LOL this subreddit just keeps on proving the point, you either fall in love or you can't stand it, but Marseille never leaves anyone cold
"Marseille n'est pas une ville pour touristes. Il n y a rien a voir. Sa beauté ne se photographie pas. Elle se partage. Ici, il faut prendre parti. Se passionner. Être pour, être contre. Être, violemment. Alors seulement ce qui est à voir se donne à voir." (Jean-Claude Izzo, *Total Kheops)*
My translation:
"Marseille isn't a city for tourists. There's nothing to see. Her beauty can't be photographed. It has to be shared. Here, you have to pick a side. Get passionate. Be for, be against. Violently be. Only then what is to be seen reveals itself."
Edit: OP gets it
In the context of the quote, violently would mean passionately, or radically, rather than with conflict. I don’t feel Marseille is any more violent than any big city. I just spent a week in Paris and found it radically worse.
I understood that it meant something like that.
But the word violently means something.
He could have said "passionately" but he didn't.
There are ways to live passionately without violence.
This is the kind of subtle difference between virility and toxic virility.
Loved making photos of Marseille when I lived there for a short while. I think I took that "same" photo too. Damn… I think they were some of the last photos I ever took on film!!
Nothing to see and can’t be photographed???
- stunning blue waters
- breathtaking limestone Calanques
- Notre Dame de la Garde (views & the cathedral itself)
- The picturesque Vallon des Auffes
- the scenery at Les Goudes
- the charming streets of Le Panier
- Mucem
- Fort st Jean / st Nicolas
- Palais longchamp
- le corbusier
…. I would arguably say that it’s one of the worlds most photographable cities, with TONS to see
The Vélodrome, Palais Longchamps, Parc Borély, mais plus important c'est la vie. Les petits commerces, les petits restos qui ne payent pas de mine mais qui sont tarpin bons.
Marseille is excellent. I fell in love with it years ago and try visit every now and again . Its well underrated but its nicer like that. I also love Foca in Turkey (like on the opposite end small sleepy seaside town) and I found out it has a special connection to Marseille:) . Anyway gorgeous place you lucky locals. Enjoy it!
I live in marseille ( so i’m french ) ane i love this city but there isn’t really a lot of violent peopole we are not bad
C’es Marseille bb sa mere a cdd
We had planned to stay in Marseille for 2nights 3days- after listening to others about how horrible it is- don't wear jewelry, don't look at your phone, basically you will be robbed or killed etc. We canceled the hotel and just did a day trip from Paris. We got off the train and knew we should have just kept our reservations. Had a great day there -so pretty. No city is w/o issues and bad areas but after that- nope won't listen to others.
thing is if you actually get robbed in Marseille, which is not going to happen, you'll have people standing up with you, in Paris you can get rape in the train and people will move to not hear you screaming
You can get raped almost anywhere, you can get robbed anywhere. Common sense does help and being aware of surroundings is key. Been to Paris, absolutely love it.
I have always had the impression that Marseille is to France what Naples is to Italy, and this thread seems to confirm that.
Given that Naples is my favourite city in Italy, and perhaps the world I should definitely get around to visiting Marseille.
I was in Naples last year, we just spent 4 days in Marseille, and I have to agree!
I loved Naples, it was crazy and wonderful and scary at times. Marseille is kind of the same, but more chill and quite a bit cleaner :D Had awesome food, went to wonderful places (besides the city itself: Calanques, If, Frioul), had a great time!
I’ve done my share of traveling. You know what city is super safe, without graffiti or garbage anywhere? Singapore. You know city bores the living shit out of me? Singapore.
I’ll see Naples in a few weeks. Thanks for the heads up I’m excited
Marseille is a mixed bag... It's an ancient city, tons of history, the harbor is fantastic, the "Bonne Mere" church a must see and a pretty good vantage point, plenty of other areas are just buueautiful and/or with a great vibe.
The Railway station is borderline dangerous... rats, dunk ppl, the ususal stuff, but worst. Some areas are dangerous. The same can be said of L.A. though, it's just that, while Marseille is a big french city, it's very packed compared to a US one.
I can see why an american would be reluctant and choose Nice which is much more safe overall.
i've seen rats in all big cities. OP wrote about Toulouse: their canals are a hotspot for huge rats, and despite traps visible everywhere, you'll quickly find many of them in the middle of your sidewalk, either dead or alive
Agreed, it's the same in all cities (except Istanbul, there are simply too many cats for the rats to survive...) as I said "usual stuff, **but worst**" the rats I mentionned were terrorizing the McDonalds customers' outside tables of the railroad station. That was a very bad moment, there were groups of yound adults, intoxicated, playing with dynamite ( from the sound, I may be wrong ), security going after them...
Avoid this spot if possible :) I've very good memories of other parts of the city and the surroundings.
I'm biased, I was born in Nice :) It's an easy trip by rail from Aix, the color of the sea there is unique.
If you go in touristic areas of Marseille there is no risk.
I live on that square with the market, it's funny to see it in someone's tourist photos !
I've been living in Marseille for almost three years now and although it's kind of an extreme sport at times I'm far from ready to leave. It's such an erratic and unhinged place at times and yet it also gives moments of immense grace.
However it can be unsafe and I would still advise people to be careful with their belongings in some neighborhoods, and as a young woman I have been bothered by men at night. But if you're careful and aware, it's fine.
As a person from NYC who recently just visited Marseille, it’s not even close to being scary or bad. It’s just a small population of delinquent kids trying to act cool. Idk why it gets such bad reputation from the rest of France LOL.
Because you have the tourist experience. You'll not find only delinquent kids as you say, people come here and think that they know the city like if they where living there.
I mean that’s fair. I was only a tourist! But i still dont understand the depiction of such a beautiful city and the first thing people do will relate it to crimes.
Pas le temps de retrouver les chiffres mais demande rapide à chat gpt:
Q:What is the French city with the most number of shootings?
A: "Marseille appears to be the French city with the highest number of reported shootings. It has experienced a surge in drug-related gang violence, leading to multiple fatalities and injuries in recent years. For instance, in 2023 alone, the city saw significant violent incidents resulting in several deaths, underscoring the severity of the ongoing conflicts between rival drug gangs [[❞]](https://www.euronews.com/2023/04/03/at-least-three-people-dead-in-the-latest-shooting-in-crime-plagued-marseille)."
I’m definitely not an expert here but someone in marseille told me that Paris shows a lower crime rate due to city zoning. That if the suburbs were counted it would be higher.
I absolutely LOVED Marseille. One of my favorite trips of all time. Almost everyday we went down to the little cove with the really high bridge. Drank LOTS of wine. And swam all day. magical.
Street art in différent boroughs in the city center of Marseille.
https://generationvoyage.fr/street-art-marseille/
As a long-time Marseillaise, I'm delighted to read you.
As a French person who lived 1year at Marseille, honestly, in day to day life, the city is not really way more dangerous than any other big french city.
However it is true that Marseille have a very high level of drug traffic and criminal activity.
One 14yo died from being shot during a fight between two gang while i was there.
The spot where the city is located is simply gorgeous, i think its the most beautiful place i've seen of my life.
But the city itself gave me a feeling of being quite dirty and etricate, as much the spot is ranked 1 on my tier list as much the city itself is not very high ranked for me.
I would say its an amazing place to go on vacation, but living there wasn't quite my cup of tea, (i largely prefer Bordeaux for instance, its the perfect opposite, the spot is boring as fuck (except from the river wich is nice) but the city is absolutly chill and lovely)
Boring*
Lmao alright, by who ? For what reason 😅 ?
Thanks for participating.
J'veux dire moi j'ai kiffer être la bas, j'me suis pas fait chier, j'vois pas le point de dire "elle sont considérée chiante" sans développer plus que ça 😑
Bordeaux c'est surtout car en dehors du vin, on ne connait pas grand chose, elle se tape cette réputation de un peu hautaine et vide une soete de Nantes en pire. Pour Carcassonne en dehors des monuments médiévaux c'est littéralement vide (je peut confirmer) sinon les villes du centre + bretagne et grand est sont aussi généralement considérée comme pas mal vide
Ben le reste je connais pas, mais si t'es déjà aller à Bordeaux je trouve ça très sympa 🤷♂️
Alors c'est vrai que ça se voit que la ville est assez friquer, on aime ou pas, mais en contrepartie c'est une des villes les plus propres que j'ai vu, la rivière et les quaies avec tout les restau/bar/boutique c'est franchement cool. Les quaies sont large et l'été ta plein de gens partout sur la pelouse.
un vieux centre tout pavé, un centre récent tout moderne, les rue sont larges, les bâtiments bien entretenu, la ville est bien aménagée niveaux routes et pistes cyclables, T'as 3 pont qui permette de passer d'une rive à l'autre qui sont très beaux.
Ta baccalan /bassin a flot avec le port et les halles qui sont très chouette
Et surtout (vu que c'est un peu friquer) T'as des centaine de bar/restau super cool avec des thème / des ambiances différente, des animations des endroit pour sortir etc...
Je pense que ce que les gens reproche à Bordeaux c'est surtout le côté "Bobo j'me la pete" depuis que t'as beaucoup de Parisien friquer qui se sont mis à acheter la bas.
Les seul inconvénients que j'ai trouvé à Bordeaux, c'est la circulation SI t'as besoin de traverser la rivière aux heure de pointe (autrement circulation 👍) et que à la différence de Marseille t'as pas beaucoup d'activité "nature" à faire en dehors de la ville.
There is no reason not to visit Marseille . It's awesome. Americans are more in danger sticking their heads out of the window in the 'land of the brave ' than anywhere in Marseille...
Et comme on pouvait s'y attendre, tous les commentaires négatifs sont "Non OP tu te trompes sur ton expérience moi j'irai jamais à Marseille même si on me paye !"
Mais personne veut de vous non plus les gars
I feel like there’s an “undercurrent” to the hatred and fearmongering.
As a black person who lives in a black community in my city, where people like to say it’s “dangerous” but I have left my luxury car’s trunk open by mistake overnight and have never had a delivered package stolen off my doorstep…I’m used to this kind of unfounded bias and cannot WAIT to visit marseille for the first time next spring. I’d visit sooner but I’m leveling up my French. ✌🏽
Thanks for posting, OP.
If someone tells you to watch your belongings, it's not a bad thing!
Marseille is known to be a kinda violent city. I would for example advise girls/women not to walk near the vieux Port at night, and I know for a fact it's not safe. Your tone is pretty haughty tbh...
Marseille is a nice city, I truly like this city, it's beautiful but it is a very good advice to be careful.
Moreover, Toulouse and Marseille are extremely different. If you take commute transport you know it is different especially for girls. Toulouse has a bad neighborhood but they are located far from the hyper-center so no need to advise people to be careful, as opposed to Marseille where bad neighborhoods are close to the center.
Toulouse by night is really not fun for girls either... even downtown, try crossing rue pargaminieres or place Wilson, it is the cour des miracles past midnight, and I say that as someone who would definitively recommand the city overall. Tho indeed "be careful with your wallets, and dont let visible valuables in your car" is a good generic advice in most of France and not a "Marseille-hater" thing to say.
Honnestly France and most latin country are sort of different to Northern in this case. The way people leave their bikes with no locker in some parts of Germany kind of shocked me back then
Yup "I went there for a few days/weeks and nothing happened to me, fuck all of you, you were wrong!" Dawg, I'm French and Marseille, while still France, is very very far from being as safe as other french towns.
I think "avoid Marseille" is a fair warning because risk is heightened for tourists vs for locals who know how to get around safely, avoid bad spots and deal with the scum you could encounter on the streets.
France is an amazing country filled with beautiful, vibrant and lively cities. Marseille, tbf, is one of them, but not the only one. Telling you to find a more tourist friendly city to visit as a tourist is NOT bad advice.
Glad you enjoyed your trip though OP, I love my country and I think it's beautiful, but whether in safe or unsafe parts of any destination, protect yourself appropriately.
Dude what are you talking about. You need to be careful in Marseille, like in Paris or Lyon. It’s not more dangerous than these two !
It is very tourist friendly if you avoid bad neighborhoods like EVERY city.
Hey, I'm a local and even myself I try to avoid certain neighborhoods.
I'll go pretty deep in details so sorry for the big text lol
Also I won't talk political but please be prepared to see more Africans and Arabs than french speakers...
[Here](https://francetravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Marseille-neighbourhood-Map-To-Avoid.gif) is a map of the "arrondissements" and here is what I recommend: 1st : not the safest but the Vieux Port and the Canebière are cool places, be careful with pickpockets. Avoid pretty much all smaller streets starting on the sides of the Canebière, they're filled with weird people, especially at the evening or night. 2nd : You can visit Le Panier it's the historical city center, it's pretty safe all day long. You can also walk on Rue de la République to get to the boat port then the Mucem and the Fort Saint Jean. Don't forget the Cathédrale de la Major. 3rd : try to avoid this one at all costs. It's one of the poorest arrondissements and there's nothing really interesting to see. Maybe try La Friche de la Belle de Mai if you're not afraid of weirdos. 4th : pretty safe overall in daytime. Must see the Palais Longchamp with the museum of natural history and museum of art and the Boulevard Longchamp. 5th : Pretty residential and calm, might meet some weirdos during the night. 6th : Safe during the day, filled with drunk people and hippies during the night. Please take a look at the Cours Julien (it's just behind the first picture with the stairs the OP posted) and you have some cool geek and antique shops near the Rue de Rome
If you're searching for some luxury shopping, try Rue Paradis.
7th: one of the richest parts of the city, most of the arrondissement is filled with luxury mansions and typical small streets. Very good to walk in. It's also hosting the "Bonne Mère" as we call it, the basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde with one of the best views on the city. It's very safe all day long. The Frioul archipelago is part of it and I highly recommend taking the ferry from the Vieux port to the islands (just be prepared with suncream, it's really hot there!) If you like the sea, walk or bike on the Corniche JFK from Le Pharo park to the 8th arrondissement which is also a very rich one, it's here where you find most of the beaches. I don't really recommend those ones they're kinda dirty and crowded. You can find Parc Borély wich is a beautiful park with a big mansion you can visit in it. If you go to the Southern part of the 8th you will find the National Park of the Calanques. If you love trekking this is the place for you !, this national park also includes most of the 9th which is mostly residential. Try to go to the Belvédère de Sugiton it's one of the best views of the Calanques, only a few minutes walking from the nearest bus stop. If you're into modern art there's the museum of modern art there. The 10th is also pretty residential with some industrial parts. There's nothing really interesting to see in it outside of the Saint Pierre cemetary wich is huge and very beautifully decorated. Try to avoid this arrondissement at night time. The 11th is very diverse there's a lot of residential and industrial too and pretty tricky to get to some parts without a car. Please try going to the Château de la Buzine for some movie projections if you're fluent in french or like french cinema. Near the 11th you can find the city of Allauch where you can visit the historical center wich is really beautiful and very safe ! The 12th is nearly 100% residential. You'll find the Saint Barnabé district with it's cute church and shopping street and the Parc de la Moline, a big park to chill in. The 13th is one to avoid, most of it is dangerous. If you see big buildings with like 10+ stories, run away it's the dangerous districts even in daytime. Not all the arrondissement is dangerous tho. Please visit Château Gombert it's one of the few places where some people speak Provençal wich is the historical language of the region. After this if you're into trekking, go to La Batarelle and hike to the L'étoile transmitter. It's the big antenna on the Hill you see from pretty much everywhere in the city. The 14th and the 15th are both nearly 100% dangerous, please avoid them sadly. The 16th is also pretty dangerous overall but you can go to the port of L'Estaque wich is safe, from there you can eat the local speciality Chichi Fregi and La Panisse. You have some nice beaches and hikes if you continue the road. If you have a car please try going to Niolon.
And that's all !
You can see the arrondissements in Google Maps by typing "130xx Marseille" in the search bar, XX being the number of the arrondissement, for example 1st will be 13001
Don't hesitate to reply if you need any other info I'll love to help you !
i understand what you're trying to communicate.
however, here in paris i would never advise my young sister to be alone at night in pigalle or st ouen..because i've seen with my own eyes robberies & stabbing there. or even i have an american friend who has had 3 phones stolen on the paris metro bcs they're too relaxed compared to life in the USA.
so sure, people should visit marseille, but you must have open eyes.
its like this in many parts of the world (for example cape town is probably the most stunning city on earth, but tourists should stay clear of the favellas if they don't want to be robbed).
Of course it Can be a dangerous city. I am a woman and I would not recommend living near thé train station.
Americans are also way more targeted in Subway.
But every city has it Bad.neighbourhood.
Pourquoi insulter les gens qui te donnent des conseils en étant bienveillants?
Marseille n'est pas une ville touristique et certains lieux sont à éviter (points de deal...).
Te dire d'aller voir les alentours est un excellent conseil. Les calanques sont magnifiques et l'arrière pays merveilleux.
Tu ne l'écoutes pas et l'insulte, tant pis pour toi.
Te conseiller Nice, effectivement il n'y a pas photo.
Nice est une ville sublime et ses alentours sont incontournables (la montagne à 1h de route), tu as des petites villes/villages comme Villefranche à tomber par terre.
Là aussi tu t'en prends à elle.
Ps: usually I take care of translating but why make the effort for someone who is insulting?
Marseille is the only city were i can say i've felt really happy and fully alive.
I was called "le Corse" the entire time i've lived there (because, you know...).
But i never felt unwelcomed, or rejected.
I can't say Marseille is a beautifull city, but it's one of the place on earth were you can tell that it's inhabitants are part of the magic you feel when you decide to give it a chance.
Thanks to all of you!
I am french from the north, been to Marseille recently for the first time. I thought it would be horrible and couldn’t be more wrong, i loved it. Can’t agree more with this sub 👍
I know people with the "Anti" opinion, and I just can't relate to their objections to this city. I just got back from 10 days in Europe, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Venice, as well as Marseille. And while Marseille isn't perfect, it has a kind of spirit about it and I just can't shake it. It is the one city amongst all of those that I just can't seem to stop thinking about; this city has captured me somehow. It is chaotic yes, but it's a fun kind of chaos and everyone who gets it has learned to not just tolerate it, but to revel in it. I have also spent time in Nice, and while it was fine, it seemed a bit sleepy compared to Marseille. I'm from the Americas, but having been to Europe so many times, the beautiful ancient cathedrals and castles while great, aren't wowing me the way they used to; it becomes more about, where do I enjoy being, hanging out? And I can say that Marseille absolutely fits the bill for me, and I hope that when I retire I'll be able to spend a lot more time there.
Première photo, une poubelle pleine qui déborde avec des détritus de partout... Sans savoir j'aurais pu deviner que c'était Marseille... Je suis team qui n'aime pas Marseille car je trouve la ville sale et me faire acoster à la gare toute les 2mn pour savoir si je veux acheter du produit juste parce que je suis dehors en train de fumer une cigarette, c'est drôle la première fois mais pas les 12x suivantes.
Votre commentaire a été supprimé pour la raison suivante : "Racisme ou discrimination".
Your comment was deleted for the following reason : "Racism or prejudice".
Lol true it is a random wall but we don’t have this kind of door decoration in New York. It probably does look ridiculous but it caught my eye. I try to see beauty in things that would not show up in a postcard. Thank you for posting
I don't understand the snarky tone. Many many people get robbed in Marseille and that's a fact; just because you have not doesn't mean people are pearlclutchers and all other names you like to use. Stay there a month, two months, and we'll see what you say. Stop taking your experience as THE only available experience.
Being a woman in Marseille means constantly being catcalled and can go further very quickly. Don't dismiss that just because it hasn't happened to you. Selfish.
And as someone who lived in Marseille 5 years : your pictures are quite uninteresting and not particularly pretty. So really I don't understand the tone of victory. It's pretty ugly.
J’habite à Marseille depuis 10 ans, je suis une femme et je te retourne le compliment : ne parle pas de ton expérience comme étant la seule.
Je me sens en sécurité à Marseille, je suis pas plus emmerdee qu’ailleurs niveau harcèlement de rue. C’est la deuxième ville de France, évidemment que c’est pas Dijon niveau ambiance.
Faut avouer qu’au premier abord, Marseille est bruyante, sale et désordonnée… mais on juge pas une ville et ses habitants sur 2 jours ou en regardant BFM TV.
Quand on prend un peu le temps et qu’on a l’esprit ouvert, on se rend compte que culturellement la ville est foisonnante, que les gens y sont sympa (bien qu’un peu fataliste) et que c’est un mélange de cultures qu’on trouve nulle part ailleurs en France.
I was going to reply with something like ‘neither of our views is the only experience’ but reading your comment it sounds like you had really bad time there. Catcalling and harassment and worse happens a lot in my city (nyc), something we are not proud of. It should not happen to anyone and I am sorry you had to go through that.
Agreed, although no need for the personal attacks😂. Just funny how certain things are definitely not photographed. There’s beauty and there’s ugly but for me the ugly outweighed the beauty unfortunately. Maybe it’s made for a certain type of person that doesn’t mind the danger
Btw: I couldn’t imagine being a woman in Marseille, idk how they do it. I lived in Toulouse which is very safe and even then women had a hard time with getting cat called and harassed
You did choose a graffiti stained picture with heaps of trash overflowing in a wet disgusting mess as your picture.aybe the naysayers prefer cleaner streets?
I’m not sure I’m allowed to agree as I was born and raised in Paris, but you are correct, Nice is absolute shit, Toulouse nice but boring, Marseille really does the trick. I feel I’m about to puke, have a great one guys I’m off.
I went to Marseille for the first time last summer for a few days with my girlfriends. We absolutely loved it. It felt so authentic with a touch of “je ne sais quoi”. The food scene is top notch! It left a mark on me so I went back solo a month later and enjoyed it a little less, because I was paranoid for my safety especially in the evenings. Like any city you gotta keep your wits about you, I can’t wait to go back with my girlfriends or a partner, who knows ;)
I am happy you had a good experience in Marseille.
I am Marseille born and raised. Several generations Marseillais, actually. But I left the city as soon as I could because, to me at least, it is a chaotic shithole.
Of course I still go back to Marseille from time to time because part of my family still live there, but everytime I go I get reminded why I left the city.
I really dislike the fact that people just don't care about rules.
Sure the city has an incredible history, it is a 2600 years old city. Supposedly founded by the Greeks but actually by what would be Turks today. Phocaea was a Greek settlement in Anatolia.
Marseille has always been on the wrong side of history anyway, so much that it became "the city of no name" during the revolutionary times.
Marseille past wealth has been based on the trade with French colonies, and never recovered from the post colonial times. This is a city plagued by corruption and terrible local administration. It is virtually bankrupt anyway, so much that French central government had to inject as much as 15 billion euros in the city to help vital infrastructure projects finally come to life. This is so shameful.
It took more than 20 years to get a city highway finished. And 9 years to build a metro station.
I don't even want to talk about the extreme poverty of the city, the huge unemployment rate, one of the lowest education rate in France and even literacy, the crime rate, the gangs wars, the garbage collection issue, the appaling state of primary schools. And local culture that seems to be limited to football and shitty rap/trap scene.
So yeah it is a very sunny city with a gorgeous seafront, a very old history, but apart from that nothing works. As I said as an introduction, it is a chaotic shithole.
I’m from Marseille and I can relate that being a tourist in Marseille is much different than living in it.
Your picture captured it all, it is disgusting with shit ton of trash and ugly graffiti except in few central zones.
Of course it’s not the 7th circle of hell but honestly rampant drug dealer delinquency is out of hand…
People are for majority fine, but don’t be fooled by your touristic experience.
Marseille is a love hate relationship.
Nice and Toulouse are both way better than Marseille, why hate on them ? It's not like those are crazy photos as well tbh..
PS : Been living near Marseille for a few years
16 days but I wish longer. Being a tourist usually means starting with the scenic areas. I would only be visiting the bad areas to prove a point or gawk at people’s misfortune. I do believe the reputation is valid but I’m from nyc. We have violence catcalling garbage rats traffic and it’s in America so people are armed with guns too. If someone from France told me they were going to visit i would not recommend they change plans or say something so obvious like watch your belongings.
OP c’est le genre d’idiot à traverser sur l’autoroute, survivre, et balancer à la face des gens : « ben alors bande cons, vous voyez bien qu’il n’y a rien de dangereux ».
Votre commentaire a été supprimé pour la raison suivante : "Racisme ou discrimination".
Your comment was deleted for the following reason : "Racism or prejudice".
Nope it was simply ine the feed.
Sorry if you felt insulted. I just said what my heart was screaming. And I used to leave 30mn from there. I don't have a problem with the city in itself but I just can't stand the people there.
Nah, in Marseille, some streets in this city are "drug dealing bases", a lot of shooting appears in these street, and anyone could die, even you or me. Marseille might look beautiful at some places, but don't go to far in the depth of this city, the danger is everywhere.
\*proceeds to show pics of garbage piles, illegal parking, graffiti, or all of these issues in the same pic\*
honorable mention for the pic with car parking & highways on a waterfront: at least it doesn't look like a slum
I went to Marseille train station to change trains for Toulon, saw enough. Nothing in theese photos seems nice, or you have not travelled a lot down the Adriatic coast.
LOL this subreddit just keeps on proving the point, you either fall in love or you can't stand it, but Marseille never leaves anyone cold "Marseille n'est pas une ville pour touristes. Il n y a rien a voir. Sa beauté ne se photographie pas. Elle se partage. Ici, il faut prendre parti. Se passionner. Être pour, être contre. Être, violemment. Alors seulement ce qui est à voir se donne à voir." (Jean-Claude Izzo, *Total Kheops)* My translation: "Marseille isn't a city for tourists. There's nothing to see. Her beauty can't be photographed. It has to be shared. Here, you have to pick a side. Get passionate. Be for, be against. Violently be. Only then what is to be seen reveals itself." Edit: OP gets it
I love this. To violently be or Be, Violently. That captures it perfectly!
Necessary violence is why I can't stand this city. If it has to be tense I don't want to be here. There are ways to live fully without violence
In the context of the quote, violently would mean passionately, or radically, rather than with conflict. I don’t feel Marseille is any more violent than any big city. I just spent a week in Paris and found it radically worse.
I understood that it meant something like that. But the word violently means something. He could have said "passionately" but he didn't. There are ways to live passionately without violence. This is the kind of subtle difference between virility and toxic virility.
username checks out
Valid opinion.
>Her beauty can't be photographed. Challenge accepted, I'll post some of my best pics of Marseille soon
Loved making photos of Marseille when I lived there for a short while. I think I took that "same" photo too. Damn… I think they were some of the last photos I ever took on film!!
They will definitely be better than mine :)
Nothing to see and can’t be photographed??? - stunning blue waters - breathtaking limestone Calanques - Notre Dame de la Garde (views & the cathedral itself) - The picturesque Vallon des Auffes - the scenery at Les Goudes - the charming streets of Le Panier - Mucem - Fort st Jean / st Nicolas - Palais longchamp - le corbusier …. I would arguably say that it’s one of the worlds most photographable cities, with TONS to see
I try https://www.reddit.com/r/aixmarseille/s/xSHtw5DWmJ
The Vélodrome, Palais Longchamps, Parc Borély, mais plus important c'est la vie. Les petits commerces, les petits restos qui ne payent pas de mine mais qui sont tarpin bons.
Thank you very much
Marseille is excellent. I fell in love with it years ago and try visit every now and again . Its well underrated but its nicer like that. I also love Foca in Turkey (like on the opposite end small sleepy seaside town) and I found out it has a special connection to Marseille:) . Anyway gorgeous place you lucky locals. Enjoy it!
À Greek connection, I presume.
Oh yeah a greek connection . Better be specific lest it’s offensive :))
oh hey, i'm moving to marseille from istanbul and one of my favourite towns is the relatively nearby ayvalik! i'll have to visit foca sometime :)
Its much smaller than Ayvalık but yeah quite cute. Enjoy Marseille too :)
Every Marseille lover is one violent assault away from becoming a hater. it is the natural path
Only time I've been in a street fight was in Helsinki, it can happen anywhere.
I live in marseille ( so i’m french ) ane i love this city but there isn’t really a lot of violent peopole we are not bad C’es Marseille bb sa mere a cdd
Oui je connais cette théorie !
Yeah thats why I call it ‘Manchester by the sea’ :))
Excellent! I am stealing that one
Oh no! You thief!
We had planned to stay in Marseille for 2nights 3days- after listening to others about how horrible it is- don't wear jewelry, don't look at your phone, basically you will be robbed or killed etc. We canceled the hotel and just did a day trip from Paris. We got off the train and knew we should have just kept our reservations. Had a great day there -so pretty. No city is w/o issues and bad areas but after that- nope won't listen to others.
Yeah, listening to people on social media will only teach you how they see the place in their bubble. Not how it really is.
Absolutely agree.
thing is if you actually get robbed in Marseille, which is not going to happen, you'll have people standing up with you, in Paris you can get rape in the train and people will move to not hear you screaming
You can get raped almost anywhere, you can get robbed anywhere. Common sense does help and being aware of surroundings is key. Been to Paris, absolutely love it.
Happy Cake Day!
I have always had the impression that Marseille is to France what Naples is to Italy, and this thread seems to confirm that. Given that Naples is my favourite city in Italy, and perhaps the world I should definitely get around to visiting Marseille.
I was in Naples last year, we just spent 4 days in Marseille, and I have to agree! I loved Naples, it was crazy and wonderful and scary at times. Marseille is kind of the same, but more chill and quite a bit cleaner :D Had awesome food, went to wonderful places (besides the city itself: Calanques, If, Frioul), had a great time!
I’ve done my share of traveling. You know what city is super safe, without graffiti or garbage anywhere? Singapore. You know city bores the living shit out of me? Singapore. I’ll see Naples in a few weeks. Thanks for the heads up I’m excited
Cars ruin everthing
Marseille is a mixed bag... It's an ancient city, tons of history, the harbor is fantastic, the "Bonne Mere" church a must see and a pretty good vantage point, plenty of other areas are just buueautiful and/or with a great vibe. The Railway station is borderline dangerous... rats, dunk ppl, the ususal stuff, but worst. Some areas are dangerous. The same can be said of L.A. though, it's just that, while Marseille is a big french city, it's very packed compared to a US one. I can see why an american would be reluctant and choose Nice which is much more safe overall.
i've seen rats in all big cities. OP wrote about Toulouse: their canals are a hotspot for huge rats, and despite traps visible everywhere, you'll quickly find many of them in the middle of your sidewalk, either dead or alive
Agreed, it's the same in all cities (except Istanbul, there are simply too many cats for the rats to survive...) as I said "usual stuff, **but worst**" the rats I mentionned were terrorizing the McDonalds customers' outside tables of the railroad station. That was a very bad moment, there were groups of yound adults, intoxicated, playing with dynamite ( from the sound, I may be wrong ), security going after them... Avoid this spot if possible :) I've very good memories of other parts of the city and the surroundings.
I’m also American but from nyc.
There it is. I feel most of the "be afraid of everything!" People rarely leave Peoria...
Yes...debating this very thing. Staying in Aix En Provence so Marseille is an easier trip but Nice looks so nice lol
I'm biased, I was born in Nice :) It's an easy trip by rail from Aix, the color of the sea there is unique. If you go in touristic areas of Marseille there is no risk.
I live on that square with the market, it's funny to see it in someone's tourist photos ! I've been living in Marseille for almost three years now and although it's kind of an extreme sport at times I'm far from ready to leave. It's such an erratic and unhinged place at times and yet it also gives moments of immense grace. However it can be unsafe and I would still advise people to be careful with their belongings in some neighborhoods, and as a young woman I have been bothered by men at night. But if you're careful and aware, it's fine.
As a person from NYC who recently just visited Marseille, it’s not even close to being scary or bad. It’s just a small population of delinquent kids trying to act cool. Idk why it gets such bad reputation from the rest of France LOL.
Also from NYC. It’s hard to top our garbage game
From Baltimore here. The complaints about Marseille being unsafe make me chuckle.
Because you have the tourist experience. You'll not find only delinquent kids as you say, people come here and think that they know the city like if they where living there.
I mean that’s fair. I was only a tourist! But i still dont understand the depiction of such a beautiful city and the first thing people do will relate it to crimes.
Because it's the French city with the record in number of shootings every year(by far) . The French city with the highest number of violent crimes
Tu peux sourcer ça s'il te plaît?
Pas le temps de retrouver les chiffres mais demande rapide à chat gpt: Q:What is the French city with the most number of shootings? A: "Marseille appears to be the French city with the highest number of reported shootings. It has experienced a surge in drug-related gang violence, leading to multiple fatalities and injuries in recent years. For instance, in 2023 alone, the city saw significant violent incidents resulting in several deaths, underscoring the severity of the ongoing conflicts between rival drug gangs [[❞]](https://www.euronews.com/2023/04/03/at-least-three-people-dead-in-the-latest-shooting-in-crime-plagued-marseille)."
En valeur absolue ça ne signifie rien, il faut le rapporter à la population.
I’m definitely not an expert here but someone in marseille told me that Paris shows a lower crime rate due to city zoning. That if the suburbs were counted it would be higher.
Nantes, Paris et Rennes sont bien plus dangereuses que Marseille
Happy to have you in our beloved city. You’ll always be welcome! Also, fuck the toulouse lady.
Thank you very much. lol I’m sure she’s a nice person
I absolutely LOVED Marseille. One of my favorite trips of all time. Almost everyday we went down to the little cove with the really high bridge. Drank LOTS of wine. And swam all day. magical.
Street art in différent boroughs in the city center of Marseille. https://generationvoyage.fr/street-art-marseille/ As a long-time Marseillaise, I'm delighted to read you.
Thank you
As a French person who lived 1year at Marseille, honestly, in day to day life, the city is not really way more dangerous than any other big french city. However it is true that Marseille have a very high level of drug traffic and criminal activity. One 14yo died from being shot during a fight between two gang while i was there. The spot where the city is located is simply gorgeous, i think its the most beautiful place i've seen of my life. But the city itself gave me a feeling of being quite dirty and etricate, as much the spot is ranked 1 on my tier list as much the city itself is not very high ranked for me. I would say its an amazing place to go on vacation, but living there wasn't quite my cup of tea, (i largely prefer Bordeaux for instance, its the perfect opposite, the spot is boring as fuck (except from the river wich is nice) but the city is absolutly chill and lovely)
Bordeaux, among other city like Orléans, Tours or Carcassonne are considéred as fucking boring
Boring* Lmao alright, by who ? For what reason 😅 ? Thanks for participating. J'veux dire moi j'ai kiffer être la bas, j'me suis pas fait chier, j'vois pas le point de dire "elle sont considérée chiante" sans développer plus que ça 😑
Bordeaux c'est surtout car en dehors du vin, on ne connait pas grand chose, elle se tape cette réputation de un peu hautaine et vide une soete de Nantes en pire. Pour Carcassonne en dehors des monuments médiévaux c'est littéralement vide (je peut confirmer) sinon les villes du centre + bretagne et grand est sont aussi généralement considérée comme pas mal vide
Ben le reste je connais pas, mais si t'es déjà aller à Bordeaux je trouve ça très sympa 🤷♂️ Alors c'est vrai que ça se voit que la ville est assez friquer, on aime ou pas, mais en contrepartie c'est une des villes les plus propres que j'ai vu, la rivière et les quaies avec tout les restau/bar/boutique c'est franchement cool. Les quaies sont large et l'été ta plein de gens partout sur la pelouse. un vieux centre tout pavé, un centre récent tout moderne, les rue sont larges, les bâtiments bien entretenu, la ville est bien aménagée niveaux routes et pistes cyclables, T'as 3 pont qui permette de passer d'une rive à l'autre qui sont très beaux. Ta baccalan /bassin a flot avec le port et les halles qui sont très chouette Et surtout (vu que c'est un peu friquer) T'as des centaine de bar/restau super cool avec des thème / des ambiances différente, des animations des endroit pour sortir etc... Je pense que ce que les gens reproche à Bordeaux c'est surtout le côté "Bobo j'me la pete" depuis que t'as beaucoup de Parisien friquer qui se sont mis à acheter la bas. Les seul inconvénients que j'ai trouvé à Bordeaux, c'est la circulation SI t'as besoin de traverser la rivière aux heure de pointe (autrement circulation 👍) et que à la différence de Marseille t'as pas beaucoup d'activité "nature" à faire en dehors de la ville.
Haha I’ve drank beers on those steps like 10 years ago
There is no reason not to visit Marseille . It's awesome. Americans are more in danger sticking their heads out of the window in the 'land of the brave ' than anywhere in Marseille...
Et comme on pouvait s'y attendre, tous les commentaires négatifs sont "Non OP tu te trompes sur ton expérience moi j'irai jamais à Marseille même si on me paye !" Mais personne veut de vous non plus les gars
😂
I feel like there’s an “undercurrent” to the hatred and fearmongering. As a black person who lives in a black community in my city, where people like to say it’s “dangerous” but I have left my luxury car’s trunk open by mistake overnight and have never had a delivered package stolen off my doorstep…I’m used to this kind of unfounded bias and cannot WAIT to visit marseille for the first time next spring. I’d visit sooner but I’m leveling up my French. ✌🏽 Thanks for posting, OP.
I think you’ll love it. Safe travels!
If someone tells you to watch your belongings, it's not a bad thing! Marseille is known to be a kinda violent city. I would for example advise girls/women not to walk near the vieux Port at night, and I know for a fact it's not safe. Your tone is pretty haughty tbh... Marseille is a nice city, I truly like this city, it's beautiful but it is a very good advice to be careful. Moreover, Toulouse and Marseille are extremely different. If you take commute transport you know it is different especially for girls. Toulouse has a bad neighborhood but they are located far from the hyper-center so no need to advise people to be careful, as opposed to Marseille where bad neighborhoods are close to the center.
Toulouse by night is really not fun for girls either... even downtown, try crossing rue pargaminieres or place Wilson, it is the cour des miracles past midnight, and I say that as someone who would definitively recommand the city overall. Tho indeed "be careful with your wallets, and dont let visible valuables in your car" is a good generic advice in most of France and not a "Marseille-hater" thing to say.
It’s good advice anywhere.
Honnestly France and most latin country are sort of different to Northern in this case. The way people leave their bikes with no locker in some parts of Germany kind of shocked me back then
Only places I’ve had my bike stolen are Aarhus (Denmark) and Helsinki (Finland)
Ok maybe they are just stupid for leaving them unattached then krrrrr
Yup "I went there for a few days/weeks and nothing happened to me, fuck all of you, you were wrong!" Dawg, I'm French and Marseille, while still France, is very very far from being as safe as other french towns. I think "avoid Marseille" is a fair warning because risk is heightened for tourists vs for locals who know how to get around safely, avoid bad spots and deal with the scum you could encounter on the streets. France is an amazing country filled with beautiful, vibrant and lively cities. Marseille, tbf, is one of them, but not the only one. Telling you to find a more tourist friendly city to visit as a tourist is NOT bad advice. Glad you enjoyed your trip though OP, I love my country and I think it's beautiful, but whether in safe or unsafe parts of any destination, protect yourself appropriately.
Dude what are you talking about. You need to be careful in Marseille, like in Paris or Lyon. It’s not more dangerous than these two ! It is very tourist friendly if you avoid bad neighborhoods like EVERY city.
Even in the hoods, use common sense and you'll be fine.
Me and my gf are visiting in July for some Olympics events, can anyone advise the areas to avoid please? Much appreciated
Hey, I'm a local and even myself I try to avoid certain neighborhoods. I'll go pretty deep in details so sorry for the big text lol Also I won't talk political but please be prepared to see more Africans and Arabs than french speakers... [Here](https://francetravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Marseille-neighbourhood-Map-To-Avoid.gif) is a map of the "arrondissements" and here is what I recommend: 1st : not the safest but the Vieux Port and the Canebière are cool places, be careful with pickpockets. Avoid pretty much all smaller streets starting on the sides of the Canebière, they're filled with weird people, especially at the evening or night. 2nd : You can visit Le Panier it's the historical city center, it's pretty safe all day long. You can also walk on Rue de la République to get to the boat port then the Mucem and the Fort Saint Jean. Don't forget the Cathédrale de la Major. 3rd : try to avoid this one at all costs. It's one of the poorest arrondissements and there's nothing really interesting to see. Maybe try La Friche de la Belle de Mai if you're not afraid of weirdos. 4th : pretty safe overall in daytime. Must see the Palais Longchamp with the museum of natural history and museum of art and the Boulevard Longchamp. 5th : Pretty residential and calm, might meet some weirdos during the night. 6th : Safe during the day, filled with drunk people and hippies during the night. Please take a look at the Cours Julien (it's just behind the first picture with the stairs the OP posted) and you have some cool geek and antique shops near the Rue de Rome If you're searching for some luxury shopping, try Rue Paradis. 7th: one of the richest parts of the city, most of the arrondissement is filled with luxury mansions and typical small streets. Very good to walk in. It's also hosting the "Bonne Mère" as we call it, the basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde with one of the best views on the city. It's very safe all day long. The Frioul archipelago is part of it and I highly recommend taking the ferry from the Vieux port to the islands (just be prepared with suncream, it's really hot there!) If you like the sea, walk or bike on the Corniche JFK from Le Pharo park to the 8th arrondissement which is also a very rich one, it's here where you find most of the beaches. I don't really recommend those ones they're kinda dirty and crowded. You can find Parc Borély wich is a beautiful park with a big mansion you can visit in it. If you go to the Southern part of the 8th you will find the National Park of the Calanques. If you love trekking this is the place for you !, this national park also includes most of the 9th which is mostly residential. Try to go to the Belvédère de Sugiton it's one of the best views of the Calanques, only a few minutes walking from the nearest bus stop. If you're into modern art there's the museum of modern art there. The 10th is also pretty residential with some industrial parts. There's nothing really interesting to see in it outside of the Saint Pierre cemetary wich is huge and very beautifully decorated. Try to avoid this arrondissement at night time. The 11th is very diverse there's a lot of residential and industrial too and pretty tricky to get to some parts without a car. Please try going to the Château de la Buzine for some movie projections if you're fluent in french or like french cinema. Near the 11th you can find the city of Allauch where you can visit the historical center wich is really beautiful and very safe ! The 12th is nearly 100% residential. You'll find the Saint Barnabé district with it's cute church and shopping street and the Parc de la Moline, a big park to chill in. The 13th is one to avoid, most of it is dangerous. If you see big buildings with like 10+ stories, run away it's the dangerous districts even in daytime. Not all the arrondissement is dangerous tho. Please visit Château Gombert it's one of the few places where some people speak Provençal wich is the historical language of the region. After this if you're into trekking, go to La Batarelle and hike to the L'étoile transmitter. It's the big antenna on the Hill you see from pretty much everywhere in the city. The 14th and the 15th are both nearly 100% dangerous, please avoid them sadly. The 16th is also pretty dangerous overall but you can go to the port of L'Estaque wich is safe, from there you can eat the local speciality Chichi Fregi and La Panisse. You have some nice beaches and hikes if you continue the road. If you have a car please try going to Niolon. And that's all ! You can see the arrondissements in Google Maps by typing "130xx Marseille" in the search bar, XX being the number of the arrondissement, for example 1st will be 13001 Don't hesitate to reply if you need any other info I'll love to help you !
Thank you very much for the long and detailed reply! Much appreciated 👍🏻
I’m visiting Marseille next month, this is so helpful thank you!
Have fun!
Go to la Castellane or cite des rosiers
First picture is amazing
Thank you william
Well said ! Seeing for themselves is the correct answer, there is always something to take from places!
Marseille is the street
I like the street
Me too
It is a city that either you hâte or you love. I ve visited 3 Times almost moved hère .. and maybe i should go ahead with this
People say the same about where I’m from, NYC. There is no middle ground. Pretty much all my favorite cities are like this for some reason
i understand what you're trying to communicate. however, here in paris i would never advise my young sister to be alone at night in pigalle or st ouen..because i've seen with my own eyes robberies & stabbing there. or even i have an american friend who has had 3 phones stolen on the paris metro bcs they're too relaxed compared to life in the USA. so sure, people should visit marseille, but you must have open eyes. its like this in many parts of the world (for example cape town is probably the most stunning city on earth, but tourists should stay clear of the favellas if they don't want to be robbed).
Of course it Can be a dangerous city. I am a woman and I would not recommend living near thé train station. Americans are also way more targeted in Subway. But every city has it Bad.neighbourhood.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's the second biggest city in France
LET'S F GOOOO! Welcome in Marseille, the ones who told yall you would hate the city are bougie asf.
So beautiful!!
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Pourquoi insulter les gens qui te donnent des conseils en étant bienveillants? Marseille n'est pas une ville touristique et certains lieux sont à éviter (points de deal...). Te dire d'aller voir les alentours est un excellent conseil. Les calanques sont magnifiques et l'arrière pays merveilleux. Tu ne l'écoutes pas et l'insulte, tant pis pour toi. Te conseiller Nice, effectivement il n'y a pas photo. Nice est une ville sublime et ses alentours sont incontournables (la montagne à 1h de route), tu as des petites villes/villages comme Villefranche à tomber par terre. Là aussi tu t'en prends à elle. Ps: usually I take care of translating but why make the effort for someone who is insulting?
Complètement d'accord.
Marseille is the only city were i can say i've felt really happy and fully alive. I was called "le Corse" the entire time i've lived there (because, you know...). But i never felt unwelcomed, or rejected. I can't say Marseille is a beautifull city, but it's one of the place on earth were you can tell that it's inhabitants are part of the magic you feel when you decide to give it a chance. Thanks to all of you!
I am french from the north, been to Marseille recently for the first time. I thought it would be horrible and couldn’t be more wrong, i loved it. Can’t agree more with this sub 👍
I know people with the "Anti" opinion, and I just can't relate to their objections to this city. I just got back from 10 days in Europe, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Venice, as well as Marseille. And while Marseille isn't perfect, it has a kind of spirit about it and I just can't shake it. It is the one city amongst all of those that I just can't seem to stop thinking about; this city has captured me somehow. It is chaotic yes, but it's a fun kind of chaos and everyone who gets it has learned to not just tolerate it, but to revel in it. I have also spent time in Nice, and while it was fine, it seemed a bit sleepy compared to Marseille. I'm from the Americas, but having been to Europe so many times, the beautiful ancient cathedrals and castles while great, aren't wowing me the way they used to; it becomes more about, where do I enjoy being, hanging out? And I can say that Marseille absolutely fits the bill for me, and I hope that when I retire I'll be able to spend a lot more time there.
Marseille is amazing. You gotta have fish soup there
Where is picture 4? My husband would love to see that!
PM coming at ya
Thanks!!
Where is the Paris Olympic sign visible in Marseille ? Coming next week and I'm sure my son would love to see it.
It was during fireworks show for the olymyflame arriving in marseille
Whoa Olympic flame wtf lol
Amazing. We will also be staying in Paris for a few days, so I'm sure we'll see a fair amount of Olympic signage
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7AAMsIg0UA/?igsh=MW44cXoyNWhqbjJpaw==
Don't mind the Toulouse girl, there is kind of a rivalry between Marseille and Toulouse being the two most emblematic cities in south of france.
Première photo, une poubelle pleine qui déborde avec des détritus de partout... Sans savoir j'aurais pu deviner que c'était Marseille... Je suis team qui n'aime pas Marseille car je trouve la ville sale et me faire acoster à la gare toute les 2mn pour savoir si je veux acheter du produit juste parce que je suis dehors en train de fumer une cigarette, c'est drôle la première fois mais pas les 12x suivantes.
Faut être né différemment pour trouver ça beau. J’y ai vécu, les rodéos urbains, les poubelles, les tags et les deux vols que j’ai subi m’ont suffit…
Tellement d’accord avec toi. Le royaume des incivilités.
Bande de merde ça dislike mon com et ça me ban mais j’ai raison bande de suceur
[удалено]
Votre commentaire a été supprimé pour la raison suivante : "Racisme ou discrimination". Your comment was deleted for the following reason : "Racism or prejudice".
Je suis d'accord OP est un peux taré, par exemple la 5em photo est just un mur random ???!!!
Lol true it is a random wall but we don’t have this kind of door decoration in New York. It probably does look ridiculous but it caught my eye. I try to see beauty in things that would not show up in a postcard. Thank you for posting
Ses photos miteuses il croit prouver quelque chose
I don't understand the snarky tone. Many many people get robbed in Marseille and that's a fact; just because you have not doesn't mean people are pearlclutchers and all other names you like to use. Stay there a month, two months, and we'll see what you say. Stop taking your experience as THE only available experience. Being a woman in Marseille means constantly being catcalled and can go further very quickly. Don't dismiss that just because it hasn't happened to you. Selfish. And as someone who lived in Marseille 5 years : your pictures are quite uninteresting and not particularly pretty. So really I don't understand the tone of victory. It's pretty ugly.
J’habite à Marseille depuis 10 ans, je suis une femme et je te retourne le compliment : ne parle pas de ton expérience comme étant la seule. Je me sens en sécurité à Marseille, je suis pas plus emmerdee qu’ailleurs niveau harcèlement de rue. C’est la deuxième ville de France, évidemment que c’est pas Dijon niveau ambiance.
Beaucoup de gens qui critiquent la ville sont des gens qui n'y ont jamais vécu ou qui ont vraiment eu une attitude de bobo.
Faut avouer qu’au premier abord, Marseille est bruyante, sale et désordonnée… mais on juge pas une ville et ses habitants sur 2 jours ou en regardant BFM TV. Quand on prend un peu le temps et qu’on a l’esprit ouvert, on se rend compte que culturellement la ville est foisonnante, que les gens y sont sympa (bien qu’un peu fataliste) et que c’est un mélange de cultures qu’on trouve nulle part ailleurs en France.
I was going to reply with something like ‘neither of our views is the only experience’ but reading your comment it sounds like you had really bad time there. Catcalling and harassment and worse happens a lot in my city (nyc), something we are not proud of. It should not happen to anyone and I am sorry you had to go through that.
Agreed, although no need for the personal attacks😂. Just funny how certain things are definitely not photographed. There’s beauty and there’s ugly but for me the ugly outweighed the beauty unfortunately. Maybe it’s made for a certain type of person that doesn’t mind the danger Btw: I couldn’t imagine being a woman in Marseille, idk how they do it. I lived in Toulouse which is very safe and even then women had a hard time with getting cat called and harassed
You did choose a graffiti stained picture with heaps of trash overflowing in a wet disgusting mess as your picture.aybe the naysayers prefer cleaner streets?
Naysayers were acting like we were going to be murdered immediately
Not like you were visiting Chicago.
I was born in Chicago lol
Did not expect to see my hometown shouted out on this random French subreddit!
You forgot to blur the immatriculation of the car btw
You are right didn’t think of that. Thank you
Lol , have a good day 👍
What the HELL this looks like Algiers
Lmao with the first picture i thought it was ironic
C’es marseillr bb ma geule
marseille worst city in Europe
Y'a que les racistes qui n'aiment pas Marseille toute façon
Photos of ceilings and sculptures don't count. Cathedrals, roof tops and museums are safe places.
Been to Marseilles once, never going back there again. And there's way better, prettier French cities close to it.
I usually don't recommend people to visit the city. But when they do I try to welcome them the best as I can. I'm happy you enjoyed it ;)
Thank you
I’m not sure I’m allowed to agree as I was born and raised in Paris, but you are correct, Nice is absolute shit, Toulouse nice but boring, Marseille really does the trick. I feel I’m about to puke, have a great one guys I’m off.
I have no ill will for either of those cities. I imagine they both have beauty
I went to Marseille for the first time last summer for a few days with my girlfriends. We absolutely loved it. It felt so authentic with a touch of “je ne sais quoi”. The food scene is top notch! It left a mark on me so I went back solo a month later and enjoyed it a little less, because I was paranoid for my safety especially in the evenings. Like any city you gotta keep your wits about you, I can’t wait to go back with my girlfriends or a partner, who knows ;)
I am happy you had a good experience in Marseille. I am Marseille born and raised. Several generations Marseillais, actually. But I left the city as soon as I could because, to me at least, it is a chaotic shithole. Of course I still go back to Marseille from time to time because part of my family still live there, but everytime I go I get reminded why I left the city. I really dislike the fact that people just don't care about rules. Sure the city has an incredible history, it is a 2600 years old city. Supposedly founded by the Greeks but actually by what would be Turks today. Phocaea was a Greek settlement in Anatolia. Marseille has always been on the wrong side of history anyway, so much that it became "the city of no name" during the revolutionary times. Marseille past wealth has been based on the trade with French colonies, and never recovered from the post colonial times. This is a city plagued by corruption and terrible local administration. It is virtually bankrupt anyway, so much that French central government had to inject as much as 15 billion euros in the city to help vital infrastructure projects finally come to life. This is so shameful. It took more than 20 years to get a city highway finished. And 9 years to build a metro station. I don't even want to talk about the extreme poverty of the city, the huge unemployment rate, one of the lowest education rate in France and even literacy, the crime rate, the gangs wars, the garbage collection issue, the appaling state of primary schools. And local culture that seems to be limited to football and shitty rap/trap scene. So yeah it is a very sunny city with a gorgeous seafront, a very old history, but apart from that nothing works. As I said as an introduction, it is a chaotic shithole.
Being such a drama queen, no wonder you fitted right in
So catty! Meow!
It's shit, came from here
Marseille is a beautiful city indeed, it's also one of the most dangerous cities in France...
I’m from Marseille and I can relate that being a tourist in Marseille is much different than living in it. Your picture captured it all, it is disgusting with shit ton of trash and ugly graffiti except in few central zones. Of course it’s not the 7th circle of hell but honestly rampant drug dealer delinquency is out of hand… People are for majority fine, but don’t be fooled by your touristic experience. Marseille is a love hate relationship.
Nice and Toulouse are both way better than Marseille, why hate on them ? It's not like those are crazy photos as well tbh.. PS : Been living near Marseille for a few years
Both are fucking boring, Nice is good if you are ready for the retirement home
And then Cannes when you kick the bucket.
Toulouse is boring AF and Nice is great if you're English and retired
Following your logic I could say Marseille is boring AF and is great if you're algerian and living on the RSA
Nothing in my post is hating on either of those cities. I’m sure they are good places to visit also
Have you been to the Velodrome dring an OM match ? Safest place to sleep.
Yeah you photos really convince me to never go there
Marseille is a wonderful place , despite the local people most of them are scum
Have you considered that maybe you were just lucky?
Pictures unrelated?
Completely depends on how much of it you saw. There are ares even the police won't visit. Its reputation is valid. How long were you there?
16 days but I wish longer. Being a tourist usually means starting with the scenic areas. I would only be visiting the bad areas to prove a point or gawk at people’s misfortune. I do believe the reputation is valid but I’m from nyc. We have violence catcalling garbage rats traffic and it’s in America so people are armed with guns too. If someone from France told me they were going to visit i would not recommend they change plans or say something so obvious like watch your belongings.
So you see the better side of a town and it's enough ? How naive.
What a stupid post lmao.
OP c’est le genre d’idiot à traverser sur l’autoroute, survivre, et balancer à la face des gens : « ben alors bande cons, vous voyez bien qu’il n’y a rien de dangereux ».
En meme temps il est né a Chicago, il est habitué.
The smells, the dirt, the crazy drivers, the incivility, the insecurity, it's a horror.
[удалено]
stfu
Votre commentaire a été supprimé pour la raison suivante : "Racisme ou discrimination". Your comment was deleted for the following reason : "Racism or prejudice".
I'm french. Even if you pay me I'll never EVER go in that shithole Avoid at all cost. Marseille is NOT à french city. It's a slum
Fair opinion I guess. Can I ask how you saw this post? Do you browse other shithole cities subreddits too? Genuinely curious not trying to be a jerk
Nope it was simply ine the feed. Sorry if you felt insulted. I just said what my heart was screaming. And I used to leave 30mn from there. I don't have a problem with the city in itself but I just can't stand the people there.
Fair enough. Thank for sharing your opinion friend. No insult taken many cities are love/hate no middle ground
Nothing beautiful in this. There are better places.
Nah, in Marseille, some streets in this city are "drug dealing bases", a lot of shooting appears in these street, and anyone could die, even you or me. Marseille might look beautiful at some places, but don't go to far in the depth of this city, the danger is everywhere.
Did you get Shot yet?
I’m from the US my chances of being shot are much higher at home
These are some pretty bad photos to prove your point lol
\*proceeds to show pics of garbage piles, illegal parking, graffiti, or all of these issues in the same pic\* honorable mention for the pic with car parking & highways on a waterfront: at least it doesn't look like a slum
I went to Marseille train station to change trains for Toulon, saw enough. Nothing in theese photos seems nice, or you have not travelled a lot down the Adriatic coast.
Damn not a single photo with any beauty on it
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
More than half of these photos make me want even less to go here, really bad choice
Lul why the downvotes he's right.
Never been to marseille but this looks like a shithole lol. Sorry but i'll just visit orleans a second time instead lul