Marseille sports that same gruff atmosphere prevalent in other great seaports of the world - Havana, Cadiz, Tangier. Tough and noisy, yet diverse and fascinating, this is a city totally at odds with the refined and sensitive Provencale spirit that surrounds it.
Don't let that put you off, because in spite of being overlooked by most foreign visitors, this is an exhilarating city to explore.
In recent years, many parts of Marseille - the old port for instance - have received a makeover, bringing to life the regal architecture of the last century. By the quayside, restaurants serve multi-tiered seafood platters to an international jet set of yachters who are making their leisurely way along the Cote D'Azur.
Overlooking this affluent scene, on the northern slope just behind the port, is the north African community which has brought the life and soul to the ageing buildings that make up the Panier Quarter.
At the very top of the hill is the Centre de la Vieille Charité, a beautifully restored 17th century hospice whose high walls provide great views over rich and poor alike. But the best view of the city is from the south. Rivalling the world's most sensational panoramas - one of terracotta rooftops and precarious balconies, laundry-shrouded terraces and tottering spires - is that viewed from the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde, on the south side of the port.
Marseille does have a beach, the Plage du Prado, but the best option is to hire a car and spend the day in Cassis, 20 kilometres east along the coast.
Popular with locals, this pretty fishing village has retained all the charm that St Tropez has lost to mass tourism over the last few decades. Not only are there some splendidly romantic harbour restaurants, but the nearby rocky inlets known as the Calanques offer some of the clearest most secluded swimming spots in the region.
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