A different way to visit Marseille: 6 unusual activities to discover the city

1. Follow a treasure hunt around Notre-Dame de la Garde

The city of 111 districts has many facets. The narrow and sometimes steep streets of the Vauban and Roucas Blanc districts, with their real village atmosphere, are among the places little known to tourists and Marseillais themselves.

Over a period of 2 to 3 hours, you’ll become a veritable urban explorer and genius investigator. Step by step, you’ll follow the trail of legends and mysteries of these amazing places. You’ll be solving riddles, collecting street names and crossings, items to find on monuments, street furniture and details on facades.

Children aged 6 and over are welcome – it’s an activity to share with the whole family!

2. Attend an outdoor play in a citadel

Fort Saint-Nicolas, built under Louis XIV and long occupied by the army, has been returned to the people of Marseilles. Its walls, curtain walls and vaulted rooms are now transformed into open-air stages for guided tours that don’t take themselves too seriously. ‘Les GPS’ take you on a fun-filled exploration.

The tone is funny, offbeat, absurd and always good-natured. The view over Marseille is breathtaking: according to legend, the cannons of this fort were turned towards the rebellious city rather than out to sea, and today you can enjoy the panoramic view that was offered to the Sun King’s gunners!

The tour lasts 1 hour and is open to children aged 10 and over. It takes place mainly outdoors, so bring good shoes and clothes suited to the day’s weather.

3. Skating on the ice at the Palais Omnisports

Marseille is naturally associated with sunshine and warmth. But did you know that the city is also home to one of the finest ice rinks in the south of France? The Palais Omnisports is home to an 1,800 m² Olympic ice rink, reserved for experienced skaters, and a 1,250 m² play area open to all.

Are you more of a spectator or an actor? You can watch figure skating, ice hockey or curling competitions, or put on your ice skates and take to the ice on this ‘miniature ice floe’. In both cases, you’ll enjoy a welcome haven of coolness during hot spells and a place sheltered from the elements on rainy days.

Make sure you’re well equipped: gloves are compulsory and warm clothing is recommended.

4. Enter the crypts of Saint-Victor

With its castle-like appearance, towers and battlements, Saint-Victor Abbey does not go unnoticed in the Old Port. The buildings that have survived do not bear witness to the influence of the abbey, which for several centuries was on a par with the abbey of Cluny.

But one of Saint-Victor’s most precious treasures is hidden underground: the abbey was built on former open-air quarries that had been transformed into a necropolis. The body of Saint Victor was laid to rest here, and the site became a major pilgrimage destination. Wealthy Marseillais from the early centuries of our era asked to be buried as close as possible to the Saint, and had magnificent stone sarcophagi carved for them.

A guided tour of Saint-Victor Abbey will reveal all the secrets of Saint-Victor: its early Christian crypt, its high church, its black virgin…

6. Have a drink in a secret speakeasy

After a long day of sightseeing and making the most unusual discoveries, you’ve earned the right to share a drink in the sulphurous surroundings of Prohibition! We invite you to discover an unusual place whose secret is jealously guarded by a few insiders: Carry Nation.

As was customary in the days of Al Capone, the entrance to this clandestine (and completely legal) bar is very well hidden: a secret passage is said to be in a souvenir shop somewhere in Marseille. Once inside, you’ll discover the atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties in the United States: decoration, cocktails, waiters, everything takes you back almost 100 years.

This establishment is for grown-ups only. Please note that alcohol abuse is dangerous to your health.

We can’t tell you the address of this place, you’ll have to earn it: take part in an online treasure hunt to find out!