Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde

The opulent, domed 19th-century Romano-Byzantine basilica occupies Marseille’s highest point, lording it over the city skyline. Built from 1853 to 1864, it’s ornamented with coloured marble, murals depicting the safe passage of sailing vessels and intricate gold-laid mosaics superbly restored in 2006. Crowning the bell tower, a 9.7m-tall gilded statue of the Virgin Mary stands atop a 12m-high pedestal. Bullet marks and shrapnel scars on the northern facade evidence the fierce fighting of Marseille’s Battle of Liberation (15–25 August 1944).

Bus 60 links the Vieux Port with the basilica. Or, the ‘little train’ departs from the port and remains for 20 minutes before returning downhill. By foot, plan 30 minutes (expect steep hills) each way from the Vieux Port.