United Kingdom to Marseille
February 28, 2009 by Tom Martens
Filed under Flights
The third largest city in France after Paris and Lyon, Marseille (sometimes spelled Marseilles in the UK) is rapidly becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Heathrow and Gatwick Airports in London serve Marseilles with multiple departures every day. The city’s main airport, Marseille Provence Airport, is the fourth most trafficked airport in the whole of France. Business travelers and tourists alike crowd its terminals. Once travelers disembark at Marseille Provence Airport, they enjoy excellent local public transportation.
Marseille lies on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea on the southeast coast, the Cote-d-Azur, of France. It has the country’s largest commercial port. The Old Port that fell into disuse after the 1970s oil crises has been redeveloped into a bustling residential and tourist destination with assistance from the European Community.
The completely refurbished Old Port is now home to hotels, restaurants, bars, and caf?s, as well as a private marina. This renovated port is north of the new active commercial port, where over 100 million tons of freight?the majority of it petroleum?pass every year. Marseille’s position as a hub for industry and trade is complemented by its excellent infrastructure for travel by air, land, or sea. It is one of the major ports of entry into France, especially popular with travelers from Italy, Spain, Greece, and the Middle East.
Lying on the shores of the Mediterranean, Marseille has mild winters but hot summers. Fortunately, neither summer heat nor winter cold lasts very long. The hottest weather comes in July and August, and coldest winter months arrive in January and February. Harsh but not necessarily cold winter winds blow into the city from the Alps both winter and spring.
Marseille is also headquarters for the Marseille Provence Metropolis, the second largest research center in the country. Thousands of research scientists are employed at the Marseille Provence Metropolis.
In addition to industry, plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, museums and theaters can be found in Marseille. Culture lovers are especially enamored of Marseille due to the large number of theaters in the city, including la Cri?e, le Gymnase and the theatre Toursky. The Marseille Opera is also very popular, with a season from September to June.
Like other areas of France, Marseille is well-known for its incredible food. Local favorites include pastis, which is an alcoholic beverage similar to beer made with aniseed and spice. Other popular items are aioli (mayonnaise) served on fish or hardboiled eggs, tapenade, bouillabaisse, panisse, and navette. All dishes are made with local ingredients, which make them very flavorful. Many restaurants can be found in the city?s Old Port area, which is the site of a daily fish market. The Old Port area is very beautiful at night, making it a popular spot for a long evening meal.
Beautiful architecture can also be found in Marseille, including the Abbey of Saint Victor, one of the oldest places of Christian worship in France, the Museum of Old Marseille and the Phare de Sainte Marie, a lighthouse on the inlet to the Old Port.
With all that the city has to offer to visitors, it is easy to see why Marseille is growing in popularity with travelers.