A former vegetable market filled with cheap loft space for artists, clubs, and good restaurants, the square is the stomping ground of some of Marseilles' best-known rap bands like IAM and Massalia Sound System. Le Julien, but then there are no shortage of good choices here. The Second Empire landmark gets mixed reviews for its monstrous neo-Byzantine look and great gilded statue of the Virgin that watches over the harbor, but it offers, hands down, the best view of Marseilles and is worth the hike up. Inside, the most interesting feature is the murals left by crews or families whose ships or loved ones have been spared. More off the beaten path of Marseilles' beaches, our favorite was La Pointe Rouge, a run-down little spot frequented by Marseillais families.
Day trips are easy from Marseilles.
You can hike to a couple of the Calanques, but the best way in is to take the 30-minute boat ride from Cassis. The Calanques are not handicap accessible. Once you land, the 15-minute climb is steep and precarious. The Calanques are a special place. The area is now the subject of an intensifying debate over how to protect it.