In Marseille, a transformation from seedy to chic

For a city on France's desirable Mediterranean coast, Marseille has been conspicuously absent from most North American tourist itineraries until relatively recently. A reputation as a scruffy, graffiti-ridden metropolis where visitors would do well to watch their wallets dogged the destination probably longer than it deserved, but a robust renaissance is in full swing and should soon put that image to rest permanently.

Marseille in bloom

On a recent visit to the city, the view from the Radisson SAS Hotel Marseille in the Old Port area rivaled anything you would expect to see on the French Riviera: sparkling, turquoise water; a pristine, rectangular port dotted with pleasure and fishing boats; and hotels and restaurants lining the quay.

An outdoor fish market lent local color most mornings, and the adjacent Fort St. Nicolas provided a dose of historical ambience. Within about five minutes' walking distance from the property, a neighborhood of upscale shops and gourmet restaurants beckons passersby. A dinner of bouillabaisse at Le Miramar, one of the city's acknowledged top purveyors of fish soup, will set you back about $75, not including wine.

There are other, less posh neighborhoods in Marseille, to be sure, including the Panier district, with its tiny streets and air of authenticity, but the transition from seamy port town to glamorous resort area is clearly under way. 

The turnaround began in earnest in 1995 when the government got serious about urban development, investing more than $900 million into the economy, which in turn stimulated about $4.6 billion in private investment. One of these, the Euromediterranee Project, is expected to take roughly 20 years to complete and encompasses various districts of the city, from the Old Port to the city center.

Not only is the city's infrastructure getting a face-lift, but about 425 acres along the northern part of the city are being developed. La Joliette in the Docks district, for example, has been renovated and now houses corporate headquarters in buildings designed by big-name international architects.

Cite de la Mediterranee, a vast coastal area extending from Arenc to Fort St. Jean, is undergoing several projects, as well, including the redevelopment of the St. Jean Centre pier. A new esplanade will include the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations, slated for completion by 2012; an IMAX theater; and an aquarium.

To ensure that arriving passengers get a good first impression of the city, the cruise port area is being revitalized with an open-air summer stadium, shops and other services. 

Visitors arriving by car will be able to take advantage of the new St. Charles tunnel, while those arriving by high-speed train come into the new Marseille St. Charles Transport Centre, which opened in December. Linking Marseille with the principal stations in France and the rest of Europe, St. Charles station serves Paris 17 times a day, with some journeys clocking in under three hours.

As to air accessibility, Marseille Provence Airport, 15 miles from the city, ranks fourth in France for passenger traffic. More than 25 flights a day link Marseille and Paris for the one-hour flight.

To ease inner-city traffic, a new tramway was unveiled in June 2007, serving the six-plus-mile route through city center to the far edges of the city.

To accommodate the increased number of tourists, new hotels are springing up in the city, including the Radisson SAS on the Old Port, which opened in spring 2007. The Concorde Hotels' Villa Massalia also opened last year, and Marriott, Suitehotel and Ibis hotels are in the pipeline.

In all, the city has more than 5,500 rooms, with an additional 1,650 planned by 2011.

Pret-a-porter

Perhaps no barometer of a city's economic health is more telling than its shopping venues, and Marseille has it all, from designer boutiques to small specialty stores selling local artisanal products such as olive oil soaps and culinary specialties. Of special note is the Rue de la Republique, designed by Georges-Eugene Haussmann, who also designed most of Paris during the reign of Napoleon III.

As to the arts, there are numerous museums in the city, with more on the way. The Decorative Arts Museum at the Chateau Borely, set to open next year, will consolidate pieces now on display at various other museums. On a grander scale, the Grand Longchamp project, set for completion in 2014, will revitalize all the city's museum facilities, using water themes to unify the project.

There are multiple beaches and tiny coves, or les calanques, in Marseille, including L'Estaque, a scenic area at the northernmost point of the city that has the air of being its own little fishing village. Or take the scenic drive along the coast from the Old Port to another tiny village, Les Goudes, whose la Marine des Goudes offers a traditional seafood lunch overlooking the water. Historical sights include the Iles du Frioul and the Chateau d'If, home of the count of Monte-Cristo.

The climate is sunny and warm here, as befits the south of France, although the famous mistral winds, which typically blow a few days at a time in spring and winter, are a force to be reckoned with. On a recent visit, the mistral blew so hard that we had to abandon our tour of the exterior of Notre-Dame de la Garde, the church that is the highest point in the city.

When the winds don't blow, the port is known for its depth and calm waters, accounting for its centuries-long history as a natural harbor.

While the city is still a work in progress, its new image is clearly catching on. Marseille is seeking to be named European Capital of Culture in 2013, and already in 2007, 4 million tourists visited the city, including some who might not have given the destination a second glance a mere decade ago.

For more about Marseille, visit www.marseille.fr.