Unspecified/General

Standing at the entrance to the old port of Marseille, the Mucem, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations, is both a major museum and one of the most admired pieces of modern architecture in France. It opened in 2013, the year Marseille was European Capital of Culture, and was the first national museum devoted to the cultures of the Mediterranean as a whole. Its most celebrated building, known as the J4, was designed by the architect Rudy Ricciotti and stands on the waterfront wrapped in a delicate lattice of dark fibre-reinforced concrete that filters the sun like stone fretwork and recalls the patterns of the region. A slender footbridge links the new building across the water to the Fort Saint-Jean, a seventeenth-century fortress that has been restored and incorporated into the museum, with gardens and ramparts offering sweeping views over the sea and the city. The collections and exhibitions explore the shared history, conflicts, beliefs, trade and daily life of the peoples around the Mediterranean, ranging across anthropology, history and contemporary art and tackling themes from migration and religion to agriculture and the sea. The combination of permanent displays and ambitious temporary exhibitions, together with the spectacular setting and architecture, has made the Mucem the most visited attraction in Marseille. Reached on foot from the Vieux-Port, it is easy to include in a visit to the city. People come for the thought-provoking exhibitions on Mediterranean civilisation, for Ricciotti's remarkable building and its lacework facade, and for the rooftop walks and views across the fort and the sea. Both intellectually rich and visually stunning, the Mucem is a landmark of contemporary Marseille. Access to the Fort Saint-Jean, the gardens and the esplanade is free, while the exhibitions in the J4 are ticketed, and a visit easily fills half a day. Comfortable shoes help on the ramparts and footbridges, and the rooftop walks are best enjoyed in fine weather. Combining serious exhibitions with spectacular architecture and sea views, the Mucem is the essential cultural visit in Marseille and a symbol of the city's renewal.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: 7 Promenade Robert Laffont, Marseille, France

Website: https://www.mucem.org

Opening Date: 07/06/2013