Euro 2016 host cities: guide to Marseille

As Uefa Euro 2016 kicks off, The Independent has compiled concise guides to each of the host cities

Marseille Harbour

Get your bearings

Marseille’s centre sprawls around the Vieux Port, from which boats go to the Frioul islands, including the forbidding Chateau d’If fortress. To the north of the port, ancient and modern bump up against each other as the hilly streets of Le Panier, the oldest district, meet the revitalised Joliette Docks.

East of the port is the vibrant Cours Julien, with its hip bars, vintage shops and a large Wednesday market. There’s a mish-mash of centuries in the streets south of the port, ranging from the 12th-century Abbaye Saint-Victor to 18th- and 19th-century townhouses.

The city is easily navigable on foot, but the public transport system is straightforward and efficient. Single tickets on the RTM (rtm.fr), which includes the metro, trams and buses, cost €1.50 and last an hour. You can buy travel cards for 24 hours (€5.20) and 72 hours (€10.80).

The main Office de Tourisme is at 11 La Canebière near the Vieux Port (marseille-tourisme.com/en), with another at Saint-Charles station.

Touch down

Marseille-Provence airport is 25km from the city centre. A shuttle bus (navettemarseilleaeroport.com) will drive you every 15 minutes to the city centre of Marseille, from 4.50am to 8.10pm. The journey takes about 30 minutes and costs €8.20. Taxis (25 minutes) cost from €35 to €50.

Take a hike

Start from under the Ombrière, Norman Foster’s huge mirrored sunshade at the western end of the Vieux Port. In the morning, you can soak up the fish market’s buzzing atmosphere. Bear right, along the quay, past the many seafood restaurants until you reach a wide stone staircase on the right before the road bends.

At the top, cross the footbridge to the immense 17th-century Fort Saint-Jean, now surrounded by gardens with sweeping vistas of the port. From here, carry on over a second footbridge to the Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée or along the Quai de la Tourette to the Joliette Docks. Here, old warehouses and even the former vaults of the Cathédrale de la Major have been turned into restaurants and shops.

Lunch on the run

At the top of La Canebière, the long boulevard that stretches west of the port, try one of Marseille’s tastiest seafood experiences. La Boîte à Sardine at 2 Boulevard de la Libération (laboiteasardine.com) is an enjoyably chaotic little restaurant and fishmonger that’s open only at lunchtime. It has incredibly fresh fish and serves more obscure creatures such as sea urchins and sea anemones. The mackerel (€15) is sublime.

Window shopping

Check out the graffiti-covered streets of Cours Julien, especially rue Pastoret, for one-off fashion boutiques such as Complex Marseille at No 3 (complexmarseille.fr) and intriguing little shops such as l’Entrepot at No 13 (boutiquelentrepot.com) and Dans tes Rêves at No 1 (danstesreves-deco.com) selling pseudo-vintage homewares.

In contrast to scruffy Cours Julien, the Jardin Montgrand concept store at 35 rue Montgrand (jardin-montgrand.com) is a chic outlet for designers. You can refuel in the Arty Café.

An aperitif

Take a glass of wine (€4) at Bar de la Relève at 41 rue d’Endoume (00 33 4 95 09 87 81) in the Saint-Victor district, a haunt of the bobo crowd. In Cours Julien, grab a seat and a €2.80 beer in Oogie at No 55 (oogie.eu), which has DJ nights on Thursdays and Fridays.

Dine with the locals

After running Bordeaux’s Michelin-starred Le Saint James, Michel Portos returned to his home city to set up Le Malthazar at 19 rue Fortia (malthazar.fr). The menu changes but could include squid fricassée (€10) or cod fillet in buttery curry sauce (€25).

Book ahead for a table in the delightful courtyard of La Cantinetta at 24 Cours Julien (00 33 4 91 48 10 48; restaurantlacantinetta.fr). It has some of the best Italian food in Marseille, including generous portions of linguine alle vongole (€16).

Cultural afternoon

Built for Marseille’s 2013 stint as European Capital of Culture, MuCEM celebrates Mediterranean cultures in its permanent and temporary exhibitions (mucem.org/en). MuCEM’s latest exhibitions include an examination of the life of the French novelist, playwright and political activist Jean Genet: “Jean Genet: l’échappée belle” (to 18 July) and a major Picasso exhibition containing 270 works by the Spanish artist: “Picasso: A Genius Without a Pedestal” (to 29 August). MuCEM is closed Tuesday; entry €9.50.

Icing on the cake

Marseille’s emblem and protector is the 1864 basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde (notredamedelagarde.com). It stands at the city’s highest point. “La Bonne Mère”, to use its nickname, glitters in the most opulent neo-Byzantine style, and is topped with a Virgin Mary statue in dazzling gold.

Additional research by Francesca Street