Life
Marseille city life
Being a working-class city, Marseille is agitated and has an active city life. Apart from the differences between the city centre and its suburbs, this city impresses through its port area. The city is constantly improving, through construction projects made by architects who pursue the idea to redesign Marseille with a modern profile. Some of the city’s most attractive centres are the social hub Belle de Mai, Saint-Charles – Porte d’Aix, Arenc, La Joliette and Saint-Jean.
The beaches, history and cultural sites and an interesting architecture are some of the focus-points of Marseille. The city provided inspiration for “La Marseillaise”, which is now the official anthem of France. Marseille was a European Capital of culture in 2013 and featured almost a thousand event held in the area.
Marseille was a setting for films such as the Taxi series, The Transporter, The Bourne Identity, The Connection and Count of Mount Cristo. Nightlife is usually active and joyful and, when it comes to events, Marseille knows has a spot on the entertainment map. Fête du Panier, Fête de la Musique, the International Documentary Festival and the electronic music festival Marsatac, as well as Fiesta des Suds are held in Marseille.
The city is also famous for its hip-hop music and gastronomy. The local football club, Olympique de Marseille was a finalist in international competitions such as UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup.
International atmosphere in Marseille
Due to its recent history and many waves of immigration, Marseille is a city with many foreign citizens. In 1999, a fifth of its citizens were born in another country. You have high chances to meet Italians, Armenians, Maghrebis, Turks, Comorians, Chinese and Vietnamese.
Since tourism is not a significant part of the local economy, many of the residents do not speak English. However, their number recently increased, since the title of European capital of culture increased the numbers of visitors.
Weather Marseille
Marseille has a balanced weather with four seasons. Winters are cool, while summers are very warm. The city is also the sunniest of France, having over 2,900 hours of sunshine and this also gives Marseille the status of the driest city on a national level. Temperatures usually range from 11.8°C (53.2°F) in January and 29.1°C (84.4°F) in July.