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Marseille can be roughly divided into the southern part including the rectangular old Port and the northern part which has over the years accumulated the many immigrants from all round the Mediterranean. The old Port of Marseille (le Vieux Port) has developed over the years into a pleasure port with over 10,000 berths. Many of the boats ply their trade showing the nearby island of Chateau d'If, the notorious prison about which we read in Dumas's Court of Monte Christo.
Marseille is situated in the deep-water bay called the "Rade de Marseille". At the eastern trip of this bay is the rocky peninsular called "Bec de l'Aigle", which provides excellent shelters round its corner at the port of La Ciotat. This second bay has much safer anchorage with fresh water and excellent beaches. Both La Ciotat and Marseille were plagued with pirates in the 11th century, which prompted the building of coastal galleys capable of safeguarding the whole area. During the Crusades these galleys were used to transport overseas armies to fight in the Holy Land and later in 1481 helped transport the French King (Francis I) to overcome take-over attempts by the Italians.
The King was so pleased he gave Marseille the freedom to trade at will in the Eastern Mediterranean. The wealth of both ports was soon to become a great attraction for immigrants into notoriety when 500 volunteers from the port marched to Paris singing the new Revolutionary battle song the "Marseillaise". This success was soon appreciated by the French peasants and came to be recognised as the National Anthem.
In recent times Marseille has been noted for its fishing industry and its fish market around the "Quai des Belges". The marker sells the key ingredients of "bouillabaisse" which has achieved worldwide fame as a delicious thick soup. On the quay we can also find the 17th Century Hôtel de Ville and the Museum of Old Marseille. Just a little north is the towering but unloved "Cathedrale de la Major" which was built in 1853 and one of the largest churches in France since the Middle Ages.
In the modern part of the town around the Rue Saint-Ferréol has become the home of Galerie Lafayettes and Marks & Spencer and the city's shopping districts. Nightlife in Marseille requires an information map best supplied by the local tourist office or by reading the "Atout Marseille" distributed free locally.
The city has its own Opera house in Place Reyer and chamber music festivals in October to December in the Abbaye de St Victor.
La Ciotat
Around the coast of La Ciotat we have the world's first film set and a safe anchorage for luxury charter yachts.Motion pictures were first pioneered here in 1895 when the local people filmed a train pulling into La Ciotat's railway station. The film was shown at the Eden Theatre and frightened the small audience when the train appeared to bear down on them as they sat in their theatre seats.
Visitors to La Ciotat can enjoy the beaches here and the local museum which provides the history of the town and its shipyards. The smartest hotels are here where half-board is mandatory in the summer. La Ciotat is the main train station between Marseille and Toulon and regular buses are able to take tourists from the station to the Vieux Port (old Port) of Ciotat.
It is worth noting that market days are Tuesday and Sunday mornings only, and really worth a visit to soak up the lively atmosphere and buy the wonderfully fresh local produce.
A Mediterranean yacht charter around these coastal shores of the south of France is a fulfilling experience because of the hub of yachting activities. Read More
