Marseille’s shifty port city reputation seemed worlds away as it welcomed the Olympic flame to the Norman Foster-designed Vieux-Port in May 2024. It’s a symbolic triumph for a city that has hustled to turn a new leaf since being named a European Capital of Culture more than a decade ago. Visitors flock to savour the fruits of that labour, not to mention the 28th-best restaurant scene in Europe, which benefits from Marseille’s generous, beautiful coast – best appreciated at Calanques National Park, which helps earn the city its #15 Nature & Parks ranking.
Festivals, too, are a draw, and Marseille has them aplenty, from the experimental Propagations Festival to Delta Festival, which pulled droves of revellers to the beaches of Les Plages du Prado in 2025. (The #22 TikTok Videos ranking starts to feel more natural.) In 2024, the city recorded 19.5 million overnight stays – up 20% year-over-year. While its growing visitors frolic and post, Marseille is doing right by its citizens. Education, housing, and, importantly, safety top the city’s priorities, and the Smartseille Odyssée project should introduce 280 new residences, and thousands of square metres of shops and office space, all built for sustainability. Then there’s the Neomma, Marseille’s new, €580-million metro, on track for 2027.