Marseille Travel Guide

ART & CULTURE: Marseille is loaded with a large number of museums dealing with the history of the city and the multitude of galleries, which exhibit contemporary art. The flourishing culture of Marseille is on fine display throughout the city.

Museums & Galleries The town boasts about 15 museums and more than 70 galleries. If you want to get to know the city better, start with the Musée d'Histoire de Marseille and its garden filled with relics. Following that, you may wish to find out about Provençal tradition at the Musee du Vieux Marseille or alternatively at the Musee des Arts et Traditions Populaires. Paintings and sculptures are housed at the Musee Grobet-Labadie and at the Musee des Beaux-Arts. In the sphere of economics, there is the Musee des Docks Romains and the Musée de la Marine, which chart the history of Phocaen commerce.

Multicultural Art: There is a stunning collection of masks and statues at the huge Vieille Charité. The Musée d'Arts Africains, Océaniens, Amérindiens is an interesting stop and the Galerie Caroline Serero also exhibits African art.

Contemporary Art: For those who like contemporary art, the MAC-Galeries Contemporaines des Musee de Marseille hosts several permanent and temporary collections. Major artists from Marseille are represented here.

Figurative art: Classic Provençal painting is very popular with the people of Marseille and there are numerous galleries: one of the oldest, the Galerie Jouvène, displays the work of Briata, Monticelli and Ambriogiani. The Galerie Jean-Pierre Sylvestre is a little more upmarket but in the same vein.

Cinema: There are many different cinemas in Marseille. Your choice will depend on the type of film you want to watch and your budget. One art house cinema that is very popualr is the César. This shows art house films and shorts, always in the original language—admission is always fairly inexpensive. If you prefer to see films in French or like multi-screen cinemas, the UGC Capitole is one of the cheapest.

Theatre & Dance: The Theatre National de la Criée is the main theater in Marseille, but there are many others. Whether you go to the Quai du Rire (Le) or to the Antidote (L'), laughter is always the best medicine. At the Theatre Axel Toursky, debut work is the name of the game. For dance, there is always the Ballet de Marseille.

ENTERTAINMENT & MUSIC: Classical: The Odéon regularly stages classical concerts. Abbaye Saint-Victor is also a place that music lovers are particularly fond of.

Jazz-Blues: Many of the cafés around town offer jazz music. The Caravelle is a local favorite.

House, Disco, Rap, Fusion: For house music, one of the best places to go is the Trolley Bus in the Vieux Port. The Intermédiaire is a popular alternative rock venue. The Le Poste à Galène showcases a mixture of rap, rock and reggae. Concerts are held in the Espace Julien, the Theatre du Moulin and the Dôme—the zenith of entertainment in Marseille. The Docks des Suds offers many different types of Mediterranean music.

GARDENS & PARKS: The gardens and parks of Marseille are fairly new. The Parc Longchamp and Borély are the best: both for walkers and those who like to play football. The Parc Valmer offers a fantastic view of the sea. The Parc Pastré can be found near the château of the same name. The Parc des Bruyères is a great place to take a relaxing nature walk.

SPORT: It is impossible to ignore the fact that Marseille is a football city. The Marseille team can be seen scoring goals at the Stade Vélodrome. If you prefer running, the Corniche (coastal road) and the Parc Borély are where joggers tend to congregate. Some are training for the Marseille-Cassis half marathon which takes place in autumn. Horse riding is organized at the Hippodrome de Pont de Vivaux and Hippodrome Borély. The Open 13 tennis tournament takes place each year in February at the Palais des Sports.2008-08-02T07:29:22.000 19