This colorful district is located on a hillside above the port of Vieux, the historical center and cultural heart of Marseille. Le Panier is the city's oldest neighborhood and one of Marseille's finest tourist spots, inhabited by humans since ancient times when the ancient Greeks settled here around 600 BC.
With its small, winding narrow streets and exotic pastel buildings, this quarter or neighborhood offers a glimpse of Marseille's charming personality. It's a working-class neighborhood, and Le Panier is now a very lively neighborhood, but still has a multi-ethnic character and lots of great artistic features.
You'll find plenty of authentic Algerian cuisine, local shops, gourmet food shops and art galleries. This quarter is also a residential neighborhood, and typical houses with armored windows and clotheslines provide proof of the families living there.
Visitors can start the walk on the north side of the Vieux Port Basin in Quay do Port and then stroll to La Cannebere, a vibrant and bustling street. In the quarter there are many important landmarks such as the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall), which was built in the second half of the 17th century based on the architectural genome model. Other sights include Cathedral de la Major and Avenue Vieille Charette which features a beautiful museum with interesting contemporary art galleries.
