Namely..
The sardine that clogged the port of Marseilles did indeed exist
Known and recognized for their unparalleled sense of exaggeration, the people of Marseilles are nevertheless telling the truth when they tell the story of the sardine that clogged up the port of Marseille . They just forget to mention that it's not a fish, but... a warship called the Sartine (with a "t" instead of a "d"). This frigate ran aground in the outer harbour in 1780, and blocked access for several months.
A huge ferry bridge allowed the crossing of the port..
From 1?905 to 1?944, a ferry ran between the two sides of the port. It consisted of two towers, each 86.60 metres high and weighing 240 tonnes. At 52 metres above sea level, the 239-metre deck connected the two towers. A 120 m², 20-ton gondola shuttled back and forth between the banks in one and a half minutes. In the absence of a Sartine at hand, the German army blew it up at 1?944 to block the access of the port to the allies.
Floating devices of all kinds
In addition to the 3?500 yachts distributed among a dozen nautical companies, the old port has welcomed a very wide variety of floating craft. The wharf of honour located in front of the Ombrière has already received (among others) the Belém, the Hermione, the submarine La Minerve and several types of seaplanes (Canadair or passenger transport in the 1960s).
I'll see..
The Navy bar, the setting for a famous British film
Some scenes from the British romantic comedy "Love Actually" were indeed filmed in Marseilles. Notably the one where Jamie (Colin Firth) joins Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz) to propose to her in the restaurant where she works.
The spectator thinks he is in Portugal when he is actually in Marseille. And this famous restaurant is none other than the Bar de la Marine, located on the Old Port, whose stairs where the young man declares his love are quite recognizable when you go there.
One of the oldest yacht clubs in France is housed on a barge
The Société Nautique de Marseille (SNM) was created in 1887 (the oldest club in France is the Société des régates du Havre, dating from 1838). This Marseilles institution has the particularity of being located in a floating flag, moored on the Quai Rive Neuve. It was rebuilt and designed by the architect André Devinc from 1957, to replace the old floating building (built in 1897) destroyed by fire.
An entrance channel marked out by a museum and a Napoleonic palace
These days it's hard to miss the entrance to the Old Town-Port?! On the port side thrones the Mucem, the museum of civilizations and the Mediterranean. Designed by Rudy Ricciotti and inaugurated in 2013, it receives more than 1 million visitors each year.
To starboard, the entrance to the old port is marked by the Pharo Palace, built in the 19th century as a residence for Napoleon. But the many delays in the construction work never allowed the emperor to stay there. Today it belongs to the city of Marseille, which organises seminars and congresses there.
Phocée, the headquarters of port pilots
Designed by two port pilots and built in the Port-de-Bouc shipyards in 1965, this unique French pontoon boat is one of the most remarkable elements of Marseille's maritime heritage with its 36 metres long, 16 metres wide and 70 tonnes in weight. Entering service in 1967, Le Phocée is recognized for its ingenuity thanks to its dual function, both as a technical structure (a real floating shipyard) and as a 24-hour operational base for the ships of the pilots who take the place of the captains during entry manoeuvres in the ports of Marseille and Fos-sur-Mer.
The Ferry Boat
Immortalized by Marcel Pagnol in his film Marius, the Ferry-boat connects the Quai du Port (opposite the Town Hall) to the Quai de Rive-Neuve (opposite the Place aux Huiles), a maritime link 283 m long. This long-distance navigation is provided by two amoeba vessels: the César, a local figure for 53 years purring on diesel with a "teuf teuf" well known to the people of Marseilles, and the Ferry-boat, a modern unit equipped with electric motors.
