Jardin des Vestiges (Ruins Garden), Marseille

Marseille has been there forever, it seems. In the Ruins Garden see the ruins of a port that goes back as far as 2000 years or more. Foundation stones bear mason's marks from ancient Greece and Rome.

Imagine the noise of wooden ships bumping against the stone docksides. The ruins of the port were discovered while excavating for the neighboring Centre Bourse shopping mall. The garden holds many pieces, going as far into the past as the 6th century BCE.

The Garden was created and developed by Joel-Louis Martin, a celebrated landscape architect. It is managed by the Museum of Marseille. The wharves and docks of this busy ancient port are plainly visible.

The Ruins Garden is close to the Old Port and access is granted by the purchase of a ticket from the Museum of Marseille. There are panels on site in three languages (English, French and Italian) which explain everything to sailors and landlubbers alike.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Vincent.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Marseille. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Sight Name: Jardin des Vestiges (Ruins Garden)
Sight Location: Marseille, France (See walking tours in Marseille)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

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