10 Top Tourist Attractions in Bordeaux

10.Church of the Holy Cross, Bordeaux

The Church of the Holy Cross (Église Sainte-Croix) is a Roman Catholic abbey church located in Bordeaux, southern France.

It is annexed to a Benedictine abbey founded in the 7th century, and was built in the late 11th-early 12th centuries. The façade is in the Romanesque architectural style.

The church has a nave and four aisles, a transept with apses on each arm, and a polygonal apse. The nave is 39 m long, while the apse is 15.30 m high. Its organ dates from the 18th century.

In the 19th century, the church was renovated by Paul Abadie. The former Benedictine abbey now houses the École des beaux-arts de Bordeaux.

9.Cité du Vin

The Cité du Vin is a museum as well as a place of exhibitions, shows, movie projections and academic seminars on the theme of wine located in Bordeaux, France.

The cost of the construction has been underestimated. In January 2011, the cost of the construction had been estimated at 63 million euros excluding taxes. But at the end of 2014, as the construction was in progress, the cost of the structure has been re-evaluated to reach 81,1 million euros excluding taxes.

See : 5 Top Cities To Visit In France And Food

8.Tour Pey Berland

Tour Pey Berland, named for its patron Pey Berland, is located in Bordeaux at the Place Pey Berland next to Cathédrale Saint-André.

Its construction was from 1440 to 1500 at the initiative of the archbishop of the same name. Crowned a steeple, it has remained isolated from the rest of the Cathedral to protect the Cathedral from the vibrations of the bells. After the completion, the church had initially no money for the purchase of bells, therefore the tower was used for housing until 1790. After 1790, a lead factory was set up in the tower. Bells were installed after 1851 and the tower began to be used for its original purpose.

7.Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux

The Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux, is a Flamboyant Gothic church in Bordeaux, France, built between the end of 14th century and the 16th century.

The pulpit represents Saint Michael slaying the dragon. The stained-glass windows were destroyed during the bombardment of 1940. The separate bell tower, which is 114 meters tall, was built in the 15th century. In 1881 a Gallo-Roman cemetery and catacombs were discovered under the tower, with several naturally mummified bodies. The church is a listed historical monument. The tower can be visited every day from April to October. 

See : 20 Top Tourist Attractions In Paris

6.Pont de pierreThe

 Pont de pierre, or "Stone Bridge" in English, is a bridge in Bordeaux, (in the Gironde department of France), which connects the left bank of the Garonne River (cours Victor Hugo) to the right bank quartier de la Bastide (Avenue Thiers).

First bridge over the Garonne River at Bordeaux, it was planned and designed during the First French Empire, under the orders of Napoleon I, but its construction took place during the Bourbon Restoration, from 1819 to 1822. During these three years, the builders were faced with many challenges because of the strong current at that point in the river. They used a diving bell borrowed from the British to stabilize the bridge's pillars. It has seventeen arches (number of letters in the name Napoléon Bonaparte). On the sides, each pile of bricks is capped by a white medallion in honor of the emperor. It also carries the coat of arms of the city (three intertwined crescents). It was the only bridge until the construction of pont Saint-Jean in 1965.

The bridge and its tide is an important point in the Itinéraire à Grand Gabarit, the logistic schedule transporting parts for the Airbus A380 production.

5.Place de la Bourse

Place de la Bourse is one of the most recognizable sights of Bordeaux. Its architect was Ange-Jacques Gabriel. It was built from 1730 to 1775.

In the original plan, there was a statue of King Louis XV. However, the statue was destroyed during the French Revolution. After the destruction of the statue, a Corinthian column-fountain was built on the square. Finally, in 1869 "Three Graces" was installed in the same location.

Design of the surrounding buildings was finished by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1739, however the project was issued two weeks after the architect's death. After his death, his son came in change and finished the construction of the buildings.

See : 20 Top Tourist Attractions In Marseille

4.Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux

The theatre was designed by the architect Victor Louis (1731–1800). Louis later designed the galleries surrounding the gardens of the Palais Royal, and the Théâtre Français in Paris.

The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux was conceived as a temple of the Arts and Light, with a neo-classical facade. It has a portico of 12 Corinthian style colossal columns which support an entablature on which stand 12 statues that represent the nine Muses and three goddesses (Juno, Venus and Minerva). Pierre-François Berruer made four of the statues, and his assistant Van den Drix carved the others from Berruer's models.

In 1871, the theatre was briefly the National Assembly for the French Parliament.

The inside of the theatre was restored in 1991, and once again has its original colours of blue and gold. The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux is one of the oldest wooden frame opera houses in Europe not to have burnt or required rebuilding.

Today, the theatre is home to the Opéra National de Bordeaux, as well as the Ballet National de Bordeaux which has many international dancers such as Igor Yebra from Spain and Kase Craig from New Zealand.

3.Bordeaux Cathedral

The Cathedral of Saint Andrew of Bordeaux (French: Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux), commonly known as Bordeaux Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Andrew and located in Bordeaux, France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Bordeaux.

The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1096. Of the original Romanesque edifice, only a wall in the nave remains. The Royal Gate is from the early 13th century, while the rest of the construction is mostly from the 14th-15th centuries. The building is a national monument of France.

In this church in 1137 the 15-year-old Eleanor of Aquitaine married the future Louis VII, a few months before she became Queen.

A separate bell tower, the Tour Pey-Berland, stands next to the cathedral.

The site is served by line A and line B of the tramway de Bordeaux at Station Hôtel de Ville.

See : 10 Top Tourist Sites In Lyon France

2.Garonne

The Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of 602 kilometres (374 mi). It flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Bordeaux.

The Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of 602 kilometres (374 mi). It flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Bordeaux.

1.Miroir d'eau

The Miroir d'eau (Water Mirror) or Miroir des Quais (Quay Mirror) in Bordeaux is the world's largest reflecting pool, covering 3,450 square metres (37,100 sq ft). Located on the quay of the Garonne in front of the Place de la Bourse, it was built in 2006.

It is made of granite slabs covered by 2 cm of water. In summer, a system allows it to create fog every 15 minutes.

10 Top Tourist Sites in Lyon France

10.Museum of Textiles

The Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs is a museum in the city of Lyon, France. Located in two 18th century hôtels particuliers of Lyon's 2nd arrondissement, the institution consists in two distinct museums although they are administered as one : the Musée des Tissus (Museum of Textiles) and the Musée des arts décoratifs (Decorative Arts Museum).

Founded in 1864, the musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs houses one of the largest international collection of textiles, the holdings amounting to 2,500,000 units. The collection spans a 4,000 years period, from Antiquity to the present, and covers a wide range of techniques and all the geographical areas of the world. The history of Lyon's silk industry is particularly well represented in the collection.

The musée des Arts Décoratifs holds works in many different fields: furniture, majolica, drawings, jewelry, painting, sculpture etc.

See : 5 Top Cities To Visit In France And Food

9.Saint-Nizier Church

The Church of Saint-Nizier is a church in the Presqu'ile district of Lyon, France, in the 2nd arrondissement, between the Place des Terreaux and the Place des Jacobins. Its name refers to Nicetius of Lyon, a bishop of the city during the 6th century.

The first religious building on the site of the present church was a Roman monument, perhaps a temple of Attis, whose worship was probably the cause of the Christian persecution in Lyon from 177.In the 5th century, according to tradition, Eucherius of Lyon, 19th bishop of Lyon, built on the ruins of the building a basilica to contain the relics of the martyrs in Lyon, tortured in 177. The church received the name "Church of Holy Apostles". In the 6th century, the bishops were buried in the church, particularly Nicetius of Lyon, the 28th bishop. The body of the latter attracted a crowd and his presumed great miracles led the church to take his name.

Saint Austregisilus was abbot here during the 7th century.

In the early 8th century, the church has been ravaged by the Saracens and by Charles Martel. It was rebuilt in the 9th century, at the behest of the bishop Leidrade.Peter Waldo, in the 13th century, was a parishioner. His disciples, shocked by the wealth of the church, even set fire in 1253.

From the 14th century to the late 16th century, the church was gradually rebuilt. In 1562, the notables gathered in the church, and in the 17th century, the aldermen were elected in the nave. It suffered the damage caused by several bands of Huguenot, which plundered the bishops of Lyon's tombs, then those of the French Revolution.

After the French Revolution, the church served as flour warehouse. In the late 18th century, the project to transform the church into a gallery was abandoned after a petition signed by 100 notables.

The sacristy was built in 1816, and the organ was installed in 1886.

The church was in the 1970s the center of a popular neighborhood. Its presence was highlighted during its occupation by some prostitutes of the neighborhood in 1975 to express their anger towards police and social harassment. This church has often been perceived as a place of refuge and hospitality in the city.

In the beginning in 1968, renovations undertaken by the management of the monument historique and the city of Lyon began, and they ended in 1998.

8.Lyon Zoo

Lyon Zoo , (fr. Zoo de Lyon) also known as Jardin zoologique de Lyon, or Zoo du Parc de la Tête d'Or, is a zoo in France located in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes inside parc de la Tête d'Or in the town of Lyon.

The zoo was founded 1858 by Claude-Marius Vaïsse (8 July 1799 – 8 August 1864), a French lawyer who joined the administration of the July Monarchy.

The zoo presents 300 animals from 66 Species

Lyon Zoo is member of EAZA.

See : 20 Top Tourist Attractions In Paris

7.Musée Gadagne

The Musée Gadagne is a museum located in the center of the Vieux Lyon, in the Saint-Jean quarter, in the 5th arrondissement of Lyon. It is composed of the Musée d'histoire de Lyon (Museum of Lyon History) and the Musée des marionnettes du monde (Museum of world puppets). The building was classified as monument historique in 1920. It was successively acquired by the city of Lyon between 1902 and 1941. After the finding of its obsolescence, the museum closed in 1998 for more than ten years of renovation and expansion. It was re-opened on 12 June 2009.

6.Ancient Theatre of Fourvière

The Ancient Theatre of Fourvière  is a Roman theatre in Lyon, France. It was built on the hill of Fourvière, which is located in the center of the Roman city.

The theatre was built in two steps: around 15 BC, a theatre with a 90 m diameter was built next to the hill. At the beginning of the 2nd century, the final construction added a last place for the audience. The diameter is 108 m, and there were seats for 10,000 people.

Today the theatre is primarily a tourist site, but it is still used as a cultural venue. Each year, the Nuits de Fourvière festival takes place in the theatre.

See: 20 Top Tourist Attractions In Marseille

5.Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière

The Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon-Fourvière (French: Musée gallo-romain de Lyon-Fourvière) is a museum on the Gallo-Roman civilisation in Lyon (Roman Lugdunum), previously located in the heart of the Roman city and now sited near the city's Roman theatre on the Fourvière hill, half-buried into the hillside on the edge of the archaeological site. The new building was designed by Bernard Zehrfuss and opened in 1975. Internally, it is formed of a concrete spiral ramp descending and branching out into the display rooms. It is managed and operated by the Rhone department jointly with the archaeological museum of Saint-Romain-en-Gal. As well as displaying its own permanent collections of Roman, Celtic and pre-Roman material (inscriptions, statues, jewellery, everyday objects), a plan-relief of the ancient town and scale models of its major monuments such as the theatre and the Odeon, it also regularly hosts temporary exhibitions.

4.La Croix-Rousse

La Croix-Rousse is a hill (254m) in the city of Lyon, France, as well as the name of a neighborhood located on this hill. The neighborhood is divided into les pentes (slopes, belonging to the city's 1st arrondissement) and le plateau (atop the hill, part of the 4th arrondissement). The name "La Croix-Rousse" (The ginger cross) comes from a reddish-brown stone cross erected there in the 16th century. The appearance of the neighborhood is heavily influenced by the central role that Lyon played in silk industry. The vast majority of buildings in the area feature large vaulted ceilings with exposed wooden rafters. The larger internal height available in these buildings, compared to other areas in Lyon, was necessary to house the tall silk looms that were operated in the area. Of note, also, are the traboules of Croix-Rousse. These are covered passageways used by silk merchants to travel and ferry material between buildings while being sheltered from rain. It has since been subject to gentrification, and now exhibits a vibrant cultural scene. La Croix-Rousse has always possessed a unique atmosphere compared to the rest of the city. As an illustration, some inhabitants call themselves "Croix-roussiens" (Croix-Roussians).

In Lyon, La Croix-Rousse is nicknamed la colline qui travaille (the hill that works) in contrast to the better-known hill to the southwest, Fourvière, which is known as la colline qui prie (the hill that prays). The district started developing in the 18th century when the silk workshops moved here from the Vieux Lyon area. The canuts (silk workers) were subject to extremely poor working conditions. On account of these conditions, they staged many worker uprisings, known as the Canut revolts. The first revolt, in October 1831 is considered to be one of the very first worker uprisings. The area was immortalised in Paul-Jacques Bonzon's book series Les Six Compagnons, which depicts the adventures of seven young working class teenagers from the area.

See : 10 Top Tourist Attractions In Bordeaux

3.Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon

The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon ((in French) Musée des beaux-arts de Lyon) is a municipal museum of fine arts in the French city of Lyon. It is housed near place des Terreaux in a former Benedictine convent of the 17th and 18th centuries. It was restored between 1988 and 1998, and despite these important restoration works it remained open to visitors. Its collections range from ancient Egypt antiquities to the Modern art period and make the museum one of the most important in Europe. It hosts important exhibitions of art : recently there have been exhibitions of works by Georges Braque and Henri Laurens (second half of 2005), then one on the work of Théodore Géricault (April to July 2006). It is one of the largest art museums in France.

2.Fourvière

Fourvière is a district of Lyon, France and also a hill immediately west of the old part of the town, rising abruptly from the river Saône and then gently sloping down to the north-west. It is the site of the original Roman settlement of Lugdunum (43 BC). Though it supports the world's two oldest and active funicular lines, it is primarily known for the Catholic Basilica of Fourvière. The inauguration of the golden statue of the Virgin Mary on the north-west tower is the origin of the famous 8 December Festival of Lights, when the citizens of Lyon display candles (lumignons) at their windows. This festival now attracts hundreds of thousands of people into the streets of Lyon every year. Fourvière contains many other religious buildings including convents, monasteries and chapels. It is known in Lyon as "the hill that prays". It is now part of a UNESCO World Heritage site designated for the city of Lyon in 1998.

Also on the Fourvière hill is La Tour Métallique which was privately built by the owners of the land to rival the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It forms the highest point in Lyon and is in fact higher than the Eiffel Tower at its summit, due to it being on a hill. It is now a television relay tower.

On the south side of Fourvière are the vast ruins of Roman Baths, partially intact ruins of a Roman Theatre (15 BC) and a 2nd Century Roman Odéon rediscovered in the 20th century and now home to a museum as well as a series of concerts and operas throughout the summer.

A double motorway tunnel passes under Fourvière, connecting the A6 autoroute (coming from Paris) and the A7 autoroute (coming from Marseille), both forming the "Autoroute du Soleil". Prior to the construction of the bypass of Lyon by the east, and with Lyon being virtually the only low passage between the Alps and the Massif Central (extinct) volcano range, the tunnel was famous for its traffic jams caused by a combination of local traffic, that of neighboring countries, as well as traffic between northern and southern France.

The hill is very fragile in places due to springs, underground streams, ancient tunnels and aqueducts, which have caused several subsidences in the past.

1.Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière (French: Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière) is a minor basilica in Lyon. It was built with private funds between 1872 and 1884 in a dominant position overlooking the city. The site it occupies was once the Roman forum of Trajan, the forum vetus (old forum), thus its name (as an inverted corruption of the French Vieux-Forum)

The design of the basilica, by Pierre Bossan, draws from both Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, two non-Gothic models that were unusual choices at the time. It has four main towers, and a belltower topped with a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary. It features fine mosaics, superb stained glass, and a crypt of Saint Joseph.

Fourvière actually contains two churches, one on top of the other. The upper sanctuary is very ornate, while the lower is a much simpler design. Work on the triumphant basilica was begun in 1872 and finished in 1884. Finishing touches in the interior were not completed until as late as 1964.

Bossan's first sketches for the basilica seem to date from 1846. At the time he was in Palermo.

The basilica has acquired the local nickname of "the upside-down elephant", because the building looks like the body of an elephant and the four towers look like its legs.

20 Top Tourist Attractions In Marseille With Description

20.Musée Grobet-Labadié

The Musée Grobet-Labadié is a museum in Marseilles, housed in a 19th-century hôtel particulier owned by the family whose collection it displays. In 1919 Marie Grobet, daughter of the major Marseilles businessman Alexandre Labadié, gave the family art collection and hôtel particulier to the city.

19.Memorial of the Marseillaise

La Marseillaise is the national anthem of France. The song was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by France against Austria, and was originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" ("War Song for the Rhine Army").

The Marseillaise was a revolutionary song, an anthem to freedom, a patriotic call to mobilize all the citizens and an exhortation to fight against tyranny and foreign invasion. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795. It acquired its nickname after being sung in Paris by volunteers from Marseille marching to the capital. The song is the first example of the "European march" anthemic style. The anthem's evocative melody and lyrics have led to its widespread use as a song of revolution and its incorporation into many pieces of classical and popular music.

18.Terrasses du port

The Terrasses du Port is a commercial shopping center situated in the 2nd arrondissement of Marseille. The retail format contains 190 shops, including both domestic and international brands. The mall, which opened in the spring of 2014 also sports a balcony of 2,600 square meters, offering a view of the port, La Joliette, hence the building's name, which translates to "The Port Terraces".

The shopping mall was designed by French architect Michel Pétuaud-Létang of 4A Architects, Matthew VanderBorgh of the Netherlands-based firm, C Concept Design, and the design consulting firms Ingérop and Barbanel. The development was financially supported by the British property development and investment company, Hammerson.

17.Ratonneau

The Ancient Roman fleet that besieged Marseilles in 49BC was moored by the island. Later, the island was used to quarantine foreign sailors, particularly those with cases of cholera and Leprosy. The neoclassicalhôpital Caroline was constructed at the eastern end of the island in 1828 to a design by Michel-Robert Penchaud, but partly destroyed in bombing raids in the Second World War.

The centre of the island is occupied by a fort, with a smaller fort at its western tip. The smaller island of If lies to the south east.

The island has several beaches. Today, the island is mostly visited by tourists, by ferries that connect the island to the Old Port of Marseilles in the summer season. The island includes some tourist restaurants, some tourist shops, a fire station, and a town hall. Motor vehicles are banned.

See : 5 Top Cities To Visit In France And Food

16.Château de la Buzine

The chateau was built in the eighteenth century for Louis Borély (1692-1768), a rich merchant of Marseille. It was donated to the city in the nineteenth century. For several years it hosted the archaeological museum. The chateau is located in the current Parc Borély.

There are plans to transfer the Faïence Museum (Musée de la Faïence de Marseille) from the Château Pastré to the Château Borély, which will also hold the planned Museum of Decorative Arts and Fashion, as part of preparations for Marseille becoming the European cultural capital in 2013.

15.Porte d'Aix

Porte d'Aix (also known as the Porte Royale) is a triumphal arch in Marseille, in the south of France, marking the old entry point to the city on the road from Aix-en-Provence. The classical design by Michel-Robert Penchaud was inspired by the triumphal arches of the Roman Empire. The Porte d’Aix was initially conceived in 1784 to honour Louis XIV and to commemorate the Peace of Paris (1783) that ended the American war of independence. Following the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in 1814-15, the project was resumed in 1823, now to commemorate French victories in the Spanish Expedition, notably at the Battle of Trocadero, August 31, 1823. It was eventually completed in 1839, with a more general theme of victory.

14.Unité d'Habitation de Marseille

The Unité d'habitation, Housing Unit) is a modernist residential housing design principle developed by Le Corbusier, with the collaboration of painter-architect Nadir Afonso. The concept formed the basis of several housing developments designed by him throughout Europe with this name. The most famous of these developments is located in south Marseille.

13.Musée Cantini 

The Musée Cantini is a museum in Marseilles that has been open to the public since 1936. The museum specializes in modern art, especially paintings from the first half of the twentieth century.

The musée Cantini building was built in 1694 for the Compagnie du Cap Nègre. The company ran into financial difficulties and the building was sold in 1709  to Dominique de Montgrand great-grandfather of Jean-Baptiste-Jacques-Guy-Thérèse de Montgrand, future Mayor of Marseille. The building was then sold to Louis Joseph Chaudoin in 1801 and to Dieudonné Bernadac in 1816. In 1888, it was acquired by Jules Cantini who bequeathed it to the City of Marseille in 1916, with the stipulation that it was to become a museum of decorative arts. The museum was opened in 1936.

See : 20 Top Tourist Attractions In Paris

12.The Parc du XXVième Centenaire

The Parc du XXVième Centenaire is a public park located in the city of Marseille in France. It is listed by the French Ministry of Culture as one of the Notable Gardens of France.

The eighteen-hectare garden features a large fountain, a canal with twenty-six fountains, and a long paved terrace, which was once a railroad platform.

On the south side of the park, there are four separate gardens:

• The Provençal garden, laid out on terraces, which contains the examples of the aromatic plants of Provence.
• The African Garden, with sand dunes, and a basin of aquatic and semiaquatic plants.
• The Arab-Andalousian Garden, with palm trees, a canal, and a fountain.
• An English landscape park is organized around a 3000 square metre lake, overlooked by a belvedere, from which it is possible to see the hills of Saint-Cyr and the basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde. It also contains the terraces which formerly held the tracks for arriving trains, which have been turned into a rose garden.

Other sections of the park contain a playground for children and a cafe.

11.Palais du Pharo

The Palais du Pharo is a palace in Marseille, France. It was built in 1858 by Napoleon III for Eugénie de Montijo.

10.Massif des Calanques

The Massif des Calanques is a wild and rugged terrain stretching from the ninth arrondissement of Marseille to the east towards Cassis, spanning 20 km in length and 4 km in width along the coast. Its highest peak is Mont Puget at 565m. The area has been protected by a national park since 2012.

9.Cosquer Cave

The Cosquer cave is located in the Calanque de Morgiou in Marseille, France, near Cap Morgiou. The entrance to the cave is located 37 m (121 ft) underwater, due to the Holocene sea level rise. The cave contains various prehistoric rock art engravings. It was discovered in 1985 by and named after diver Henri Cosquer, but its existence was not made public until 1991, when three divers became lost in the cave and died.

The cave can now be accessed by divers through a 175 m (574 ft) long tunnel, the entrance of which is located 37 m (121 ft) below sea level, that had risen after the cave was inhabited. During the glacial periods of the Pleistocene, the shore of the Mediterranean sea was situated several kilometers to the South and the sea level up to 100 m (330 ft) below the cave entry.

See : 10 Top Tourist Sites In Lyon France

8.Jardin botanique E.M. Heckel

The Jardin botanique E.M. Heckel (12,000 m²), also known as the Jardin botanique de Marseille and the Jardin botanique Borély de Marseille, is a municipal botanical garden located in the Parc Borély at 48, Avenue Clot Bey, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. It is open daily except Monday; an admission fee is charged.

The garden is Marseille's fourth botanical garden. Its first was established by René of Anjou near the Abbaye Saint-Victor as the Jardin botanique des Chartreux. The second was inaugurated in 1802 by Joséphine de Beauharnais and directed by M. Gouffé de la Cour, but disappeared in 1856 to make way for a railway. The garden was then re-established in the Parc Borély, on the site of today's rose garden, but was quickly judged too small by its director, Dr. Édouard Marie Heckel, and in 1913 additional land was purchased next to the park, to which the garden was relocated and named in his honor.

Today the garden contains over 3,500 species, arranged in a garden of medicinal plants, a traditional Chinese garden donated by the city of Shanghai in 2004, palmetum (palm garden), garden vines, garden of succulents, Mediterranean garden, and a Japanese garden. Of particular interest is a greenhouse containing nearly 300 species of South African flora.

7.Gare de Marseille Saint-Charles

Marseille – Saint-Charles is the main railway station and intercity bus station of Marseille. It is the southern terminus of the Paris–Marseille railway. It opened on 8 January 1848, having been built for the PLM on the land of the Saint Charles Cemetery. The station is perched on top of a small hill and is linked to the city centre by a monumental set of stairs. Since 2001, when the TGV reduced dramatically the travel time between Marseille and northern France, traffic increased (7.1 million annual passengers in 2000 to 15 million in 2007) and the station is currently the 11th busiest in France.

The station was once a key stage on the sea voyage to Africa, the Middle-East and the Far East, before the popularisation of flying. To the rear of the station along Boulevard Voltaire was the goods yard which was used up until the end of the 1990s by the SNCF's road freight operations, Sernam. The station, originally isolated from the city, was equipped with a grand staircase, envisioned by Eugène Senès in 1911 and opened in 1926. It is bordered by statues inspired by all the distant locations to which people sailed from Marseille's port.

Saint-Charles has 14 terminal platforms and four tracks which run through, all equipped with 1500 V DC overhead wire. Tracks run in various directions, towards Ventimiglia, the north, Briançon, and the harbourstation of La Joliette.

A first extension was opened after World War II. The buildings on the north side had been destroyed and were rebuilt to house the administration offices of the SNCF. A new between level was opened to enhance the flow of passengers.

At the end of the 1990s a redevelopment project began with the opening of the Marseille underground and bus interchange as well as the arrival of the TGV Méditerranée. Since 2001 new underground parking lots and a tunnel have allowed the station to be renewed. A new hall, the Halle Honnorat, was created housing shops and services. The displacement of the regional coach station on the other side of the station allowed a new pedestrian square to be created, between the station and the Aix-Marseille University site of Saint-Charles. New pedestrian spaces with cafe terraces have also been created atop the grand stairs. Its filthy railyard is covered in litter and discarded equipment.

Paulin Talabot started the Marseille-Avignon line.

On 1 October 2017, two women were killed in a knife attack at the train station before the attacker was shot dead by police. 

See : 10 Top Tourist Attractions In Bordeaux

6.Opéra de Marseille

However, the first real theatre, the Grand-Théâtre or Salle Bauveau was constructed in 1787. During its period of great opulence following the Revolution, it was the site of many major opera presentations, including Verdi’s Rigoletto and Il Trovatore in 1860 and performances in 1866 of Lucia di Lammermoor and Il Barbiere di Siviglia by the famous soprano, Adelina Patti. Also, French premieres of major operatic works were given in the theatre: these include Aida (1877), La Fanciulla del West (1912), and an historic performance by Dame Nellie Melba in Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet in 1890. Some years following the installation of electricity, in November 1919 a fire destroyed the 18th century theatre, leaving only its shell and an exterior stone colonnade.

The present day opera house, the Opéra Municipal de Marseille, dates from its opening on 4 December 1924. It seats 1,800. It features a classic urn-shaped auditorium, three rings of boxes, two balconies and a gallery. A large sculpted frieze by sculptor Antoine Bourdelle frames the stage.

Designed by the three architects Ebrard, Castel, and Raymond, the theatre preserved the stone colonnade and, located the surviving original box office in the centre of the entrance hall, up from which led two staircases to the elegant main foyer. Beauvert describes it as "an Art Deco temple", the "soul mate" of the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris.

Many well-known contemporary singers made their French debuts in this opera house. Among them are Alfredo Kraus, Plácido Domingo, and Renata Scotto. The house has a reputation for its very critical audience, especially those members seated in the top gallery, "the gods". Past music directors of the company have included János Fürst.

After World War II the Marseille opera house staged Sigurd by Ernest Reyer in 1963 and 1995.

5.Stadion Vélodrome

The Stade Vélodrome , known for sponsorship reasons as the Orange Vélodrome, is a multi-purpose stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseillefootball club of Ligue 1 since it opened in 1937, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 2007 Rugby World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2016. It occasionally hosts RC Toulon rugby club of the Top 14. It is the largest club football ground in France, with a capacity of 67,344 spectators. The stadium is also used regularly by the French rugby union team.

The record attendance for a club game before renovation at the Stade Vélodrome was 58,897 (for a UEFA Cup semi-final against Newcastle United in 2004). Since expansion to 67,394, the record attendance at the ground now stands at 65 252 for the match vs rivals PSG that occurred on February 26, 2017. The stadium was also featured as a FIFA World Cup venue when the 1938 finals were held in France. The first-ever match to be played was between Marseille and Torino in 1937.

The French rugby union team began an impressive run of victories at the stadium in the early 2000s. They defeated the All Blacks 42–33 in November 2000, and in 2001 defeated Australia by one point. They beat the Springboks in 2002, followed by a win over England in 2003. However, their run of luck was broken in 2004 when they lost 14–24 to Argentina. The venue was used by France in November 2009 when the French played the New Zealand All Blacks.

France is not the only rugby team to have used the Vélodrome in recent years. On 18 April 2009, Toulon took their home fixture in the Top 14 against Toulouse to the Vélodrome, drawing 57,039 spectators to see a 14–6 Toulon win which played a key role in the Toulonnais' successful fight against relegation in the 2008–09 season. Toulon has taken two home matches to the Vélodrome in each of the succeeding two seasons. The Vélodrome was also the venue for both semi-finals in the 2010–11 Top 14 season, and was used for the Toulon v Munster semi-final of the 2013–14 Heineken Cup.

4.Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations

The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (MuCEM) (French: Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée) is a national museum located in Marseille, France. It was inaugurated on 7 June 2013 as part of Marseille-Provence 2013, a year when Marseille was designated as the European Capital of Culture.

The museum is devoted to European and Mediterranean civilisations. With a permanent collection charting historical and cultural cross-fertilisation in the Mediterranean basin, it takes an interdisciplinary approach to society through the ages up to modern times.

The museum is built on reclaimed land at the entrance to the harbour, next to the site of the 17th-century Fort Saint-Jean and a former port terminal called the J4. A channel separates the new building and the Fort Saint-Jean, which has been restructured as part of the project. The two sites are linked by a high footbridge, 130 m (430 ft) long. Another footbridge links the Fort Saint-Jean to the Esplanade de la Tourette, near the church of St Laurent in the Panier quarter.

The museum, built "of stone, water and wind", was designed by the architect Rudy Ricciotti in collaboration with the architect Roland Carta. A cube of 15,000 square metres (160,000 sq ft) surrounded by a latticework shell of fibre-reinforced concrete, it houses exhibits on two levels, with an underground auditorium seating 400. The permanent collection and bookshop are situated on the ground floor. There is a restaurant on the terrace at the top of the building with panoramic views of the bay of Marseille, the Corniche and the Prado.

3.chateau d if

The Château d'If is a fortress (later a prison) located on the island of If, the smallest island in the Frioul archipelago situated in the Mediterranean Sea about 1.5 kilometres (⁷⁄₈ mile) offshore in the Bay of Marseille in southeastern France. It is famous for being one of the settings of Alexandre Dumas' adventure novel The Count of Monte Cristo. If is the French word for the yew tree.

Île d’If measures 3 hectares (0.03 km²) and is located 3.5 km (2 ¹⁄₈ mi) west of the Old Port of Marseille. The entire island is heavily fortified; high ramparts with gun platforms surmount the cliffs that rise steeply from the surrounding ocean. Apart from the fortress, the island is uninhabited.

2.Fort Saint-Jean

Fort Saint-Jean is a fortification in Marseille, built in 1660 by Louis XIV at the entrance to the Old Port. Since 2013 it is linked by two thin bridges to the historical district Le Panier, and to the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations, the first French national museum to be located outside Paris.

1.Old Port of Marseille

The Old Port of Marseille (French: Vieux-Port de Marseille) is at the end of the Canebière, the major street of Marseille. It has been the natural harbour of the city since Antiquity and is now the main popular place in Marseille. It became mainly pedestrian in 2013.