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MARSEILLE

MARSEILLE

Date: 2017-05-19

Marseille is the hidden gem and second largest city in France. It is a dynamic, vibrant, edgy, bustling city that’s rich with more than 1500 years of history.

TOP 8 PLASES TO SEE:

1.MARSEILLE HISTORY MUSEUM

The Museum is one of the largest history museums in Europe and is homage to France’s oldest city. Visitors can follow the evolution of Marseille from its founding by the Greeks back in 600BC to the redevelopment of the city under Louis XIV. Highlights include an impressively preserved 3rd-century Roman cargo boat, a remarkable collection of 13th century pottery and a series of architectural works by Pierre Puget.

2.BASILIQUE NOTRE DAME DE LA GARDE

Rising up from the city’s highest hill you can see from everywhere the golden statue of Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde. The domed basilica is ornamented with colored marble, murals, and intricate mosaics. Bullet marks and vivid shrapnel scars on the cathedral's northern façade mark the fierce fighting that took place during Marseille's Battle of Liberation in August 1944. The golden statute is seen by the locals as their guardian and call her “la bonne mere” or the good mother. A 360-degree panorama of the city's sea can be seen from the dome.

3.CHATEAU d’lf

Opened to the public this 16th century fortress ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ has allured history and literature buffs. The fortress-turned jail is one of France’s most significant historical landmarks and can be found on a rocky islet west of Marseille’s Port Vieux.

4.PALAIS DU PHARO

Prince-President Louis-Napoleon visited Marseille in 1852 and was given the Pharo headland overlooking Vieuw Port and lle d’lf. The magnificent Palais du Pharo was built, but he never stayed in it, later Empress Eugeni gave it back to the city. In 1904 the building was turned into a medical school. With he necessitated architectural changes in 1904 the building lost some of its beauty. Since then, the building has been again modified to become a modern conference centre, with many of the auditoriums skillfully concealed underground below the forecourt.

5.CENTRE DE LA VIEILLE CHARITE

The building was constructed between 1671 and 1749. The 3-storey arcaded courtyard wraps around Provence's most imposing Baroque church. During the French Revolution the building was spared and used as a asylum, then later become the barracks for the soldiers. The arched pink-stone courtyard now houses Marseille's beautiful Musee d'Archeologie Mediterraneenne and Musee d'Arts Africains, Oceaniens & Amerindiens. The latter houses a diverse and often striking collection, including masks from the Americas, Africa and the Pacific.

6.MUSEUM OF MEDITERRANEAN ARCHAEOLOGY

On display in the museum is the history of the immediate area and features items found in the region and specifically in and around Marseille. The museum not only tells the history of Marseille, but of Mediterranean Europe in general, and can be an enlightening take for visitors from around the world.

7.NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF MARSEILLE

The museum was founded in 1819 by Jean-Baptiste Marquis de Montgrand and has over 160,000 fossils and zoological specimens as well as 210,000 botanical and mineral specimens on exhibit. Four other exhibits on the site: la salle Safari, la salle de Provence, la salle d'ostéologie and la salle de préhistoire, sur l'évolution.

8.MUCEM

The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations is a national museum and was inaugurated in 2013 showcasing the multifaceted history of the Mediterranean and its different landscapes, cities, and shores. The museum is first in the world to focus entirely on the cultures of the Mediterranean, and it includes all the social sciences: anthropology, political science, sociology, history, archaeology, and art history. Rotating exhibitions, seminars, feature films, documentaries, and performances focusing on the Mediterranean’s current affairs is an addition to MuCem’s permanent collections.

OTHER PLACES TO SEE

  1. Les Saintes Maries de la Mer
  2. Musee Cantini
  3. Roman Docks Museum
  4. Fontaine Castellance
  5. Fort Sant-Jean
  6. La Corniche
  7. Mac Contemporary Art Museum
  8. Marine Museum
  9. Marseille Cathedral
  10. Marseille Museum of Fine Arts
  11. Marseilles Cruise Port
  12. Marseilles Vieux Port
  13. La Canebiere
  14. Calanque d’En-Vau
  15. Calanques National Park
  16. Calanque de Sormiou
  17. Abbaye Saint Victor
  18. Aigues-Mortes
  19. Iles du Frioul
  20. Palais Longchamp
  21. Camargue
  22. Cathedral de la Major
  23. Le Panier

The best way to get around in Marseilles is by car, metro, tram, taxi, bicycle, boat and buses.

The months of June and July are considered the best time to visit Marseille even though the climate is pleasant all the year round.