You have to go to Marseille to say you have been but I think you will be disappointed. Apart from a few streets around the old harbour it is an ugly, dirty, grimy, run-down city. Parts of the city smells of urine or rotting food from the many over full commercial rubbish bins.

It is not very female friendly place. Men of Arabic origin hang around and leer at passing un escorted women. It seems acceptable to shout out comments and when no answer is given to harass them or use obscene gestures.

It is only worth a one day trip to walk around the harbour. Keep the main streets. Parts of the city's back streets are populated day and night with prostitutes, men hanging around dealing drugs, and low life looking to steal from you. There are lots of beggars, street children and pushy street traders.

Even though there are lots of things I do not like about Marseille I did enjoy strolling around the old Harbour. It is the main marina of the city and guarded by two huge forts at its entrance. It is full of expensive pleasure boats and a few fishing boats. You will find lots of cafes and restaurants. It is a good starting point for walks to either one of the forts, around the old city, along the shopping street 'Canebiere' or to the church Notre Dame de la Garde.

Phoenician Greeks arrived and settled in Marseille, 2600 years ago. They were attracted by the natural harbour and availability of pure drinking water. The Moorish Arabs invaded Spain from North Africa and occupied a lot of the costal area of the South of France including Marseille. When they were eventually forced out the King Rene I of Naples in 1447 constructed two large fortifications to protect the narrow passage into the old harbour.

You can walk around the outside of the forts but access to the inside is limited as it is still used by the French military area. Fort Saint Nicolas, extended under King Louis XIV was not design to protect the harbor but to control any riot than might occur in the city. For that purpose, the canons are not aimed towards the open sea but towards the city of Marseille.

During World War II the houses next to the Town Hall, were destroyed on order of Hitler. He considered that the district of the Vieux-Port was a thieves' den, a place of refuge for outlaws and anti-Nazis, 'a mass of criminals, under-humans and saboteurs'. The district was locked by the SS, its 20,000 inhabitants were expelled without having the time to collect any belongings and the houses were destroyed and razed to the ground.

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