- Address: Montée de la Bonne Mère, Marseille, France
- Hours: Open daily.
- Admission: Free
Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde
Everywhere you go in Marseille, you'll see the golden statue of the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde, the Romano-Byzantine basilica rising up from the city's highest hill, La Garde (530ft/162m). Built between 1853 and 1864, the domed basilica is ornamented with colored marble, murals, and intricate mosaics, which were superbly restored in 2006 after suffering damage from the atmosphere, candle smoke and war. 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.
Its bell tower is crowned by a 30 ft (9.7m) tall gilded statue of the Virgin Mary on a 40 ft (12m) high pedestal. Locals see her as the guardian of their city and call her 'la bonne mere' or the good mother. Each year on August 15th, there is a popular Assumption Day pilgrimage to the church. From the dome you get a 360-degree panorama of the city's sea of terracotta rooves below.
Practical Info
Bus 60 links the Vieux Port (from cours Jean Ballard) with the basilica. Otherwise, there's a little train, which departs from the Vieux Port for the 20-minute trip up the steep hill. This gives you around 20 minutes to look around before catching the next one back down. By foot, it's 0.6 miles (1km) south of the Vieux Port.
Tours & Tickets
Marseille Shore Excursion: Half Day Tour of Marseille by Electric Bike
Specially designed for cruise passengers, this tour will show you the best of Marseille with free pick up and drop off from Marseille cruise terminal. You ... Read more
Location: Marseille, France
Duration: 4 hours (approx.)
Toulon Shore Excursion : Full Day Private Tour of Provence Villages Cassis, Marseille and Le Castellet
Experience the best spots of Toulon and Provence area during this full-day private shore excursion tour. Drive to the typical and charming village of Cassis ... Read more
Location: Toulon, France
Duration: 7 hours 18 minutes (approx.)
Small-Group Day Tour from Marseille to Aix-en-Provence, Cassis and Marseille
Explore the highlights of southern Provence during this full day tour to Aix-en-Provence, a medieval town famous for its provençal market; to Cassis, a ... Read more
Location: Marseille, France
Duration: 6 hours (approx.)
Cassis and Marseille Small-Group Tour from Aix-en-Provence
Discover Cassis, the small Saint-Tropez of Provence, famous for its calanques (inlets) and listed by UNESCO, on your small-group tour from Aix-en-Provence. You ... Read more
Location: Aix-en-Provence, France
Duration: 8 hours (approx.)
Marseille Shore Excursion: Full Day Tour of Marseille by Electric Bike
Specially designed for cruise passengers, in this full day tour, you will see the best of Marseille coast: the Mucem museum area, the old port, the Pharo ... Read more
Location: Marseille, France
Duration: 6 hours (approx.)
Private Tour: Marseille City Sightseeing and Chateau d'If
Explore ancient stone fortresses and unearth centuries of Mediterranean heritage on this 5-hour private Marseille city tour including a visit to Château ... Read more
Location: Marseille, France
Duration: 5 hours (approx.)
Electric Bike Tour to the Calanques from Marseille
Spend a day riding along the breathtaking Mediterranean coast on this electric bike tour from Marseille. Pedal with ease to the city’s southern outskirts and ... Read more
Location: Marseille, France
Duration: 7 hours (approx.)
Marseille Electric Bike Tour
See top Marseille attractions including Palais du Pharo (Napoleon’s Palace) and Notre-Dame de la Garde from an electric bike as your local guide shares the ... Read more
Location: Marseille, France
Duration: 3 or 4 hours
Provence Sightseeing Tour: Marseille and Cassis Calanques Cruise
See the best of Marseille and Cassis, two gems of the French Riviera, on this 6-hour tour with an expert guide. Setting off from Marseille, your tour passes ... Read more
Location: Marseille, France
Duration: 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Private Tour: Marseille and Cassis Day Trip
Discover Marseille and Cassis, two highlights of the French Riviera, on this half-day tour with a private guide. Setting off from Marseille, you'll pass along ... Read more
Location: Marseille, France
Duration: 7 hours (approx.)
