Casa YOUM

Cézanne’s One-Time Home High Above a Marseille Harbor

An 1870s mansion in the rugged hills high above a glittering Marseille harbor, in the shadow of an ancient Genovese tower ruin, this little gem of an inn is named “Youm” or “the Day” in Arabic because its owners have created a space you’ll be hard pressed to leave. Once home to Paul Cézanne and other painters, the restored manor holds two rooms and a suite and offers a breezy, bright Mediterranean interior inspired by the owners’ love for Tunisia and Italy. It features whitewashing, wide windows, and natural furnishings and finishes including polished concrete floors, aged wood doors, gleaming tiling, and plenty of raw stone, copper and brass. The prettily pebbled poolscape offers Mediterranean views and Marseille city vistas, and there’s a small footpath that leads to an old Genovese tower above.

The Sole Room: Named the “Sun Room” in Italian, this upstairs space for two features a touch of terracotta, a queen-sized bed, a walk-in zelige-tiled shower, and an outdoor space with a view.

The Nube Room: Meaning “Cloud Room” in Greek, this upstairs, queen-sized room is a green-on-white oasis with a stone sink and pearlescent white zelige tiled shower, plus a panoramic outdoor space.

The Terra Suite: Named for its ground-floor location, this 45sqm space offers Berber-inspired décor touches and a terracotta tiled bathroom with both a shower and tub. It’s a king-sized room for two with an integrated lounge space inside and a large private terrace out.

There’s a pétanque pitch on site, and the possibility to book yoga, pilates, and other wellness/fitness experiences such as sailing trips, though as the property’s name suggests, Casa Youm was created for relaxing and seizing the day on property.

Around

The property is located in an inspiring part of France’s hip southern city of Marseille that was once an artists’ enclave. It's Marseille’s 16th district, a mountainous zone just above the city that's known as l’Estaque. The property has a footpath that leads up to the nearest hilltop to visit a historical tower and take in breathtaking views, particularly at sunset.

The heart of Marseille is reachable by car in about 15 minutes, or a 10-minute walk from the hotel leads to the cruise terminal at l’Estaque, where boats or classic public transport trains depart for downtown. Heading in the other direction, the Calanque de Niolon is a five-minute train ride away. A beautiful small port recommended for its swimming waters, family-run cafes/restaurants and its placement along a long-distance foot path called the Douaniers Path, Calanque de Niolon is backed by a small village of traditional houses and anchored by a pretty little port with views to Marseille’s harbor and the Islands of Frioul. Niolon is also home to old shipwrecks in its off-coast Marine Park, and on land, the “sentier des Douaniers” leads to other gorgeous calanques such as Ensuès-la-Redonne.

Hikers love the Douaniers section along the coast here, a rugged path that crosses several pretty creeks and offers magnificent sea views. A destination in itself, the 26 Calanques de Marseille make up a National Park, a jaw-droppingly pretty coastal zone that’s set between the city of Marseille and the town of Cassis. The region’s calanques are steep, photogenic, limestone-backed coves with pebbled and sandy beaches and crystalline waters teeming with aquatic life. All of the coves are known for their biodiversity and striking beauty. The calanques’ waters are swirls of turquoise and navy blues, and some of the coves are so deep as to be fjord-like, their sheer, rocky cliffsides spilling sharply into the Mediterranean inlets. Locals love the hike- or boat-in only calanques, though there are other beautiful inlets more easily accessed by car.

Location

Nearest airport: Marseille (15 minutes)

Best time to visit

April to October