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On the Rise

Marseille: The 2013 European Capital of Culture (Photos)

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Anna Watson Carl

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Boats of all shapes and sizes fill the U-shaped harbor in the Vieux Port (Old Port), from small fishing boats to large ferries shuttling tourists to the Frioul Islands or the Calanques.

Anna Watson Carl

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The InterContinental Hotel Dieu's terrace (and many of its rooms) boast stunning views of the city and the Old Port. At sunset, Marseille—crowned by the spires of the Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde—is bathed in rose-colored light.

Anna Watson Carl

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The brand new MuCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations) is one of the most exciting cultural museums to open in Marseille this year. Designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti, the lattice-covered glass cube makes a bold statement on the city's formerly-abandoned J4 pier. 

Anna Watson Carl

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New meets old on Marseille's waterfront. The boldly-striped, 19th-century Cathédrale de la Major keeps watch over the new MuCEM and the cantilevered Villa Mediterranee (a center dedicated to Mediterranean culture).

Anna Watson Carl

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No trip to Marseille is complete without a visit to Chateau d'If, and, specifically, to the cell where the fictional Count of Monte Cristo plotted his daring escape. Visitors can even see the passage he supposedly dug during his incarceration.

Anna Watson Carl

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Brightly colored street art lines the narrow streets of the trendy Cours Julien neighborhood.

Anna Watson Carl

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A weather-worn fisherman sells his catch of the day—European seabass—straight off the boat in the Old Port Fish Market.

Anna Watson Carl

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