Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde

Notre-Dame de la Garde is a Catholic basilica that overlooks the Vieux Port ("Old Port") area of Marseille. It's the most famous landmark in Marseille along with the beautiful Calanques (I have also written an article on one of these). It is the symbol of Marseille, just like the Eiffel Tower would be for Paris. It's the most visited tourist destination in the whole of Marseille.

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Notre-Dame de la Garde literally means "Our Lady of the Guard", which comes from the enormous gilded copper statue of the Virgin Mary and her child that stands atop the bell tower. Although the image is huge, it's hard to appreciate its actual dimensions because it's really high up. The sculpture weighs 9,796 kg and is 11.2 m tall. Local residents have always traditionally regarded the statue as the guardian of the city and refer to her as "La Bonne Mère" ("The Good Mother").

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However, this figure is not the only attraction in Marseille. The city also boasts an amazing basilica. The inside of the church is amazing and extraordinarily colourful. There is artwork everywhere and the level of detail is astounding. The temple also hides an underground crypt. You can explore it if you want to be creeped out a little bit!

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There is an interesting story of WW2 surrounding the sanctuary. The basilica was built on the foundations of an ancient fort at the highest natural elevation in Marseille (149 m), overlooking the Vieux Port. Therefore, the basilica was considered a strategic position from a military point of view. During the liberation of the city, the French troops launched an attack on Notre-Dame de la Garde. The exciting part of the story is that a local French soldier knew of a secret staircase leading up to the basilica that allowed troops to approach the church safely. You can also still find one of the original tanks from the battle called "Jeanne d'Arc" that was hit and destroyed by German fire.

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What I like most about Notre-Dame de la Garde are its panoramic views. It's located at the highest natural point in the city, so you can get a great view of everything. If you walk around the church, you will obtain a full 360-degree panoramic view of the whole of Marseille. If you are visiting Marseille, then this has to be on your to-do list, along with Les Calanques.

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