An Opinionated Guide to Marseille

Explore the underrated jewel of Provence.

Marseille is often boxed into clichés, but there is more here than meets the eye. France's sun-soaked 'second city' hums with creativity, inventive food and spectacular scenery, from the rugged Calanques to the glowing Côte d'Azur beaches. The oldest and most diverse city in France, its port has welcomed waves of migrants for thousands of years, shaping a character that is warmer than Paris and cooler than Nice - a captivating patchwork of winding old-town stree