Unter - Maison de la France

idyllic lanes and squares in that
part of Marseille. The last assignment
for the time being took the
group downhill towards the harbour,
where, after a mini cruise
across the harbour basin, they had
to find the Bar du Marine, where
an aperitif awaited them. The latter
afforded ample opportunity to
observe the hustle and bustle
around the harbour.
Afterwards the Sofitel Vieux Port
invited the group to a site inspection
and lunch in one of Marseille’s
finest restaurants, “Les Trois Forts”.
The four-storey Sofitel Vieux Port,
with a very striking glass front, borders
directly on the Palais du Pharo
gardens, giving the best views of
the old fortifications and the harbour.
Besides 134 guestrooms and
suites, eight rooms are available
for conferences, seminars or corporate
functions. With floorplates
ranging from 21 to 200 m², meetings
can be arranged for up to 160
people and cocktail receptions for
up to 200. The three biggest rooms
on the fourth floor were given a
complete makeover last summer
and are enormously popular for
their panorama views in particular.
Another three rooms opening
immediately onto the lobby can
Raum für Ihre Ideen
Bei uns können Sie Ihre Ideen umsetzen.
be combined if necessary. The hotel’s
meeting facilities are rounded
of by the “Astrolab” Lounge right
next to the Restaurant Les Trois
Forts. It is ideal for private dinners
and small, top-notch meetings. In
the lobby, some of the conference
rooms and the guestrooms, incidentally,
wireless Internet access
is installed.
That the traditional seaport and
commercial centre Marseille is also
a shopper’s paradise was something
the fact finding group could
discover on an afternoon stroll.
Visitors wish for nothing in this respect,
particularly along the famous
Canebiere and its side streets. But
Marseille’s surroundings also have
plenty to offer, as the group was to
experience during the evening trip
to Cassis 20 kilometres from Marseilles,
occasionally nicknamed the
city’s “little St. Tropez”. On the way
to Cassis a tour of inspection of the
“Domaine Cassis Bodin”, a typical
Provencal vineyard, was included
in the programme – complete, of
course, with an exclusive dégustation
of the local wines. Dinner
was at “Chez Nino”, a restaurant
famed for its fish specialities and
the traditional Provencal fish soup
bouillabaisse.
The Conference Centre at Parc Chanot
A visit to Marseille would not be
complete without an excursion to
the Calanques, the famous craggy
bays. So on the morning of the last
day two inflatable dinghies awaited
the group at the hotel jetty for
a rally on the water. The trip took
the participants into the heart of
the Calanques with their steep
limestone rock faces. It is hardly
surprising that the region is hugely
popular, not only with divers, anglers
and fans of all water sports.
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Climbers have also discovered the
challenges of the rock faces. After
a brief stop at the “Calanques de
Sormiu” it was back to the Sofitel
Palm Beach for a last meal and the
sadly inevitable check-out.
By way of conclusion a few general
remarks on Marseille. Greater
Marseille is the third largest economic
region in France and the
premier industrial and commercial
location in the south of France.
Research and education also play
Ihre Kontaktadresse:
Kongresszentrum Basel
MCH Messe Basel AG
Andrea Bretscher, Sales Manager
CH-4005 Basel
Telefon +41 58 206 23 57
andrea.bretscher@messe.ch