HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Photography Forums > My City Photos


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #1  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2017, 11:14 PM
Laceoflight's Avatar
Laceoflight Laceoflight is offline
Montérégien
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Montréal, QC <> Paris, FR
Posts: 1,231
Marseille, France | A Mediterranean Jewel

Long known as France's 2nd metro area (it's now 3rd, after Lyon), Marseille was officially founded as early as 600 BC by the Greeks of Phocea, though the site was occupied before, since thousands of years.

The inner city has a population of ~850 k, and the metro area, more than 1,8 M. It's the metropolis of mediterranean France, the capital of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur (PACA) region, a very busy port on the sea, and a city of real contrasts. Marseille is the antithesis of generic. It doesn't have that shiny luster of the other French touristic cities, it doesn't pretend, and that's what I like the most about it.

The fact that it was the European Capital of Culture in 2013 brought a breath of fresh air downtown, with a major renovation of the old port and the construction of new facilities such as the MUCEM.

I've had the chance of visiting this city multiple times. I've always been charmed by this place... it's very strong port atmosphere ; the famous Corniche ; the small fishing neighbourhoods scattered all along the coast, basically on every creek ; its heterogeneous population and multicultural feel ; the white homes on the hillsides above the sea ; the packed beaches as soon as May comes ; it's gritty places ; it's peoples warm accent ; the pastis, tons of pastis ; and la pétanque ; the maze of cobbled streets and small gritty squares ; the pastel tones of the Provence and the warm though crude mediterranean light ; and, mostly, the easiness to pass from the city to the nature within only one short bus ride to the Calanques, les Frioul or the Côte Bleue... It's definitely a place to fall in love with, despite what the French may say sometimes ;-)


Let's start the tour with
The inner city of Marseille

Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde dominates the old port


Cathédrale de la Major, quartier de la Joliette




A new coastal boardwalk around the MUCEM




At the MUCEM


A detail


Overview of the MUCEM


A view of If and Frioul islands


The Palais du Pharo and the Pharo gardens, above the old port, erected under Napoleon III to the empress Eugénie, around 1858


In the eastern part of the city




The old port's entrance is guarded by 2 forts : Saint-Nicolas (picture below) and Saint-Jean (with its famous towers)


Fort Saint-Jean, the port




Inside Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde




In the old port


Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, protecting the sailors




The south-eastern coastal districts of the city (here is the Roucas-Blanc) have many narrow stairs that go down hundreds of meters to the sea, between the white houses and the private gardens. This is a typical one.


Downtown...


À la plage du Prophète (Prophet's beach)






La Corniche, Marseille's celebrated suspended boardwalk that stretches for kms




NB_L'Anse de la Fausse Monnaie area


Sunny coastal neighbourhoods




Old port


Pharo gardens




Le Corbusier's Cité Radieuse VS a traditional marseillaise house






The old port ferris wheel










The sea is everywhere ; symbols, churches...


[/url]



Fishing villages became neighbourhoods...




Marseille's most spectacular area :
Les Calanques

Between Marseille and Cassis, and part of Marseille's territory, the Calanques are a rugged coastal area interspersed with small fjord-like inlets with pastel hamlets over a turquoise sea. It's pretty spectacular, perfect for days of trekking. It's not easily accessible by car because of the fragmented topography.

Callelongue, Marseille's first calanque facing south




Trekking the Calanques






Calanque de Marseilleveyre









Marseille's port islands :
L'île d'If et les îles du Frioul (Ratonneau et Pomègues)

1,2 km from the port of Marseille is an archipelago of 3 main islands. Coming from Marseille, the first island is If, made famous by the author Alexandre Dumas is his adventure novel Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (The Count of Monte Cristo). The prison where the novel's main character -Edmond Dantès- was confined takes most of the island.



The Frioul islands are mostly two pieces of land linked together by a dyke : Pomègues and Ratonneau. The islands feature a small modern hamlet only accessible by boat (Le Frioul). They have a very rugged coastline that form myriads of lost, isolated creeks where one can swim. The islands were fortified through time, most recently during the Second World War, and we can still visit numerous ruins.

Frioul / Marseille


The Hamlet


SWW ruins




Landscapes of Frioul islands

























Around Marseille, some pretty suburban areas :
La Côte-Bleue

The northwestern suburban shore of Marseille, around the villages of Petit-Méjean and Le Rouet.








...And on the other side of the Calanques, the charming small town of
Cassis

It's definitely worth the hike













Reply With Quote
     
     
  #2  
Old Posted Jan 30, 2017, 1:49 AM
Coldrsx's Avatar
Coldrsx Coldrsx is offline
Community Guy
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Canmore, AB
Posts: 66,669
Absolutely gorgeous.
__________________
"The destructive effects of automobiles are much less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building" - Jane Jacobs 1961ish

Wake me up when I can see skyscrapers
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #3  
Old Posted Jan 30, 2017, 6:42 PM
destroycreate's Avatar
destroycreate destroycreate is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 1,608
Incredible set. I'm so envious you go to go there! Interesting that it has a less than stellar reputation as a city...because looking at these photos, it looks way more interesting/enticing to me than say Paris or some of the more renowned places.
__________________
**23 years on SSP!**
Previously known as LaJollaCA
https://www.instagram.com/itspeterchristian/
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #4  
Old Posted Jan 30, 2017, 8:43 PM
tremblay's Avatar
tremblay tremblay is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive
Posts: 86
Très belles photos de Marseille Laceoflight! J'adore le diptyque de la soeur.

En tout cas, ça donne certainement envie d'y faire un tour lors du prochain voyage en France.
__________________
Le tourisme détruit le lieu touristique du seul fait qu'il y attire des foules et que le lieu (ville, paysage, musée) n'a plus d'autre intérêt que celui d'une rencontre qui pourrait se passer ailleurs, n'importe où. Henri Lefebvre
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #5  
Old Posted Jan 31, 2017, 12:02 AM
bobdreamz's Avatar
bobdreamz bobdreamz is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Miami/Orlando, FL.
Posts: 8,123
Marseille is intriguing ! Nice set of pics !
__________________
Miami : 62 Skyscrapers over 500+ Ft.|150+ Meters | 14 Under Construction.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #6  
Old Posted Jan 31, 2017, 1:32 AM
James Bond Agent 007's Avatar
James Bond Agent 007 James Bond Agent 007 is online now
Posh
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Kansas City, MISSOURI
Posts: 21,128
Oui!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #7  
Old Posted Jan 31, 2017, 6:15 AM
FREKI's Avatar
FREKI FREKI is offline
Kicking it Viking style..
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Copenhagen
Posts: 7,085
Lovely shots mate - really makes me miss my visits to the region
__________________
FREKI PHOTOTHREADS:
Kingdom of Denmark - Globetrekking
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8  
Old Posted Jan 31, 2017, 7:29 AM
Laceoflight's Avatar
Laceoflight Laceoflight is offline
Montérégien
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Montréal, QC <> Paris, FR
Posts: 1,231
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldrsx View Post
Absolutely gorgeous.
Quote:
Originally Posted by destroycreate View Post
Incredible set. I'm so envious you go to go there!
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobdreamz View Post
Marseille is intriguing ! Nice set of pics !
Quote:
Originally Posted by James Bond Agent 007 View Post
Oui!
Quote:
Originally Posted by FREKI View Post
Lovely shots mate - really makes me miss my visits to the region
Wow, thanks guys ! Marseille is that rough diamond that makes you want to explore for days. At least that's what it does to me. There is much more to come as I am there right now, enjoying the sea


Quote:
Originally Posted by tremblay View Post
Très belles photos de Marseille Laceoflight! J'adore le diptyque de la soeur.
En tout cas, ça donne certainement envie d'y faire un tour lors du prochain voyage en France.
Merci Et si tu viens en France, alors c'est définitivement un incontournable. L'idéal étant d'y séjourner chez des Marseillais, ce qui te permet de passer outre l'image que les autres Français font de la ville, et de réellement en connaître les charmes. Je peux t'arranger ça si tu me contactes avant de passer. J'y ai quelques amis au centre.


Quote:
Originally Posted by destroycreate View Post
Interesting that it has a less than stellar reputation as a city...because looking at these photos, it looks way more interesting/enticing to me than say Paris or some of the more renowned places.
Spot on. Of course, there are areas where white men are less welcome, but it's totally understandable. The context is what it is : Marseille is a giant open door on the sea. People here are from everywhere, especially from all over the former French Africa and the Maghreb. It may be fearful for women at some point, especially at night, when you leave the bar. But that boiling and heterogeneous atmosphere is what literally makes the city ; the shops, the people, the food, the craziness in contrast with southern France's kind of farniente... Well. You'll see. But it's the first place in France that made me want to come back so badly. And I did so many times.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #9  
Old Posted Jan 31, 2017, 12:13 PM
Rico Rommheim's Avatar
Rico Rommheim Rico Rommheim is offline
Look at me!
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: City of Bagels
Posts: 13,576
Looks great! The tiny fishing villages are fascinating.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #10  
Old Posted Jan 31, 2017, 6:40 PM
mrnyc mrnyc is offline
cle/west village/shaolin
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,586
sue pear. i havent been there since the mid-1990s, but i would enjoy it on occasional visits from those days -- looking great as always.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #11  
Old Posted Jan 31, 2017, 8:29 PM
Austinlee's Avatar
Austinlee Austinlee is offline
Chillin' in The Burgh
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Spring Hill, Pittsburgh
Posts: 13,094
Gorgeous city. The views and blue water are stunning. Thanks!
__________________
Check out the latest developments in Pittsburgh:
Pittsburgh Rundown III
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #12  
Old Posted Jan 31, 2017, 11:50 PM
OhioGuy OhioGuy is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: DC
Posts: 7,649
I enjoyed viewing these photos. Thanks for sharing!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #13  
Old Posted Feb 1, 2017, 12:40 AM
Shawn Shawn is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 5,935
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #14  
Old Posted Oct 21, 2017, 8:48 PM
gatt's Avatar
gatt gatt is offline
Gatinois et fier
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Gatineau,Québec
Posts: 3,406
vraiment beau
__________________
GATINEAU=280 000

GATINEAU-OTTAWA=1 300 000
gatinopolis.miniville.fr
gatinopolis.miniville.fr/ind
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #15  
Old Posted Oct 21, 2017, 10:05 PM
ChrisLA's Avatar
ChrisLA ChrisLA is online now
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: San Fernando Valley
Posts: 6,662
Nice, it almost has a look of Baja California in Mexico.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #16  
Old Posted Oct 22, 2017, 7:55 PM
SHiRO's Avatar
SHiRO SHiRO is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 15,728
__________________
For some the coast signifies the end of their country and for some it signifies the beginning of the world...
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #17  
Old Posted Oct 22, 2017, 9:55 PM
tdawg's Avatar
tdawg tdawg is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Astoria, NY
Posts: 2,935
Your commentary is wonderful and your pics are absolutely breathtaking. I'll be in Marseilles next summer as part of my honeymoon and now my enthusiasm for my visit is greater than ever. Thank you.
__________________
From my head via my fingers.
Reply With Quote
     
     
End
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Photography Forums > My City Photos
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 2:30 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.