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On our first, and hopefully not last visit to Marseille, we went to visit the Notre-Dame basilica. Marseille itself is an absolutely gorgeous city. We liked it a whole lot, and l am so glad that we did not let ourselves get swayed by the opinions of others. Many people tried to talk us out of visiting.
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Notre Dame Marseille:
The Notre-Dame basilica is a stunning and historical church whose foundation is built on an old fort. I like to think of it as “the cherry on top” of a very delicious cake. The name translates into “our lady of the guard. The Notre-Dame is located to the south of the Vieux-Port (Old Port).
The church towers over everything and is visible from anywhere in the city as it sits approximately 500 feet above it. You can therefore imagine the stupendous views from the top.
Marseille Pass: A worthy purchase
We had purchased the Marseille pass from the tourist office located in the old port.This was a very smart thing for us to do, and something you should do as well. With this pass, we were able to save on museum entrance fees, most of them were free with the card actually. We were also able to use it on the buses as well as the metro, which saved a lot of time rummaging for change. You can also purchase the Marseille Pass online here.
Additional benefit of this Marseille tourist pass was being able to visit the basilica with the Petit Train company, we took advantage of that. We caught the petit train from their station at the old port. It was quite nice actually to be in the open air train car whizzing along on the streets. It certainly couldn’t get any more touristy than that! :-).
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The views were lovely, especially the sea views The streets are very narrow going up and it felt cozy. Sometimes you don’t want to look down as you feel the whole thing might just roll down backwards :-), but it wasn’t scary.
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Along the way, the driver points out little interesting tidbits about Marseille. It was so cool seeing all these little houses built into the hills, and what views they must have. Aaahh.. I wanted one. I think it took twenty minutes or so to get up to Notre-Dame. It’s required that you get off the train at the top.
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The current basilica that is there replaced an old church by the same name that was originally built in 1214. It was consecrated as a basilica in 1864.
Notre Dame Basilica Marseille Interior:
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Marseille Cathedral: Endless views
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Notre Dame de la Garde Marseille : Basilica facts and history
– The 27 ft stature of Madonna and child at the top is made of copper, gilded with gold leaf. It was made into four sections because of the difficulty of getting it up the hill, then assembled at the top.
– King Francois I observed that Marseille was not well protected from attack. Charles III had almost taken it in a siege in 1524. He therefore ordered two forts to be built to prevent further attacks. The first one was built on the island of If, which later became known as the Chateau D’if (of the Count of Monte Cristo fame). The other is this one, built on top of the Garde.
– During the Great Plague of Marseille which killed over 100,000 people, the then Bishop, Henri de Belsunce went 3 times on foot to the Notre-Dame to bless the people of the city. Trust me, it’s a big deal..that place is high up 🙂
– There was a funicular at the Notre-Dame. It was built in 1892, and over it’s 75 year existence, transported 20 million people on it’s 2 minute ride to the top. It was shut down in 1967 because cars had become popular by then, and the funicular was no longer profitable.
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– There is a tank named Joan of Arc that played a crucial role in helping the French reclaim the Notre-Dame, and therefore the city from the Germans in 1944. An French soldier was familiar with the neighborhood and knew of a hidden hallway that led to a staircase under the basilica that was unknown to the Germans.
This is one of two tanks that led the attack from the French side. It is located at the very place where it crashed upon being attacked by the Germans. The three soldiers manning it eventually died of sustained wounds. The street is Place de Colonel Udon, and you see it as the train goes up the hill.
– It served as a prison for a few weeks in 1793. The Duke of Orleans, Phillipe Egalite and some of his family members were imprisoned here before their transfer to Fort Saint-Jean. It is said they enjoyed the view, and the princess even left a pencil drawing of Marseille view from the top behind.
– The original green stone used to in construction called the Golfalina was very badly degraded by Industrial pollution, especially coal. The quarry where the stone had been taken from in Florence has closed down. Identical stone was found near a vineyard in Chianti, treated, and used to replace the old ones.
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– The Notre-Dame basilica is referred to by the locals as “The Good Mother”. She is the protector and guardian of Marseille.
– There is a Romanesque style crypt in the entrance hall under the bell tower (we missed this 🙁 )
– LaGarde is the most visited site in Marseille, and ever increasing thanks to the cruise ships docking at the port.
Related Reading: Ultimate Guide to Marseille, France
The views like l said, are absolutely smashing, the interior as well. Unfortunately, our old files from the camera Federico has in his hands were lost to the computer meltdown. Most of these are cell phone pictures, and a few that l had put on Facebook. It does remind you of the Duomo in Florence, which is to be expected, since most of the limestone came from Italy.
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Notre Dame Basilica Marseille entrance fee:
Admission to the church is free. There is a fee to enter the museum if you wish. There are two gift shops in the basilica as well as a cafe.
Marseille Notre Dame: Wrap Up
A worthy visit that should be part of your marseille itinerary. Thew views are stupendous, the interior of the basilica is gorgeous and even the ride to the top is a beautiful experience. We definitely can recommend a visit. One of the best things to do in Marseille.
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What do you think about this in my opinion, a beautiful little basilica perched up high above the city of Marseille? Would you like to visit it? I certainly wouldn’t mind revisiting. Have you been to Marseille? If yes, did you like it as much as we did?
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I definitely want to visit Marseille. Take me with you next time!
Done deal! We will take you next time! I know you would love Marseille….and fresh seafood..yum!
Aaahh…thanks for the walk down memory lane back to Marseille. I can’t believe it’s already been over a year since our visit. Too bad we missed out on visiting the basilica, but the views from the top are stunning. Views of the basilica from everywhere else in Marseille are also quite stunning. I personally think they should reopen the funicular. It seems like it’d be popular with tourists.
I checked on the logistics for the funicular. It seems it uses a whole lot of water by steam or something to operate, The ride is 2 minutes, but it takes another 10 minutes for it to be refilled and ready for it to go each time. That was okay when there were no cars, but people grew impatient once they had a choice.. haha! I think they could market it well, make it a “must do” and charge more. Who doesn’t love a bit of retro?. The views were very lovely…and yep..it stands like a beacon.
Haha, I loved your selfie attempt! These views and your photos are INCREDIBLE. I’d really love to explore more of France. Thanks so much for sharing!
Happy travels 🙂
Yeah.. I think l will leave the selfies to the experts.. 🙂 . Thanks for the compliment :-). I feel you, l want to see more of France too. We can’t keep going back to Paris, there is so much more!!!!
So Romania’s not the only place where churches were used as prisons… :)) Jokes aside, the Notre Dame is indeed amazing. For some strange reason, this is the first time I have ever seen the real thing – until now, all I knew was the “replica” from the Civilizations video games I’m playing and from cartoons. It’s crazy!
Oh wow! I didn’t know these things were in video games! That’s too funny, but l guess history is history, no matter where you get it from.. hah hah! I guess if l have to be imprisoned, l wouldn’t mind being there :-). I think the churches just loved to imprison people, l wouldn’t have lasted long in those days :-(.
Some great photos Kemkem. You’re right, kind of looks like the Duomo in Florence. I’m a big fan of views so going up there would be priority for me in Marseille.
Frank (bbqboy)
Yep, the views are totally worth it. We could have gone a few more steps up and gotten an even better view, but it was plenty for us what we saw :-).
Wow- what a stunning place! I love your attempt at a selfie; I don’t do them right, either 🙂 So far I’ve only visited Marseille in the “Ticket to Ride” board game; this makes a visit very tempting!
It really is a beautiful place. The views are just insane!!! Glad l’m not the only one who can’t do selfies :-). I’ve never heard of the board game, the city in real life is really, really nice. I know Paris gets all the credit, but l love Marseille, and would love to return and explore some more, along with the neighboring Aix-en-Provence.
Oh I love your new blog layout! It looks great! And so does the Notre Dame! I love visiting places like this…just have to make sure the trip is paired with stopping for something really good to eat to keep my husband’s interest! Haha!
Thank you Jess! I can’t believe l was so hesitant to switch to this theme, but l am loving it!!! Your hubby would totally love this. The little begins and ends at the old port where fishermen sell their catch cooked in all sorts of ways, and there are other ethnic specialities serving food. There are also a ton of places to eat at. You guys would love it :-).
Your photos are always amazing, and don’t give up on the selfies! It was great! 🙂
Thanks lady! I will keep trying if l remember. It’s a lot easier to ask some stranger to take it… 🙂
Your photos are really nice and make me want to go to Marseille, but they take a lot of time to upload…
And I think the same about your selfies – keep trying – put your cell not down but just in front of your face and smile 🙂
I invite you to visit my blog and read about TOKYO 🙂
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Thanks for the tip about the selfie. I will give it another go down the line. Thanks also for letting me know about the slow upload. I always forget that most people are on a mobile or ipad and not on a desktop. I will keep that in mind for the future. I will definitely check out your blog. I think one of my nieces might be moving there in about 6 months or so for her job. If it happens, l will for sure go visit :-).