The French port city of Marseille has repeatedly been called the worst in the country due to the developed drug trade and crime, but recently this city has been wildly popular among tourists.
Points of attention
- Despite being known as the most dangerous city in France, Marseille has become a favorite among tourists for its unique cultural diversity and vibrant atmosphere.
- Marseille's popularity among tourists has surged during the pandemic and after the start of the Olympics in Paris, attracting visitors with its diverse gastronomic scene and active recreational opportunities.
- Travel analysts and bloggers are recommending Marseille as a must-visit destination, highlighting its radical dissimilarity with other European cities and its rich cultural offerings.
- The city's popularity is also attributed to its thriving sports scene, with Marseille's outskirts being a hotspot for rock climbing and attracting crowds for sailing events of the Paris Olympics.
- Visitors to Marseille are captivated by its diverse food scene, featuring traditional French dishes, Algerian and Moroccan influences, and innovative culinary creations, making it a truly unique destination for food enthusiasts.
What caused a real tourist boom in Marseille
As Time Out journalists note , recently more and more tourism analysts and bloggers are urging travelers to pay attention to Marseille.
That's right — in the last couple of months, almost everyone with their posh pooches has gone to this Provençal city, and Marseille is receiving the biggest wave of attention since it was crowned as the cultural capital of Europe in 2013, — notes the author of the publication, Liv Kelly.
According to Expedia, which is based on hotel searches on the site this year with check-in dates in June, July or August, compared to the same period last year, interest from UK citizens in Marseille increased by 25% during the season.
In June, the growth of hotel searches was 10% year-on-year, in July — 20%, and in August — 35%.
According to the analysts of the publication, the key attraction of Marseille lies in its radical dissimilarity with the rest of European cities.
Far from smartly dressed people sipping rosé wine in stylish Riviera settings, Marseille is a hip place full of electronic music, all thanks to its exuberant diversity (historically built on communities from Italy, Spain and North Africa, to name a few only a few), — explain the authors of the publication.
They point out that Marseille's rise in popularity among tourists began back in 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when Parisians — mostly artists, restaurateurs and remote workers — began heading south in search of a life full of sun, sea and plates of bouillabaisse.
What impressions do tourists share after visiting Marseille
It is a kind of Berlin of France. And it is different from the rest of France. It is very diverse — there are a lot of Tunisians there and it is much more integrated than Paris. Some parts of it even resemble Amsterdam, but in general it breathes positivity, Kiya Omoshebi shares his impressions of his first visit to Marseille this year.
In addition, the rise of Marseille's popularity is related to sports, because the city's outskirts have long been a popular place for lovers of active recreation, in particular, rock climbing.
This summer, however, crowds of fans flocked to Marseille in large numbers to witness the sailing events of the Paris Olympics.
The authors of the material note that Marseille demonstrates diversity in almost all aspects of culture, fashion, art, music, and cuisine.
It clearly stands out. As the population is very diverse, so is the food scene: there are traditional Marseille eateries serving excellent bouillabaisse and fresh seafood, Algerian and Moroccan restaurants serving incredible tagines and couscous, and more recent openings such as Limmat, where Swiss chef by the name of Lilian Gadola prepares incredible dishes of piscetarian and vegetarian cuisine, says Olivia, who has already visited Marseille twice this year.
Instead, the locals seem to prefer... pizza, which they believe can rival Italian pizza.
Without a doubt, pizza, or "pitze" as we say here, is the most typical Marseille dish. This is our common denominator. Many of us have eaten bouillabaisse only once or twice in our lives, but every Marseilles has its own story with pizza, and there is nothing better than eating it on the rocks in front of the sea, — notes the author of the Marseille cuisine book Veran Frediani.
