One of the joys of being in Provence is a day-trip to Marseille. Already a dazzling city, the €7 billion spending spree to prepare it for European City of Culture status has transformed it into a must-see destination – in fact the New Yorker magazine has ranked Marseille at no. 2 in the list of ‘must-see’ cities of the world.

Marseille used to have a reputation as lively but run-down, intriguing but risky. That view has now changed…

“it has just about everything a visitor could ask for. Until Marseille was made European Capital of Culture for 2013, it may have been one of the most under-appreciated cities on the continent”
New York Times

“brimming with cutting-edge architecture and art”
Conde Nast Traveler

“Marseille now feels richer and not at all dicey, but it has something in its character that wealth can’t wash away. I don’t think it’s nostalgia that makes me love it like this. I just think I was right all along”
Zoe Williams, travel writer

“tremendous beauty and culture… a picture-book seaport, bathed in light of blinding clarity, crowned by larger-than-life neo-Byzantine churches, and framed by massive fortifications”
Fodor’s Travel

“one of the most invigorating, exciting and cosmopolitan cities in France”
The Guardian

“After all the cute Provençal towns, I’m glad I finished in the city of Marseille”
Rick Steves, travel guru

“atmospheric, alluring and overwhelming for the past 2,600 years”
Sunday Times

“a dynamic, bustling edgy city that’s rich with more than 1,500 years of history”
Lonely Planet

“enough new trams, designer hotels, galleries, chic restaurants and shops to fill a year’s worth of lifestyle magazines”
Daily Telegraph

“humming with creative energy as quirky new restaurants and arty boutique hotels add chic appeal”
Conde Nast Traveler

“Marseille is on the crest of a creative and entrepreneurial wave”
The Guardian

See our verdict here: Marseille Destination Guide