What type of town is marseille

Marseille also spelled in English as Marseilles is the second-largest city of France. The city covers an area of km 2 93 sq mi and had a population of , in Its metropolitan area, which extends over 3, km 2 1, sq mi is the third-largest in France after Paris and Lyon, with a population of 1,, as of A city proud of its history and global role, Marseille is the point of convergence for a number of international telecommunications networks and constitutes a significant pathway for global internet traffic, especially originating in Africa, Asia and the Mediterranean basin.

The French Tech label came as an acknowledgement of the dynamism and broad appeal of Marseille and its surrounding region. There is a decent public transport system: An extensive bus network, as well as metro and tram lines that run around the city center and run until midnight and a half. Remember that buses are usually late which is part of the reputation of Marseille. You can get real-time updates on the RTM application — and they do not venture far into the th outlying districts.

If you need a taxi, go for Uber or the French Heech rather than for taxis, which are often more expensive and ask for cash because their credit card distributors are often broken. Thank the Good Mother. The most visited monument and highest point in Marseille, the Byzantine Romanesque Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica is surmounted by a foot high beacon visible from all over the city: a statue of the Virgin and Child in gold.

She is known as « The Good Mother » for her unofficial role as guardian of the city. The locals bring her offerings, ex-voto, to thank her for her protection.

Order a Pastis in the right way. The first rule when ordering a pastis: always ask for it by name. To ask only a Pastaga the local slang for pastis is like grumbling « beer » for the bartender. The two most common brands of the well-liked aniseed spirit are Ricard , named after the first Marseille company of pastis and the brand a little more aniseed Your little yellow petit jaune will arrive with a pitcher of cold water and sometimes ice. Add water until the dark golden liquid becomes pale yellow cloudy; the usual dosage is five parts of water for a portion of Pastis.

Do not hesitate, however, to offer you a second drink. Look for a pizza. The real Marseille dish is not fished, but cooked in wood. The city is not famous for its Pizza. Pizza has been an integral part of local food since the arrival of Neapolitan immigrants to the city at the turn of the twentieth century, and the city was the site of the first French pizza truck circa In this maritime city, classic pizza is accompanied by anchovies.

For street food, let the popular Charly Pizza cut you a slice or hit one of the food trucks around the stadium or outside the subway stations. Go to the bouillabaisse. The famous fish soup of Marseille jumped on the shark. Aggressive marketing has pushed up its cost to euros. The high price tag contradicts its roots as the humble stew of fish leftovers and goes against the popular working class ethos of the city.

Locals rarely eat or cook bouillabaisse — the traditional version takes more than a day to prepare — for special occasions. And if you insist on ordering the bouillabaisse, I suggest you do it with Chez Michel , who uses fresh fish presented in advance and where it costs on average 75 euros. Dinner at Noailles. The Tunisian leblebi Chez Yassine , the Lebanese cedar pita, the burlap spice sacks at Saladin, and the Algerian bradj stuffed with dates at the street stand in front of Saladin.

Plan supplies for a picnic or to eat while you walk in the crowd. Do your shopping as in The oldest hardware store in France, the Maison Empereur , has two centuries of heritage goods that overflow its rays.

Think about Opinel knives, blue laboureur cotton jackets and La Boule Bleu petanque balls. But you will still see carpenters dressed in work clothes picking up the door hinges in the hardware-hardware store. Walk to Fort Saint-Jean …. At first sight, this fortress of the seventeenth century seems to protect Marseille, flanking the edge of the Old Port alongside Fort Saint-Nicolas. Take a closer look. The canons show the city with a finger, not from the outside, so that Louis XIV can protect his regime from local uprisings — one of the many gashes in the history of Marseille see: Resistance to the Second World War that embodies the rebel spirit of the city.

The fort was once the last stop of recruits from the French Foreign Legion en route to basic training in Algeria. Today, Fort Saint-Jean invites visitors to stroll through its vaulted alleyways, climb a giant turret tower and stroll through the Garden of Migrations.

Compared to the ancient stone walls of the fort, the concrete cube, the Mucem Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations seems futuristic. The terraced walkways are reminiscent of a Mesopotamian ziggurat. The outer lattice evokes a mashrabiya, its ornamental pattern serving as both screen and filter to let in light.

For the best view, approach Mucem from the lean pedestrian walkway at Fort Saint-Jean. You will arrive at the roof terrace which has sun loungers for a short break. The calanques fjords between Marseille and La Ciotat are a very popular sports climbing area.

And of course, if the weather is fine, you can simply go to the beach! Let's be honest, beaches in Marseille are not always great. Moreover, depending on the weather, they can be rather polluted.

However the small beaches south of the city centre between La Pointe Rouge harbour and La Madrague harbour are cleaner, nicer and usually slightly less crowded. Marseille is home to many universities and has a reputation for great education. The universities have a wide array of focuses from art to business. Unsurprisingly, Marseille's cuisine is focused on fish and seafood. La bouillabaisse is an excellent fish-based soup served with la rouille a garlic-saffron sauce and bread similar to crostini.

In fact, Bouillabaisse is a 2-course meal: first you get soup from the pot, then you get the rest, i. La bouillabaisse cannot be enjoyed on the cheap. If you are invited to the home of someone making bouillabaisse, then you are in the clear.

But never eat cheap bouillabaisse at a restaurant unless it's not called bouillabaisse; only eat it at a place where you have to reserve in advance. Many cheap, authentic couscous eateries are to be found around the Cours Belsunce, where the local Maghrebic immigrants have their lunch.

However La Friche should not be forgotten, particularly during summer when the very large rooftop hosts dj parties for free every Friday and Saturday.

As of Sept , Marseille has 5G from all French carriers. Wifi is widely available in public places, transport, cafes and so on. For much of its history - and to this day - Marseille has been seen by many people in France as a crime-ridden city, and this is sadly not entirely unwarranted.

Nevertheless, tourists will have a great time by taking the basic precautions, and the city center is very safe. However, muggings and pickpockets have dramatically increased, so do avoid carrying valuables and watch your surroundings, like in most cities. Thankfully, there is no reason for going there. Furthermore, Marseille is one of the few cities in France to still have prevalent Mafias and gangs.

The area around Boulevard Michelet teems with prostitutes and should be avoided on soccer nights, as you can meet potentially angry and drunk Olympique de Marseille hooligans. Understand [ edit ]. This city travel guide to Marseille is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.

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