How to make the very most of a weekend in France’s charasmatic second city
France’s oldest, sunniest and second largest city is a paradox, a place of dazzling natural splendour and dirty corners, of the desperately chic and the plainly desperate. A place which lends its name to France’s national anthem, but whose citizens consider themselves Marseillais first, French second. Founded by Greeks in 600BC, Marseille has been shaped by influxes from Italy, Armenia, the Maghreb. Recently, it’s become a go-to for millennials, lured by inventive dishes, natural wines and Instagrammable calanques.
Friday 5pm: Get rolling on a vélo électrique Hop on an electric bike and cycle along the coastal Corniche Kennedy, pausing at fishing port Vallon des Auffes, then on to the rocks of Malmousque for a sunset picnic and swim.
9pm: Eat and drink like a local Pull up a plastic chair in graffiti-streaked hipster paradise Cours Julien, teeming with cafés and music venues. To drink like un vrai Marseillais, order a Pastis Mauresque. Limmat serves fresh, creative small plates at tables on a staircase leading off Cours Julien. Craving bouillabaisse? Dine at Chez Fonfon, overlooking Vallon des Auffes harbour.
Saturday 8am: Take a walk in the parcCalanques national park boasts 20km of unspoilt coastline. Spots such as Calanque d’en Vau get busy though, so head northwest to the Côte Bleue, taking a half-hour train ride from St Charles to Niolon. Grab a sandwich and water from the local épicerie, then hike 90 minutes along the rugged coastal trail Le Sentier des Douaniers, to Calanque de l’Erevine. Swim, picnic, swim!
5pm: Shop for homeBack in town, you will want to buy everything at destination hardware store Maison Empereur, a sprawling multistorey emporium which opened in 1827.
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6pm: Time for a sundownerGrab a beer or dirty hibiscus martini at Bonnie’s bistro on Cours Lieutaud. Don’t miss the secret billiards room.
8pm: Sample Afghan delightsChez Romain et Marion, near Saint Charles terminus, serves authentic Afghan fare. There’s no menu; seconds are on the house.
10pm: Put on your dancing shoesIf you’re not ready for bed, check out La Friche, a former state-run tobacco factory transformed into a cultural complex with a 8,000sq m rooftop terrace.
Sunday 9am: Fish market
Take in the morning market at the Vieux Port, where vendors hawk everything from bags of lavender to artisanal soap.
11am: Stroll through historyWalk past the sailboats to Le Mucem, a stark concrete cube on the waterfront. After a show, grab a coffee on the rooftop café under the gaze of the glittering Bonne Mère basilica, then cross a narrow footbridge across open water to the 17th-century Fort Saint-Jean.
1pm: Lunch in the old townOrder the plat du jour under the trees at bistro Placette, on a quiet square just off the Vieux Port. For dessert, black vanilla ice-cream at Vanille Noire in Le Panier.
2pm: Spare a thought for your fridgeWind your way through the cobbled alleys of Noailles to the Marché des Capucins for Provençal and north African food. Duck into the inconspicuous Saladin Épices du Monde, a treasure trove of herbs and spices. Grab at least 100g of the harissa maison for the fridge at home.
In brief:
Stay Le Corbusier’s Cité radieuse is a modernist masterpiece, a ‘vertical village’ on stilts a short bus ride away from the city centre
Eat Marseille is the spiritual home of bouillabaisse. Or else try panisses, the local version of chips made from chickpea flour, dipped in aioli
Visit La Friche welcomes some of the biggest names in club culture on Friday and Saturday nights
Photograph: Getty Images
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