euros) or by bus number 60.

The area around the basilica is similar to the Haussmann architectural structures of Paris. From the roof of the cathedral you will see a stunning view of Marseille. Anyone interested in architecture and art should visit the museum at the Cathedral.

"Basilica of Our Lady of the Guardian" will inspire you with an amazing combination of different architectural volumes and contrasting interior decoration. This is the most popular attraction in French Marseille!

View of Marseille from the observation deck of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde

Restaurant in Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde

Your head was spinning from the beauty you saw, and you are hungry again? Then head to a restaurant in Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde. The lower part of the church is also an "administrative" building. There is a consultation center, a souvenir shop and a fragrant institution - L'Eau Vive. This restaurant is a discovery for many! In addition to a variety of dishes and more or less acceptable prices(a set meal costs about $10-13), you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city. The nuns of the Travailleuses Missionnaires de l’Immaculée order, who will be your waitresses, give the restaurant a special gloss.

Chateau d'If

If time still permits, head back to the Old Port and from there on a tour of the Chateau d'If. Frioul-If-Express boats depart from the pier throughout the day, the ship's timetable is given along with tickets at the ticket office (the ticket office is located on the left side of the port when looking at the sea).

Entrance to the castle costs 5 euros per person. It was originally built to protect Marseille in the 16th century. But after it began to be used as a prison.

This is the place of detention of Dantes - the hero of Dumas from the famous "Count of Monte Cristo", who became an accidental victim of betrayal and was able to escape after 14 years of imprisonment on the island. Here you can feel how the man in the iron mask lived.

The island itself is small, but it is very interesting to climb into the ancient casemates. Also from the island you can enjoy the coastal panorama of Marseille and sunbathe on a specially designated area. The location is ideal for a relaxing stroll.

Chateau d'If from the observation deck of the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde

calanques

If you have inspiration and strength, go to the calanques - stunning geological formations. Transfers can be made using Icard Maritime boats. Onyo depart from the Old Port, the tour lasts about 2 hours. The best period to visit the calanques is March-May, at which time the temperature is quite pleasant, and you are unlikely to get caught in the rain, unlike in the autumn period.

Having returned to the Old Port again after a busy sightseeing day, you will be able to go on your own with a huge baggage of emotions. a cruise ship. Marseille strikes and inspires, but it leaves no one indifferent!

Where to stay before and after the cruise?

For a pre-cruise stop at the port, try Airbnb, where you can rent a full-fledged apartment for the price of a hotel room. By registering with our link you will receive coupon for 2100 rubles. for your first stay from 4500 rubles!

The best things to do in and around the port of Marseille

These hotels are selected by us based on our own experience, and the experience of other cruise travelers. Determining factors when choosing: proximity to the Marseille cruise terminal, the ability to quickly and easily get to the ship, as well as the airport or railway station.

So, friends, I begin a series of reports on our summer trip to France. Its main goal, of course, was Corsica, to get to which we decided to "swim" using the ferry "Nice - Ajaccio". However, we could not deny ourselves the pleasure of staying for a couple of days in our beloved Nice. You are my beauty!!! Vodicka is a miracle!
Why don't we have a sea? I would sit on its shore every day and think about something pleasant ... Okay! Nice, of course, is good, but even in Moscow we decided to hit the road from there to Marseille for one day. TGV tickets were booked and paid for online (www.sncf.com 140 euros for two, round trip). It remained only to get them at the box office (electronic printouts are not possible, as well as delivery by courier). Alas, we had to stand in line. Despite the fact that it, in general, was small, it took an hour. In general, I got the feeling that people who applied to the cash desk decided at the last moment where, when and what they want to go. They had too long conversations with the cashiers ... So, on the appointed day and time, we appeared at the Nice station, but, alas, the departure of our train was delayed by two hours and instead of 7.23 we set off at 9.20. Unfortunately, these two hours later were clearly not enough for us. Although TGV is high speed train, the journey to Marseille is two and a half hours (the same as ordinary train). Apparently, there is simply nowhere for him to particularly accelerate, and there are many stops. So, we arrived at Marseille station around noon ...

The first thing they did was to find a tourist office at the station, take maps of the city, receive some instructions on how to get to the center, answer the question “where did we come from in France” (by the way, in all the travel agencies we were then interested in this. Apparently, for some kind of internal reporting) and went out into the city. So, by the way, Saint-Charles station looks from the outside ...
The first thing you pay attention to is the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde towering over the entire city (162 meters above sea level).
An impressive staircase from the station descends to the Boulevard Athena Dugomier… So this staircase already looks from the boulevard ... So, our path lies to the old port. We are walking along Aten Dugomier Boulevard… The heat is terrible… Five hundred meters later, the boulevard intersects with the central artery of the city – La Canbière Boulevard. So what is next? And then, guys, I practically didn’t see anything. In a figurative sense, of course. Marseille seemed so big to me, and there was so little time that we only had time to touch this city. Our meeting with him was so fleeting that I don’t even have the right to think about whether I liked Marseille or left it indifferent: I hardly saw him! In addition, we were relentlessly followed by the main enemy of the summer tourist - it's heat. It seems to be necessary to move at a good pace, but it does not work. Brains are melting, legs are sluggish, you just want to sit somewhere in the shade. In general, we decided to just contemplate the city, throwing our asses into tourist bus from the series “Hop-On. Hor-Off". (Starts from the Old Port. 20 euros for one ticket). In the meantime, we are moving towards the Old Port along La Canbière Boulevard ... And here, in fact, the port itself ...
There are only yachts, small pleasure boats and even kayaks (or what is it called correctly?)
Large cruise ships moor a little to the north, where the Marine Station. So, from the Old Port they go to boat trips(including the island of If) numerous tourist boats. Here are the final stops of all kinds of land entertainment, such as a small tourist train (7 euros for one ticket. There is no escort in Russian). There are two directions: a tour of the Old Town and an excursion to the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde. Out of ignorance, we chose the latter. Later, when we boarded the Hop-On. Hop-Off”, it turned out that he also brings tourists to the basilica and drops off those who wish. In general, we did the same route twice: first by train, and then by bus, and even lost a lot of time. But that's why we independent tourists to make mistakes and then warn others. It is probably better to choose a small train with a tour of the Old Town, where the bus cannot go. the streets are narrow, and you can climb to the basilica either on your own, or on the same tourist train, or on public transport(bus number 60 stops somewhere in the Vieux Port metro area, i.e. in the Old Port area). In general, we are going by train to the basilica! In this heat, climbing a rather steep hill is beyond my strength! However, to go down too, although they say that it is a very pleasant walk: from the basilica down to the Old Port. And here she is… In the 13th century there was a small chapel on this site. Later, a fort was built on the hill, and the chapel itself was expanded. However, in the 19th century, the church bought the hill from the Ministry of Defense and built this basilica. On its bell tower there is a gilded statue of Our Lady, who is considered the patroness of Marseille and especially of sailors, who, in gratitude for the saved lives, brought her models of ships. The tradition of offerings is still alive today. We usually don't take pictures inside churches, but for some reason we made an exception here...
The views of the city from the foot of the basilica are quite impressive. Therefore, Notre Dame de la Garde is considered the most visited tourist place.

And here is the island of If with the world-famous castle ...
Meanwhile, on the train we go down. The system is as follows: having arrived on one of the trains to the basilica, tourists unload and roam the surroundings as much as they like. Having worked up, they return to the parking lot and, presenting a ticket, sit down on any train that comes up. They go every half hour. After going downstairs, wandering for an hour along the hot streets, having a bite to eat, we decide to take a tourist bus and continue our acquaintance with the city.
We pass by one of the city's beaches. Not far from the center, I saw only one - this one.
Basically, people are content with a small, but their own piece of the sea. It's great to have only your ladder in the sea! And you can claim a huge stone block!
There are also beaches much further from the center. Therefore, in principle, going to rest in Marseille for a long time, you can count on your portion sunbathing and bathing. Again we pass the island of If ... And this is the so-called "Eastern Gate" - a monument erected in 1927 in memory of the soldiers of all faiths who died "for France" in North Africa and Indochina. Another view of the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde
Palace of Justice. A very important place for Marseille, as for the most criminal city in France! This is already a new port, and if we abstract from some kind of industrial dump in the foreground, in the background you can see another landmark of Marseille - Cathedral 18th century.
We saw such a funny installation when we were already walking on foot ... A pleasant square ... In principle, we saw, of course, more, but there is no evidence. it was not always possible to take pictures from a moving bus: we rarely stood. Traffic in Marseille, of course, is active, but traffic jams were not met. Didn't see anything criminal either. No one pestered us, they didn’t snatch out the camera, and the wallets were in place, although if you consider that most of the people from North Africa they don’t even try to go deep into the country, but settle right in Marseille, we, apparently, were lucky. In a word, Marseille requires closer attention, and if there is such an opportunity, we will be happy to walk along its streets again, but not in such heat, not with so many tourists, and more consciously. PS In preparing this report, information from the guide "Around the World" was used. Thank you! Author's blog: djalexbelov.livejournal.com

First, a few words about rail communication in Europe.
European trains are fast, comfortable and inexpensive, so the opportunity to go somewhere other than the main place of residence seems very tempting.
The low cost, however, depends on the promotions held by the railway company. In France, the carrier is SNCF, its routes cover the entire territory of France and a number of cities in neighboring countries. In this campaign, there is a practice of encouraging early booking, i.e. buying tickets 3 months before the date of travel, in which case you are provided with the lowest fares. Apart from low prices with early booking, promotions are constantly held, which make it possible to cheaply move along certain routes. For timely information about special offers You just need to subscribe to the newsletter on the company's website.
On all routes there is the possibility of buying electronic ticket with the ability to print it immediately after the transaction, or receive it directly at the departure station or in one of the company's offices. There are no problems with the latter either - usually there are terminals at the station that issue tickets by credit card, on which the payment was made, however, it must be a chip card, if the card is not like that, then you need to apply with this card to the SNCF box office (in the same place at the station) and the ticket will be printed without any problems.
When I discovered the train service in France, I immediately wondered, where you can go from Paris, for example, for a day so that there is enough time to explore the city.
The following cities interested me: Saint-Malo, Vichy, Marseille/Cassis. Each of them is no more than 3 hours away. Let's dwell on each of them in more detail.

Saint Malo- a city in the region of Brittany, washed by the English Channel. My choice fell on him because this Big City With good choice hotels on the coast is located in close proximity (50 km) from the abbey on the island of Mont Saint Michel, already belonging to the region of Normandy.

Mont Saint Michel(fr. Mont Saint-Michel - Mount St. Michael) - a small rocky island, turned into an island-fortress, on the northwestern coast of France. In 1874 the island was recognized historical monument, and since 1979 - recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Mont Saint-Michel is famous for its Benedictine abbey built in the 11th-16th centuries. The abbey covers an area of ​​about 55,000 m² and is a well-preserved example of a medieval French fortified monastery. The abbey is still in operation, with about 50 Benedictine monks permanently residing in it.
Mont Saint-Michel is the most popular tourist destination in Normandy. About 3.5 million people visit the island every year. In France, Mont Saint-Michel is second in popularity only to eiffel tower and Versailles.

Vichy- Just resort town. He attracted me with his cute appearance. In my opinion, this is how a classic should look like French city. Walking along it will be not only pleasant, but also useful. The main healing factor is mineral water, therefore, his whole life is centered around the triangular in terms of the Park of Sources. Street leads to it from the station. Pari, which ends at the intersection with the main shopping street st. George Clemenceau.
From the history
Treatment on the waters became fashionable in Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. By the middle of this century, Vichy had become, perhaps, the most fashionable and fashionable resort in France. Napoleon III visited the springs in 1860. The decline of the Empire seemed to have mothballed the city. Now it can be considered a place where the architecture typical of the “beautiful era” style (late 19th - early 20th) has been preserved in uncomplicated purity.

Marseilles– European Capital of Culture 2013, the second largest city and largest port in France with ancient history known as the "Gate of the East". Marseille, founded by the Greeks in 600 BC, is located in the south of France, on the shores of the Gulf of Lion mediterranean sea, belongs to the province of Provence, which also includes Nice, Saint-Tropez and Monte Carlo.
It is worth seeing the "pearl" of Marseille, the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde Cathedral in the Romano-Byzantine style. The first chapel of the cathedral was erected in 1214. At the top of the cathedral stands a golden statue of the Virgin Mary, and at its foot offers a magnificent view of the city and the Mediterranean Sea. You can walk along La Canbière Street, where life is constantly seething, there are various shops, cafes, restaurants and explore the surroundings along the way. At the beginning of the street you will see the Exchange building, built in the eighteenth century and decorated with bas-relief compositions from the world of trade, then your attention will be drawn to the neo-Gothic church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul and Longchamp Palace, which currently houses the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Fine Arts. As for museums, there are a lot of them in the city and they all have rich exhibition expositions, among them: the Museum of the Roman Docks, the Museum of Old Marseille, the Cantini Museum, the Vieil-Charite Almshouse, the Museum of the History of Marseille, the Museum of Crafts and Folk Traditions of Marseille.

In addition, you will be offered sea ​​excursions to the Chateau d'If, described by Alexandre Dumas in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, they will offer to inspect the prison cells of Abbé Faria and Edmond Dantes and, allegedly, an underground passage dug by the prisoners.

Despite all this, Marseille is, first of all, a noisy port with its markets and fairs, fish imports, where fishermen call buyers with all their voices and offer them their catch. Here, in the taverns of the old port, you can also taste the famous bouillabaisse - fish soup, in our opinion, ear, from several varieties of sea fish, or taste mussels, washed down with sunny southern wine.

Cassis is a beautiful resort town near Marseille (20 minutes by train). If you are tired of megacities and want to relax on the seashore, then Cassis is a great option. It is a postcard town, surrounded by high white cliffs, it looks more like an old village that was built at the foot of the mountain around a small shady park. There is little to do here except sunbathing and walking to the ruins. medieval castle built in 1381.
However, this place is still attractive due to its proximity to such natural phenomenon like calanques, long, narrow and deep coves carved into limestone cliffs, so to speak, local fjords. This is one of the most beautiful and picturesque landscapes in France. The Tourist Offices of Cassis organize both hiking tours, and boat trips on the sea. If you are in good physical shape, you can walk along walking route Calanques behind the western beach. It will take you an hour and a half to reach the farthest and most beautiful cove, En Vau, where you can climb down the cliff. Among the white cliffs, as well as pine trees, tourists sunbathe and locals. The water here is soft blue, and you will get a lot of pleasure if you swim in this place.

A visit to Marseille and Cassis is a great option for exploring the south of France and relaxing on the Mediterranean coast. If we compare a trip to Marseille and Cassis with a trip, for example, to Nice, then the former win, since moving to Nice will take not 3 hours, but at least 5 and it will cost 2-3 times more.

If you can suggest alternatives to such a trip, I'm ready to listen. And also any comments on the text are only welcome.

Going to Marseille, according to other reviews, I was set up for dirt and a lot of emigrants. Maybe we didn’t go there, but we didn’t see all this. Normal city, at least the center. Despite the month of June, we were not lucky with the weather. It was overcast, cool, and then it started to drizzle.

From the port you can take a taxi for 20€. We went along the green line on the pavement to the free shuttle. Stop 700 meters, but waited for the bus for a long time, 50 minutes. It brings to the ferry terminal, next to the Cathedral.

We walked around the center and took a taxi for 8.5 € to Notre Dame de la Garde. The panorama from there is beautiful, despite the gray sky. The cathedral itself is quite unusual, there are models of sailboats hanging inside.

Due to the rain, we took a taxi to the port right from the cathedral, 25 euros.

Is there a desire to return? Probably not. We saw everything that mattered. If only to travel around the area.

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There is no need to go to If Castle a second time, but we certainly did not regret

Being in Marseille more than once, every time I was going to get to the Chateau d'If, and all the time something interfered, postponing the trip to the island for the next time. And this time has come! cruise port located far from the city, you need to take either a ship transfer for $ 16 round trip, or agree to a taxi. Maybe there are other possibilities, but we didn't see them. A taxi costs 20 euros, which is according to the meter, which is by agreement, bargaining is not appropriate.

Immediately, so that nothing would interfere, we took boat tickets to the island at a convenient time. Here I slapped myself on the forehead! After all, last time I saw boat trips that combined both the Chateau d'If and swimming at the romantic rocks, but then because of the weather it was not relevant, and somehow it was not postponed. And in Marseille it’s stupid to take a swimsuit, there are no beaches. And they would take it, their hands would not be pulled back, but they could go in this heat and swim. Apparently another time...

The cost of a boat trip with the premises of the Chateau d'If is about 16 euros, if I'm not mistaken, the duration is 2 hours.

Without which it is impossible to imagine the morning of Marseille - this is without the fish market smelling of dampness! Wandering among stalls with unknown types of shells or frightening reptiles is a pleasure!

We walked around the city a little, ate cherries, bought a pair of glasses for the price of one, five more dresses and lots and lots of water (well, it was hot!), Finally, we got on the boat. The exit from the marina is guarded by the Museum of Civilizations, which is probably interesting - a note for the next time.

I wonder if anyone has calculated in which language the books of Alexandre Dumas, published in millions of copies, were read the most? I think our country takes pride of place in the list of admirers of the great science fiction writer, otherwise why would the Museum on the Isle of If publish information in three languages, one of which is Russian?

The childhood of our generation (born in the USSR) is imbued with the romance of Dumas, we read fascinating stories avidly, experienced the adventures of the heroes as if they were our own.

A trip to the Isle of If is like an emotional pilgrimage - a return to childhood, a way to renew those amazing experiences...

Therefore, if you have not read the novel The Count of Monte Cristo and do not share my connotation, the museum may seem uninteresting or not worth the money and time - a fortress and a fortress.

I regretted that I had not taken a volume of Dumas on the cruise, I would have swallowed it as in childhood, in one gulp. My sister and I loved to read and used clever tricks to fool our strict parents who wouldn't let us read in bed before bed. They persuaded my grandmother to give us lanterns, and arranged secret reading caves under the blankets ...

A less emotional, but convincing argument in favor of the Museum can be the indisputable fact that the information in the former dungeons is written in Russian, little-known but curious facts from the life of Dumas are told, the museum is hospitable and loyal to the general love of visitors for fictional stories, never here occurring.

We carefully peered into the walls of the castle at the entrance to the island, hoping to see the rocks that the abbot was striving for, digging his saving tunnel. No, we sighed, he could not dig down to the sheer walls to make his escape by sea.

In the courtyard with a well that collects rainwater, the inspection begins. On the ground floor of the castle there were warehouses for storing ammunition and food. There have never been cameras here, which is probably why the legendary Dantes' camera was placed here. A camera with a screen is installed inside so that visitors can see themselves in captivity and take selfies.

Between the chambers of Dantes and Faria, a hole was made in exact accordance with the legend. And if you think that a secret tunnel was dug these days for the sake of literary pilgrims, then you are mistaken! In 1858, Alexandre Dumas visited the island and was very surprised when the concierge told him in detail the exciting story of the imprisonment of Edmond Dantes, the death of the abbot, the escape and, as evidence, showed the visitor the tunnel dug by the old man between the cells.

Of the famous visitors to the island, a rhinoceros is also noted, which stopped here in 1515 to wait out the storm. This never-before-seen animal was presented by the Portuguese king to Pope Leon X.

On the second floor of the castle are the dungeons of the prison, in which the real prisoners were kept. The walls keep traces of the prisoners. The island prison is a one-way road, convicts on political and religious charges were exiled here.

The floor above housed the staff rooms, it is much more comfortable here - there are windows and fireplaces. On the roof of the castle Observation deck. The castle is small but very welcoming.

At the exit from the museum there is a souvenir museum and a cafe. The return boat came and we said goodbye to the Chateau d'If. Probably, there is no need to go here a second time, but we definitely did not regret that we visited.

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Marseille - the sea heart of Provence

Our cruise started in Marseille. Arrived from Moscow at night. Marseille Provence Airport is located 27 kilometers from the city center, and a taxi ride to it is not cheap. According to the nightly rate, the meter turned out to be 68 euros. There were a lot of long and toll tunnels along the way, one of which runs under the old port and through the whole city.

The price of pleasure is 18 euros per person, although it was possible to ride around the city on a tourist train from the same embankment for 7 euros per person.

But first we looked at the immediate vicinity of the port and walked along the embankment. My desire was to first get acquainted with the local highlight - the mirror pavilion from Foster + Partners. This place undoubtedly attracts all tourists visiting Marseille's waterfront. We also did not refuse to visit the Looking Glass.

Everywhere during the walk we met a variety of picturesque and painted animals - deer, hippos, pandas and even elephants .. Apparently these are the consequences of the fact that in 2013 Marseille was declared " cultural capital Europe", and various exhibitions and cultural events were held here throughout the year.

Romance of the port - all around beautiful views with yachts. We walked along the waterfront. Here on the embankment, beautifully restored townspeople's houses and churches delight the eye. We looked into the surrounding streets. We walked and looked around - everything was clean and tidy, people were friendly, absolutely nothing from those terrible stories about dirty Marseille. The next met beasts are lions and bulls in the style of Salvador Dali on long legs. And here is the giraffe, and the rhinoceros, all so painted and cheerful! And of course uplifting! We have the city of Ventspils in Latvia, where a whole herd of similar multi-colored cows of all colors and sizes lives, dispersed throughout the city.

Museums are also found here, but, unfortunately, we did not have time to visit them. But quite by accident and for free, we witnessed a wonderful performance of street ballet dancers. It was an amazing performance that added to the enjoyment of the walk.

The streets of Marseille are decorated with various compositions of plants, which gives a special freshness to the stone jungle.

We drove past the city beach with azure water in the sea. There are too many people for such a tiny space, but at least to freshen up in such stuffiness, than nothing. We passed the memorable arch La Porte de l "Orient. Everyone notes that the seashore in Marseille is unusually beautiful, dotted with small coves. The color of the water is very beautiful, this is undeniable, of course.

We climbed higher and higher along the winding streets and now another visiting card of Marseille appeared ahead - Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde. Since the Hop-On Hop-Off bus allows you to get off at any stop along the route and then take the next bus, we took the opportunity to visit this beautiful air temple.

Having risen to the cathedral, you can admire the view of Marseille for a long time from the very high point- from here you can enjoy an excellent panorama of the city itself and the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The basilica is crowned with a tall gilded statue of the Virgin Mary with a child (12m), which is periodically updated, sheathed with new gold plates.

It is very beautiful and truly festive in the Cathedral itself. Immediately striking are the models of ships hung throughout the basilica. This tradition was born in ancient times, when the families of sailors asked for the return of their relatives and brought models of ships.

Well, we were already getting ready to go back to our bus, which should soon come to a stop. And the same tourist train passed us, on which you can also get from the Old Port embankment to the Basilica.

Returning to the Old Port, we once again walked along the cozy embankment. From here you can go on boat trips and see not only the city from the sea, but also other sights of Marseille, for example, the Frioul Islands (Iles de Frioul), where the Chateau d "If is located, about which Alexandre Dumas wrote in his novel "The Count of Monte Cristo".

And if you have time, it's even better to take a boat west of Marseille and see the picturesque bays of Calanques - one of the most beautiful places on the Mediterranean. The time of our mini-parking was not particularly conducive to such a rest, but we programmed it in our plans for the next time.

This concludes our tour of Marseille. We got into a taxi to return to our ship. On the way, we passed by and briefly appreciated another attraction - the Cathedral of Marseille (Cathedrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure de Marseille).

In general, the city made a very pleasant impression on us. Now, even beautiful nature to appreciate the local coves and then this resort will definitely remain in my heart for a long time. See you soon, Marcel!

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Very beautiful piece of Provence

All major attractions are easily accessible

In the port of Marseille, our whole family (my wife and I and my 2-year-old son) arrived on Costa Magica in August 2015. The liner stood at the cruise pier and there are several ways to get to Juliet Square:

By taxi (expensive);

By bus from Costa (10 Euro, round trip);

First, 1-1.5 km on foot (this is not a problem for us, especially since our child is on a stroller-cane) to the left of the liner towards the city to the stop of the free shuttle bus, and then on the shuttle bus, free of charge, respectively, up to the square.

At Juliet Square, when leaving the Port, turn right and after walking a little along the port you immediately get to the Cathedral and the Old Port,

After slowly inspecting the Cathedral and reaching the Old Port, we saw a small sightseeing train Train Touristique, it had 2 routes - 1) to Notre Dame de la Garde and 2) Old Marseille for 8 Euro per person, a child is free . We chose Notre Dame de la Garde because we really wanted to visit it. The route takes a little time, and near the Cathedral the train makes a stop and drops everyone off, and back to the Old Port, you need to go on any next train, in general there is enough time to see the Cathedral.

Returning to the Old Port by train, we decided to move on, namely to Longchamp Palace, and given that time allowed, and the Palace was only 2-2.5 km from the Old Port, we decided to take a walk and in general we did the right thing. Leisurely we reached the Palace, admiring the beautiful streets of Marseille along the way.

A tram runs back to Juliet Square from Longchamp Palace, and the stop is called "Longchamp" and is located 50 meters from the Palace. On it we also got back.

We really liked Marseille, that's how we imagined it. Of course, one day is not enough to explore this beautiful city, but now we know for sure that we need to return to Marseille...

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all attractions are located quite compactly

the port is far from the center, draconian prices to eat

Parking in Marseille was 8 hours. In principle, this time is enough to take a good look at the main attractions:

Basilica of Our Lady of the Guardian (Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde)

Longchamp Palace (Palais Longchamp)

Cathedral

Old port (Vieux-Port)

Exchange (Palais de la Bourse)

City Hall

Fort Saint-Jean and Fort Saint Nicholas

Palace of Justice (Palais de Justice de Marseille)

Marseille is known as the capital of the Provence region and the main port of France.
I stayed there for 5 days, can't tell if it's a lot or a little. For those who in passing touch the city for a day - I think that they are mistaken, the city firmly deserves at least two days.
I would recommend staying closer to the station, this has a number of advantages in terms of getting around the region as a whole if you are without a car. Yes, there is one minus - to the port ( historical center) - 20 minutes at an unhurried pace through the Arab quarter, but there are so many Arabs and blacks that it doesn’t matter in principle.
Marseille as a whole is not a city for the impressionable, it's certainly not Delhi or Bangkok, but in places it's really dirty, stinks and noisy - but try to abstract yourself and see, feel the city - it's not bad in general.
So: what’s cool about being near the train station…
1. I have already said that Marseille is a city for a couple of days - but the surroundings ... - took the train in the morning - 25 minutes and you are in amazing Aix (Aux Provans). City of Forty Fountains (I counted 12). City of artists and poets. Labyrinths of small narrow streets - countless restaurants and shops for every taste and budget, cozy, warm, pleasant - Old city good - no words. These are excursions until late in the evening, there are also a lot of tourists, by the way, the train comes directly to the city, 5 minutes to the center.
2. It is interesting to ride in Kasis. By ferry 20 min. The station is really in the mountains, but a bus and a taxi go to the embankment (the price is the same - 10 euros). The danger lurks on the way back - it can be difficult to find a taxi, and the last bus is at 19.00. By the way - if football - do not rely on a bus or a taxi - only on foot (3 -4 km). The town is small - but very pretty, but not cheap. There is a beach (no cabanas?) and the main attraction - the fjords (small, but beautiful and cute), boats go there, capturing 4-5 fjords - Calanques - locally). The cuisine in the town is varied, not cheap, but the fish is cooked excellently ...
3. You can go to many places from Marseille - 2 hours to Cannes, 3 hours to Paris and Monte Carlo, the main thing is to have time and desire.
Returning to Marseille, it is worth noting the positions - Charm and Disappointment:
Charm -
- Amazingly beautiful Cathedral of La Major (Sainte-Marie-Majeure) on the seafront to the right of the center. embankment and fish market - go to the end and to the right - you will see, it is worth contemplating.
- Notre-Dame de la Garde (Notre-Dame de la Garde) on the highest hill of the city. You can get there by bus from the waterfront or on foot.
- I recommend a museum with a small park in the center of Marseille - amazing beauty. Very often there are various kinds of exhibitions. Marseille has been trying to make the cultural and spiritual center of France for some time now. While it looks weak seasoned tourist…
- I won’t say that Marseille is a city for shopping, but I walked with my wife along the Rue de Republigue - it was quite good, we enjoyed it - there is also an excellent wine shop - to the right of the embankment and 100 meters ahead !!!

Disappointment..
- Chateau d'If - if not strange. Of course, you will eat anyway - but half a day is wasted. There is really nothing to see - stone walls and fictional characters, plus 1.5 hours of waiting for a boat to Marseille. There are only stones on the island, but they made a beautiful legend .. Then it’s already better to go further to the next island and grab your bathing accessories - have a good rest and swim a lot - which is what the locals actually do ..
- The famous soup - Buobas. Well, who knew that it is made from the smallest bony fish (these are the standard requirements) - and in our opinion it seemed inedible (well, complete crap - and even for 15 euros). Much nicer and nicer - a bowl of mussels for 8 euros.
The conclusion is clear - Marseille is worth visiting for at least a couple of days.