MARSEILLES
6 THINGS MUST YOU DO IN...
WITH direct Eurostar trains from London now running to Marseilles, the rebirth of this once rundown Mediterranean port is complete. Crumbling shops and factories have become cool B&Bs, galleries and concert halls, and the famous old harbour has been renewed by British architect Norman Foster. And if that’s not enough, the locals still make the perfect bouillabaisse, says
GARETH HUW DAVIES.
1...LIFE ON MARS
THIS gritty, diverse city used to be known in France as Planète Mars, to suggest a place apart from a more grounded country. That’s all changed. One of Europe’s biggest urban regeneration schemes has transformed the rundown centre. Old industrial buildings are now galleries and concert halls. Historic areas have been spruced up. The New York Times put the city second on its bucket list in 2013, when Marseilles was the European Capital of Culture. Now it’s at the end of the longest direct train trip you can make from London – Eurostar started its sixand-a-half-hour services in May.
2...NORMAN’S CONQUEST
BRITISH architect Norman Foster was commissioned to reclaim the quaysides around the old port (Vieux Port), and tame the traffic by removing lanes from a busy road. Work was finished in 2013. Foster says he has enhanced, rather than altered, a ‘truly grand space’. Stroll the wide waterfront and take in public performances and events at new, informal venues. The most striking feature in the makeover is the 150ft long Giant Sunshade, an elegant blade of stainless steel, supported by slender pillars, which keeps the sun (and rain) off performers and the audience.
3...A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
THE true secret of bouillabaisse, the famous Marseilles fish stew, is safe with local chefs. By rights it should be two dishes – fish soup followed by the ingredients used to make it. For the best, book a table at one of the signatories of the original 1980 ‘Bouillabaisse Charter’, drawn up to halt the desecration of the dish in some tourist restaurants. The defenders of the faith include Le Caribou, Chez Caruso, Miramar, Chez Fonfon, L’Epuisette, Peron and Le Rhul. Chefs must choose four fish from a list including rockfish, spider crab, red mullet, con- ger eel and red scorpion fish, prepare them before the customer, then add onions, tomatoes, potatoes, fennel, parsley, bouquet garni, garlic, olive oil and saffron – and, naturally, a generous glass of pastis.
4...HIT THE ROAD – OR WATER
TO HIRE a bike with the city’s automated scheme, Le Velo, just register with your credit card, and off you go. Not feeling so fit? Hop on a new tram, Metro train or bus to all points. If you want to take to the water, the new Frioul If Express ferry connects the old port to nearby islands. Leaving the harbour, you pass the dazzling new Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (MuCEM). Another building worth looking out for is Le Silo, a former grain container that’s now a concert hall.
5...EPIC TREK MARSEILLES was European Capital of Culture in 2013. To celebrate, a group of artists, who were also keen ramblers, created a new long distance walk. The name, Gr2013, may not be so catchy, but at 240 miles long it’s an epic trail – almost as long as Britain’s Pennine Way. The route passes the Etoile mountain range and also takes in quiet countryside and striking urban landmarks.
6...HOSPITAL STAY
MARSEILLES has turned into an attractive short break destination, with a good choice of places to stay. Leading the list is the stylish Hotel Dieu, high on a hill looking down on the Vieux Port. It was once the city’s main hospital, and still features vast staircases and arched galleries. Notable B&Bs include the four-roomed Casa Honoré, which was once a printing works.