 | France's second-largest city feels like a collection of villages | | | Swimming turquoise coves. Exploring street art. Eating delicious food. These are just some of the wonderful things waiting for you in Marseille, a city with both urban grit and stunning natural beauty that is one of our picks for 2023 Best in Travel. Alexis Steinman is a food and travel writer who crafted this 4-day itinerary to Marseille – a place she’s called home since 2016. This trip will give you the insider’s tour of what she calls the “endless trove of stories and experiences” that can be found in this 2600-year-old port city. You won’t want to miss her recommendations for where to eat. I’m already saving them for my next trip. | | | Alexis writes that though Marseille is France’s second-largest city, it feels like a collection of the “111 villages” that merged over the centuries to form the neighborhoods of the modern metropolis. Here are highlights from her 4-day Marseille itinerary. | | | | | Visit Notre Dame de la Garde. Nicknamed the “Bonne Mère” (“Good Mother”), this basilica is topped with a golden Madonna-and-child statue that watches over the city. It also boasts 360-degree views of the skyline from its grounds. | | | | | Make a pit stop at Carlotta With. Located in the hip Vauban quartier, here you’ll find the city’s most buttery croissants. | | | | | Check out the street art in the neighborhoods of Cours Julien and Le Panier. We recommend a street-art tour of the latter, where you can discover local graffeurs like Nimho. | | | | | Quench your thirst like a Marseillais during apéro, the nightly happy hour that is practically a religion across the city. Check out the always-packed Café de l’Abbaye, which offers views of the harbor’s forts and ancient Abbaye St-Victor from its outdoor tables. | | | | | 2023 has whirred by – and it’s almost time for us to release our selections for Best in Travel 2024. Before we do, take a look back at our selections for 2023. | | | We caught up with Alexis to find out why she’s been hooked on Marseille since moving there in 2016. | | | What do you think people should know before they visit Marseille? | It isn’t like any other city in France. Here, you feel like you’re on both sides of the Mediterranean and beyond. Savor what visitors love about France (food, art, architecture, cafe culture) alongside myriad cultures that have shaped the port city for 2600 years. Marseille’s striking contrasts – urban/beach and Provence/global – is ideal for curious travelers. | | | We picked Marseille as a great place to learn – what’s the one place people shouldn’t miss to understand the city? | Marseille is made up of 111 villages each with their own personality. Visit these two to understand the city’s rich diversity. Multicultural Noailles, aka “the belly of Marseille,” has fragrant food stands, colorful street art and heritage shops. Les Goudes is a frozen-in-time fishing village perched at the city’s tip and Calanques National Park (try to avoid summer crowds.) | | | You’re also a food writer – tell me about the food in Marseille? Any “must try” restaurants? | With its multicultural flavors, dynamic chefs and hearty comfort fare, Marseille is redefining what a food city should be. Try Boîte à Sardines for fresh fish and kitsch; Chez Etienne for wood-fired pizza (Marseille’s specialty) and garlic squid; and Limmat for locavore cuisine. Whet your appetite with Taste the World in Marseille, the first English book of Marseille cuisine, proudly translated by yours truly. | | | | | “Marseille is redefining what a food city should be.” — Alexis Steinman | | | What’s your favorite place to spend a lazy afternoon in Marseille? | The beach, which you can enjoy year-round thanks to our temperate climate. I like Anse de Malmousque, a rocky beach ideal for swimming, reading and pizza picnics – a Marseille tradition. From April to September, head to the sandy beach at Anse des Sablettes, where Cabanon de Paulette dishes out fried fish and cold rosé. Both beaches boast killer sunsets. | | | What should people bring home as a souvenir? | A torchon (tea towel), a classic French blue apron, a La Marseillaise scarf or soap from Maison Empereur (my favorite shop and France’s oldest hardware store), pastis glasses and a bottle of artisanal pastis and a fouta from Jiji Palme d’Or to use as a beach blanket or for home decor. | | |  | Love travel inspiration in your inbox? | | | Share with a fellow travel lover by forwarding to a friend. Did someone share this email with you? Subscribe by clicking here. | | | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
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