Le Panier is the symbolic district of Marseille, for its downhill streets, quaint little stores, the mixture of languages and cultures (Italians, Maghrebians, Corsicans, Armenians) but above all for its artistic vocation. The atmosphere is truly authentic and here you will find the true spirit of the city, amidst multi-ethnic stores, cloths laid out in the middle of the street, noisy hubbub and all the Mediterranean charm that has arrived with the many waves of immigration that have followed throughout history. It used to be the most infamous area of the city, but after the experience of Marseille Capital of Culture, the neighborhood has changed its face and rid itself of trafficking and crime. Alongside its popular character, Le Panier has also recently acquired a hipster vocation: more and more designer hotels, trendy little restaurants, ateliers, boutiques and vintage stores are springing up. To discover the diverse essence of the neighborhood, you need to get lost and be guided by the colors and glimpses. We, however, recommend that you start from Place Daviel and from there take the ascent of the Accoules, then turn to the Place des Moulins and reach the Maison du Refuge (once a convent-prison for girls of ill repute who entered from the Rue du Dishonor and exited from the Rue des Pentite) and finally rue du Panier to la Vieille-Charité. If you love nativity figurines then you can't miss a visit to a workshop of santons, made exclusively of hand-painted earthenware: this is a craft tradition of great artistic value, born in Marseille itself in the late 18th century. The most famous? Marcel Carbonel's atelier.
