Marseille, known in ancient times as Masalia, Massalia or Massilia, is the second largest city in France, after Paris, the third largest urban area of ​​the metropolitan area, after Paris and Lyon.
Marseille was historically the most important commercial center of the region and served as the main commercial port of the French Empire. Marseille is the largest city in France on the Mediterranean coast and the largest commercial port being the capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d 'Azur region, as well as the capital of the department of Bouches du Rhône.
Its inhabitants are called Marseilles in French and Marseilles in Occitan.

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As fast as a rebel, he likes to seduce the visitor, who is seldom insensitive to the charm of his 111 neighborhoods, to the softness of his climate or to the mysteries of his gastronomy.
The second city of France has kept in its memory the values ​​of sharing that shaped its territory throughout the centuries, keeping under its designation "Photian city" the memory of those Greeks who came from Asia Minor to participate in its foundation.
Port city with a strong identity, also knew to follow the transformations of its time to become an unavoidable capital of the Mediterranean basin open to the world.
In its 26 centuries of existence, the city continues deeply marked by its past that unveils and values, as it is the case of the old port. These traces of the past guide the walker, giving the inhabitants and visitors the freedom to reconstitute their history over the centuries.
The architectural, historical, cultural and social heritage of Marseille is the best way to discover the city in its most classic aspects - such as the basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, the forts of the Old Port that are Saint-Jean and Saint-Nicolas, the neighborhood of the Panier - or in its most unusual aspects.
Visits that do not stop to discover the countless treasures that the city of them hides. This is true of the rides on the trail of the painters in the Estaque area or, in a completely different register, behind the scenes of the Vélodrome stadium.
A cultural effervescence nowadays well recognized, as evidenced by the designation of Marseille as European capital of culture in 2013. From this perspective, the twenty or so museums in the city, which include all historical periods, from antiquity to contemporary art, from archeology the Fine Arts, the faience and the motorized, and that rival in terms of originality.
With 14 ports scattered on 57 kilometers of coastline, Marseille is the first marina in France, the second in Europe. From the discovery of the majestic creeks, soon protected within the national park, to the islands of Frioul, the Bay of Marseilles is one of the most beautiful places in the whole world. All water sports are obviously present, from sailing to canoeists, from diving sports to sports such as water skiing and windsurfing. And it is not by chance that the city has obtained one of the most remarkable sports equipment in Europe: the multi-sports pavilion Omnisports Marseille Grand Est which presents more than 20,000 m2 to amateurs of ice sports and urban sports.

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The Marseilles appreciate the simple things: their ideal climate, the proximity to the sea and an aromatic richness at hand, naturally influenced the regional gastronomy. So the kitchen base is made up of fresh produce from the Provençal region (tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, peppers, fennel) and a wide variety of fish. Each artist expresses a way of combining all these ingredients with the condiments (garlic, thyme, rosemary, juniper, rosemary, chives and, of course, olive oil!). Exchanges, with the Mediterranean, through the port activity of the city, have enriched the local culture of spices and flavors of the whole world. Traditional and international restaurants go hand in hand, and it is not uncommon for large tables to embellish their exotic recipes with exotic tones.

Some specialties of the Marseilles kitchen

"La Bouillabaisse" (The Marseille caldeirada)
This preparation is served on two separate platters: one for the broth, the other for the fish. The broth is ornamented with slices of roasted bread smeared with rouille (mayonnaise scented with garlic and saffron).

"Les Pieds et Paquets" (Feet and Guts)
This dish consists of guts and feet of lamb cooked together for several hours in a broth based on white wine and herbs from Provence.

"L'aïoli"
It's a mayonnaise scented with garlic cloves. But it is also a complete dish that consists of cod, potatoes, snails, green or white beans, carrots, each element cooked separately.

"La Soupe au Pistou" (The soup of basil)
Soup composed of diced vegetables: white and red beans, courgettes, carrots, onions, potatoes and pistou sauce (rosemary, garlic, tomatoes and olive oil all mixed together). The soup is garnished with clay.

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Marseille has a typically Mediterranean climate with guaranteed warm weather in summer, while in winter the temperature rarely drops below zero.
The city has more than 300 days of sunshine a year, and in July the temperatures reach easily 30ºC (86ºF).
The spring when the weather is milder than in Northern Europe, while in autumn there can still be wonderful warm days until November.
Rainfall is low or non-existent in July and August, but mostly in the fall, heavy thunderstorms and sometimes monsoon-type rainstorms can occur.

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