Marseille is an exceptionally charming port town in Provence that boasts stunning surrounding scenery, a gorgeous coastline, a harbour filled with proud yachts, a charming old town full of winding little streets and charming cafés and boutiques, incredible architecture, excellent seafood, and much more besides. The second-largest city in France and a major port in Europe, Marseille has a gritty side and is not quite as picture-perfect as Nice or some of its other neighbouring towns and cities along the Côte D'azur. However, it is full of character and things to see and do and is sure to charm. For our guests who book one of our vacation rentals in Provence, it is a brilliant spot for a day-trip to see some incredible art, eat some delicious food, take in astounding views, visit some dreamy beaches, stock up on some great soap, and more…
1. Take It All In
If you want to take the entire city in all at once, then the best place to head to is Marseille’s remarkable cathedral, Notre-Dame de la Garde. Located on a hilltop to the south of the city, with its tall belfry topped by a gilded statue of the Madonna and Child, this is the highest point in Marseille and offers 360 degree views over the city below and a great swathe of the surrounding landscape and the coastline. Explore the gorgeous jewellery box interior of the church with its Byzantine-style mosaics, frescoes, rich statuary, gilded altarpieces, elaborate tiled floors, soaring ceilings and domes, and maritime decorative touches and then brave the climb up to the belfry’s wraparound terrace to take in the views. It’s a trek but it is absolutely worth it for one of the best views you’ll take in on holiday in Provence!
2. Make Your Own Soap
Marseille, like much of the rest of Provence, is famous for her soap. Particularly, soaps scented with ingredients that commonly grow across the colourful and iconic landscape of Provence and other Mediterranean plants such as lavender, olives, and more, are popular. Produced in and around Marseille for over 600 years, the original process took between two weeks and a month from start to finish and combined sea water with olive oil and the alkaline ash from sea plants. Generally sold in distinctive square blocks, the traditional style of Marseille soap is often used for domestic cleaning and particularly for hand-washing delicate fabrics like silk and wool - though it can also be used for the body and face. In addition to the square blocks, there are more conventional bars of soap sold today in a variety of scents. Novelty-shaped soaps can also be purchased and make for lovely souvenirs. At the Musée du Savon in the Vieux Port you can watch demonstrations of soap-making and get involved by personalising your own special soaps to bring home.
3. Visit Excellent Museums
Marseille is home to several unique and fascinating museums including the submerged sculpture gallery that is the Musée Subaquatique de Marseille, located 5m underwater, just off the coast at the Plage des Catalans. You can visit freely yourself or go on a guided scuba exploration. Then there are the acronym museums – MAM (Musée d'Archéologie Méditerranéenne), covering Mediterranean archaeology from Egyptian to Etruscan artefacts; MAAOA (Musée d'Arts Africains, Océaniens et Amérindiens), with historic objects from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; and MUCEM (Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée), dedicated to the history of European and Mediterranean civilisations and considered one of France’s best museums. In addition to these museums are curiosities like: the aforementioned soap museum, the island fortress and former prison of the Château d’If, which inspired Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, and legendary modern architect Le Corbusier’s concrete housing complex La Cité Radieuse, which can be explored via guided tour.
4. Explore The Calanques
Of course, which there are plenty of manmade wonders to admire in the city, the natural beauty of this part of the world is also unbelievable. The Calanques is a protected marine national park that is found just to the south of the outskirts of Marseille. Hop on a boat at Vieux Port and head to the tiny but lovely national park for the day to explore the rugged cliffs and impossibly blue waters of its inlets. Tours take around four and a half hours, bringing you through this remarkably beautiful place and giving you enough time to dive overboard and go for a swim in the astounding sea.
5. …Or Hang Out At A City Beach
Just exploring Marseille on a day-trip during your vacation in Provence? Well, then you might not have time for the whole journey out to the Calanques but if you still want to go for a dip, you can simply head to a city beach while exploring Marseille! In the same direction as the Calanques - but not as far out – you will find an array of excellent beaches a short bus journey away from the centre. Les Catalans, where the underwater sculpture gallery is found, is a popular swimming spot, and the closest option among the best beaches in Marseille but there are several others to choose between based on distance away, amenities, looks, and more.
So, if you are considering a villa in Provence and you are looking for things to see and do while in the region, we highly suggest at least a day exploring the slightly rough-around-the-edges but utterly charming city of Marseille!