24 Hours in Marseille Une Nuit at Maison Empereur, Marseille, France

Deciding to go to Marseille for 24 hours, one night, we landed on November 1st as the best date for our schedule, but it is La Toussaint (All Saints Day), a public holiday (jour férié) and a busy time. However, we were lucky: the place I wanted to stay was available, so we booked the apartment above Maison Empereur pour une nuit.

The heavy wooden door shut, and despite being steps away from Marseille’s busy Canebière, the street noise was hushed. As our eyes adjusted, we found ourselves in a dimly lit foyer. The few seconds it took to see the light switch was long enough for a fleeting thought. Had we stepped back in time?

Admittedly, the road construction leading to 2013, when Marseille was the European Cultural Capital, was frustrating. Today, the road system, including a tunnel under the Vieux Port, is seamless. Several 7/24 parking facilities near the port and pedestrian-friendly walkways along the waterfront exist. As a result, we were parked and walking towards Maison Empereur within an hour of leaving the Alpilles.

Marseille is France’s second biggest city, but with a population of 1.75 million, it is about one-tenth the size of metropolitan Paris. So, in many ways, Marseille feels like a small town with a collection of neighbourhoods. We planned to explore some areas, restaurants, and coffee shops I read about in Taste the World in Marseille: Marseille Cuisine by the Marseillais by Vérane Frédiani. Please read our book review here. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).