5 reasons why you should visit Marseille

One of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean.

Marseille, along with Cannes and Nice, boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in France and the Mediterranean region. Visitors from all over the world can come here to enjoy the sea, eat ice cream, sunbathe, play volleyball, fly kites, and frolic in the water. This makes Marseille vibrant and diverse. Marseille always welcomes visitors and rejects racism.

Continuing along the southeastern coast of the city, visitors can admire La Pointe Rouge beach, home to the city's largest sandy beach. Alternatively, visitors can explore the coves along the Cassis coast, one of the most beautiful coastlines in the Mediterranean.

A glimpse of Africa in the heart of Europe

Marseille is a melting pot of diverse cultures. This port city, being relatively close to Africa, is heavily influenced by the continent's culture, especially its cuisine. In Marseille, visitors can enjoy authentic and delicious African dishes at affordable prices at the couscous restaurants around the Noalilles metro station or the main station at St. Charles. Visitors can also explore the Cours Julien area, which boasts many traditional African restaurants.

Additionally, when visiting some of Marseille's markets, tourists can smell the aromas of herbs and spices, taste hot street food, and hear prayers from mosques. Massages in hammams (Turkish baths) are also a traditional "specialty" in Marseille.

Couscous looks like rice, but it's actually a type of pasta. Couscous is usually sold in dried and packaged form. It's typically prepared by steaming or cooking like rice, but with added salt, butter, etc., depending on taste. Couscous is a very popular dish in countries from Africa such as Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Egypt, etc., to Middle Eastern Arab countries and European countries such as France, Spain, Greece, etc.

Home to the traditional yellow soup bouillabaisse

Marseille is considered the birthplace of the traditional yellow soup bouillabaisse. This dish is made with five different local fish species, including: rockfish, red mullet, conger eel, red scorpionfish, and spider crab.

Some chefs use monkfish or prawns as substitutes. Bouillabaisse is served with bread, aioli sauce, and rouille sauce. The broth for bouillabaisse is also very special and has a unique flavor found only in Marseille.

In Marseille, restaurants famous for bouillabaisse include Chez Loury near the Vieux harbor, as well as Le Miramar, Chez Fon Fon, and Le Rhul.

Famous historical site

Marseille was founded by Greek sailors around 600 BC, then occupied by the Romans in 49 BC, and revived by the Provençal government in the 10th century. Regardless of the era, Marseille has always been an important and strategic port city.

Marseille boasts the oldest port, the Musée des Docks Romains, a Roman shipping warehouse that operated between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. Nearby, visitors can find the fortified Saint-Jean Fortress, built in 1660 on the orders of King Louis XIV, as well as boats that will take visitors to the Château d'If, an island fortress in Marseille Bay, built by King Francis in 1531. It was once used as a prison, holding 3,500 prisoners and most famously the Count of Monte Cristo from Alexandre Dumas' novel.

Back in the city center, perched on a hilltop overlooking the entire bay, visitors will find Notre Dame de la Garde, a large Roman Catholic church that has become a historic landmark of the city. Built in 1864, the church is famous for its exquisite mosaics and gold leaf decorations.

City of famous museums

As a city with a long history and diverse culture, Marseille boasts a range of world-class museums and art galleries. The Marseille History Museum houses numerous artifacts from the city, including relics from a ship built in the 2nd century. The Musée des Beaux-Arts features exquisite works of art from the 16th to the 19th centuries. And the Marseille Natural History Museum proudly displays over 80,000 animal specimens, 20,000 plant specimens, and 8,000 minerals and rocks.

The newest and most interesting museum is the MuCEM. Built in 2013 to celebrate Marseille, Europe's City of Culture, it houses collections of historical sculptures and artifacts, and also features exhibitions of modern art detailing European and Mediterranean culture. The museum is built on reclaimed land at the harbor entrance, next to the Saint-Jean fortress, and is surrounded by a lattice and fiber-reinforced concrete structure designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti.

The Anh