Things to do in Marseille

Three days. One for the Vieux-Port, the Panier old quarter and MuCEM. One for a boat or hike to the Calanques national park east of the city. One for the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica on its hill and the long beachfront stretch from Plage des Catalans to Pointe Rouge.

A morning in the Calanques — limestone fjords cut into the coastline between Marseille and Cassis. The hike from Luminy down to the Calanque de Sugiton is doable in trainers (90 minutes return); the water is the clearest blue you'll see on the Côte d'Azur.

The Panier just north of the Vieux-Port — the oldest district, a hillside of pastel façades, street art and small artisan workshops. Le Cours Julien (the Cours Ju') for craft beer bars, vintage shops and graffitied courtyards. Notre-Dame du Mont nearby is the most fun nightlife district.

Bouillabaisse done properly — a serious sit-down meal at Chez Fonfon or Le Miramar with the fish kept whole and the broth poured over rouille and bread. Cheaper: a pastis (Ricard 51 with iced water) and a tielle sétoise (octopus pie) at a Vieux-Port cafe. Navettes (orange-blossom biscuits) for the road.

Two metro lines, three tram lines and a useful ferry across the Vieux-Port for €0.50 (a Marseille tradition since 1880). Buses 21 and 22 reach the Calanques; buses 82 and 83 run along the Corniche. The metro is grungier than Lyon's but works well. Take a taxi or Uber late at night.

Le Corbusier's Cité Radieuse on Boulevard Michelet — the original prototype Unité d'Habitation from 1952, half-public museum, half-functioning apartments. You can walk the interior streets, eat at the rooftop bar, and the views over the Vieux-Port from the top terrace are spectacular.