"Marseille" a Marseille Travel Page by rickyvilla81

It is not, you might say, everbody's tasse de thé, Marseille. Often seen as big, grimy, crime-ridden, dangerous & poor, Marseille is usually unloved by those who visit Provence's more attractive towns.

And you know, it really is up to you to decide on what you think of Marseille. I have to admit, I am undecided, but tend to err against the place, having lived in Aix. But it is a big, proud city, with a fabulous accent (again, others disagree, but I love it - ahh pouTINGG!), and has a lot to discover. If it is character you are after, Marseille is full of it. If you are fed up with cities all looking the same, come to Marseille, you will enjoy it. And take a walk in the sunshine to the Parc du Pharo, at the end of the Vieux Port, and look up to Notre Dame de la Garde, and down to the sea, and back towards the old City, flanked by brown hills and burning sunshine. Marseille is ancient, the oldest city in France (in fact pre-dating France by well over a millennium), and full of story.

A view of the Old Port by Camoin. This painting is found in the Courtauld Gallery in London.