La Canebière is the boulevard that runs east from the Vieux-Port into the heart of the city. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was Marseille's grand artery, lined with cafés, department stores and hotels — the closest thing the city had to a Champs-Élysées. The name comes from the Provençal canebe (hemp), reflecting the area's old role in supplying ships' rope.
Half a century of post-war decline reduced it to a shabby thoroughfare with traffic and chain stores. Recent regeneration has begun to bring it back: the Grand Hôtel and a handful of belle-époque facades have been restored, the road has been narrowed to give space to pedestrians and the tram, and small bars have opened on the side streets. Walking the length from the port up to the Réformés church takes 20 minutes and is worth doing for the period architecture and the people-watching, even if the street is now more lively than glamorous.