Shopping

Only Paris and Lyon can rival Marseille in breadth and diversity of merchandise. Your best bet is a trip to the Vieux Port and the streets surrounding it for a view of the folkloric objects that literally pop out of the boutiques.

Art & Antiques

Marseille has a handful of well-respected art galleries. Antiques from around Provence are sold at Antiquités François-Décamp, 302 rue Paradis (tel. 04-91-81-18-00).

Fashion

You don't normally think of Marseille as a place of fashion, but the local fashion industry is booming. The fashion center is found along cours Julien, with dozens of boutiques and ateliers. Much of the clothing reflects North African influences, although a vast array of French styles are for sale as well.

For hats, at Felio, 4 place Gabriel-Péri (tel. 04-91-90-32-67), you'll find large-brimmed numbers that would've thrilled ladies of the Belle Epoque or guests at a stylish wedding inspired in the 1920s by Lanvin. It also carries a selection of casquettes Marseillaises (developed for men as protection from the soleil du Midi) and berets that begin at 23€ ($30).

Folklore & Souvenirs

Especially popular are santons (carved wooden crèche figurines). The best place for acquiring these is just above the Vieux Port, behind the Théâtre National de la Criée. At Ateliers Marcel Carbonel, 47 rue Neuve-Ste-Catherine (tel. 04-91-54-26-58; www.santonsmarcelcarbonel.com), more than 600 figures, available in half a dozen sizes, sell at prices beginning at 10€ ($13).

All the souvenir shops along the pedestrian rue St-Féréol, running perpendicular to La Canebière, sell folkloric replicas of handicrafts from Old Provence, including the cream-colored or pale-green bars of the city's local soap, savon de Marseille. Infused with a healthy dollop of olive oil, it's known for its kindness to skin dried out by the sun and mistral. A large selection is available at La Savonnerie du Sérail, 50 bd. Anatole de la Forge (tel. 04-91-98-28-25; www.savon-leserail.com).

Food & Chocolate

At Amandine, 69 bd. Eugène-Pierre (tel. 04-91-47-00-83), a photograph or a work of graphic art can be reproduced in various shades of chocolate on top of a delicious layer cake in any flavor you specify in advance. If you don't happen to have your scrapbook with you, you can buy a cake emblazoned with scenes of the Vieux Port. More traditional pastries and chocolates are found at Puyricard, 25 rue Francis-Davso (tel. 04-91-54-26-25; www.puyricard.fr), with another location at 155 rue Jean-Mermoz (tel. 04-91-77-94-11). The treats available here include chocolates stuffed with almond paste (pâté d'amande) or confits de fruits, along with a type of biscuit called une Marseillotte.

Since medieval times, Marseille has thrived on the legend of Les Trois Maries -- three saints named Mary who, assisted by awakened-from-the-dead St. Lazarus, reportedly came ashore at a point near Marseille to Christianize ancient Provence. In commemoration of their voyage, small boat-shaped cookies called les navettes are flavored with secret ingredients (that include orange zest, orange-flower water, and sugar), and are forever associated with Marseille. You can find them throughout the city, notably at Le Four des Navettes, 136 rue Sainte (tel. 04-91-33-32-12; www.fourdesnavettes.com). It opened in 1791 and is dedicated to perpetuating the city's most cherished medieval myth and ferociously guarding the secret of how the pastries are made. The boat-shaped cookies are sold for 15€ ($20) per dozen.

One of the city's most sophisticated emporiums for takeout food is La Fromagerie Marrou, 2 bd. Baille (tel. 04-91-78-17-68). Established in 1902 and known as one of the most comprehensive upscale food stores in Marseille, it sells more than just cheeses: You will also find meats, baked goods, deli items, wines, liqueurs, foie gras, and caviar. With a main branch at 2 bd. Baille, the shop maintains secondary branches at 475 rue Paradis and 15 place Castellane.

A Marseille Mall

Looking for something that approximates, with a Provençal accent, a sun-flooded mall in California? Head for the most talked-about real-estate development in the city's recent history, L'Escale Borély, avenue Mendès-France. Within a 25-minute transit trip (take the Métro to rond-point du Prado and then transfer to bus no. 19) south of Marseille, it incorporates shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants. Note the newest fad from your seat on a terrace as you sip pastis: in-line skating.