Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean

The world's only Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean is situated in Marseille and is the national museum of France. Covering an area of about 44,000 square meters, it is also one of the top 50 most visited museums in the world.

The opening of this museum was timed to coincide with 2013 when Marseille received the honorary title of the European cultural capital.

The location was not chosen by chance: the museum stands on the seashore. This reflects the theme of the exposition: the port city of Marseille is a symbolic "gateway" to Europe.

The Mediterranean has always been considered the cradle of humanity. It is believed that people began to settle all over the world from here. Hence the idea to create a new museum that would become the embodiment of the entire history and culture of European civilizations from the Neolithic period to the present day.

The museum aims to show visitors the large diversity of European culture, which is applicable to everyone, and to help them better understand the world in which they live.

The extensive collection of the museum is divided into 3 large parts, placed in different buildings. Together they form a large cultural complex.

One of them is the ancient Sea Fort Saint-Jean, built in the 12th century. From the main museum building, you can approach it via a high pedestrian bridge over the sea channel. The old fort is surrounded by a beautiful garden, which also houses open-air exhibits on the history of the Vikings and Crusaders. Besides, the fort offers a beautiful view of Marseille.

A new original museum building called J4 was built on the site of the former port terminal. In the third part of the museum, there is a research center, a library, and an archive.

It often hosts temporary exhibitions, as well as interesting themed shows, concerts, and festivals. By the way, the museum stands close to other sights of Marseille: the Church of St. Lawrence, the Old Port, the Park of Emile Duclaux, the Panier Quarter.

The museum is open daily except for Tuesdays. The admission fee is 9.5 euros per adult. To get to the museum, take the metro to the Vieux-Port or Joliette stations.