EU’s ‘dangerous city’ with world’s ‘coolest’ neighbourhood | World | News
A bustling French city has been named the most crime-ridden city in the EU, but is surprisingly also home to the world’s coolest neighbourhood.
Marseille, France‘s second-largest city, scored 66.2 out of 100 on Numbeo‘s crime index, making it the second highest on the list after Bradford.
This figure is made up of general perceptions of crime levels, perceived safety, concerns about specific crimes, property crimes, and violent crimes.
The Numbeo database also highlights violence and gang activity as the most prominent risks for tourists visiting Marseille, warning them not to walk around alone at night.
However, nestled within one of France’s most dangerous cities is Notre-Dame-du-Mont, recently named the world’s coolest neighbourhood.
Last week, Time Out named Notre-Dame-du-Mont as 2024’s coolest neighbourhood, although it did refer to it as “decidedly unholy”.
The area is famous for its colourful streets that are lined with trees and its graffiti-covered buildings, attracting a cool crowd who enjoy its “rebellious spirit”. The metro also makes it handy for day trips to and from Paris.
Notre-Dame-du-Mont used to be known as the artists’ district, which is still evident today in its many galleries and murals, making it the perfect destination for art and culture lovers.
The neighbourhood has a diverse population rich in culture and a warm Mediterranean climate, with plenty of restaurants, art galleries and independent shops.
Time Out recommends grabbing a pastry from Pain Pan before walking through the nearby market to catch a metro to Galerie Charivari. The art gallery is home to paintings, sculptures and ceramics from curator Muriel Feugère.
From here, visitors are recommended to grab a coffee from Razzia or a kebab from Caterine. Then head to the Histoire de l’Œil bookshop before indulging in more culture at the bistro-turned-cinema La Baleine.
The outlet also called Cafe la Muse a “must visit” for a drink on the terrace after the cinema.
Getting to Notre-Dame-du-Mont from the UK is simple; just take a short flight to Marseille from many major airports around the country before taking a bus and then the metro to your destination.
