The railway station Gare Saint Charles

Since its inauguration in 1848 to its refurbishment in 2007, the railways station Gare Saint Charles has been able to show it its 15 million annual visitors a number of remarkable particularities.

The station has been built in a cul-de-sac, following the same model as the Parisian stations. It is a terminus station whereby trains cannot go through it, and are forced to stop there.

In 1925, the steps of the station were built to improve its architectural quality. They are a reminder of what the station used to be in its early days. The steps, which are listed as ‘historical monument’, are filled with sculptures at its sides and offer stunning views of the Phocean city.

And Saint Charles is, and has always been, at the crossroads of the visitors coming from the North of Europe in the hope of getting to the Mediterranean countries. Now only three hours from Paris, the station has been a victim of his own success: with a passenger traffic which has doubled since 2000, its renovation and modernization was inevitable.

2007 – change of scenery

10 years of refurbishment, 200 million Euros of investments, a glass roof of 6,400 square metres, 64 white stone columns, 24 large reconstituted pine trees, around 20 shops to satisfy the 45,000 daily visitors, that’s for the figures for the new Euromeditaterean version of the station.

The car parks, the basements, the ticket counters, the signalling cabin, the outside pavements and the one-minute parking have already been seriously refurbished.  The Motorway A7 is now easier to access since the opening of a tunnel under the station. Now better equipped, better integrated into its surroundings, easier to access and safer, the station is now able to positively respond to the mass increase in traffic it has generated.

Marseilles – a postcard

As Marseilles is made of 111 different neighborhoods, describing it in only a few lines cannot do it justice.

Nevertheless, certain areas cannot be ignored, typical areas which describe it well and which make it a unique place.

Ask the visitors. In a recent survey, visitors could cite only three places in Marseilles, built 26 centuries ago, and first marina of France.

Firstly, there is the View Port. This is an unavoidable spot for the tourists wishing to get a real feel for the city. People speak loudly, are prone to exaggeration but one never gets bored of the cliché it represents.  The fish market and its numerous visitors come there everyday, between the Fort St Jean and the Palais du Pharo. Of Marseilles, tourists also know the “Canebière“, the famous avenue bordered by the impressive Bourse of the 19th Century. Tourists will also have heard of Our Lady of the Garde.

Situated 162 metres above sea level, it is called the “Good Mother”, by reference to the immense statue it backs.

It is an important site of contemplation for all the inhabitants of Marseilles during special events. With a bit of luck, visitors may also be able to see the players of the Olympique de Marseilles, who will come in to light a candle before the matches.

For the OM, legend has it that the stadium was first built, followed by the City which was built around it. This shows that the football club and its 60,000 capacity stadium are strong elements of the “Marseilles Culture”. By being the only French football club to have won the UEFA Champions League, the OM is the pride of all the inhabitants of Marseilles.

The Calanques, a little corner of paradise
This is for the inner Marseilles, which is lodged between the mountain mass of the Estaque in the North, of the Etoile and Garlaban in the East and the Calanques in the South. In addition, Marseilles also offers to its bravest visitors a number of hikes. The Calanques constitute, with its 160km of paths, an immense natural and sports resources. The Calanques themselves are named Port-Pin, Sormiou, En-Vau, Morgiou and Sugiton, and are spread over 20km between the villages of Goudes and Cassis. They can be accessed on foot or by bike.

It is possible to practice rock climbing at all levels, scuba-diving, hiking or simply swimming, with wide eyes to take in the beauty of the landscape! The archipelago of the Frioul and its Chateau d’If are also remarkable, and are an oddity, at 5km from the coast.

These are four little islands which shelter about one hundred inhabitants in the winter, but are rapidly invaded by tourists in the summer, their number then being incalculable.
Your Marseilles stay could then finish at this point, you would have seen its most important ssites.

If however you wish to go beyond the tourist track and go a little further in your discovery of the Phocean City, you could go to the Palais Longchamps, to the Church of the Reformed St-Vincent de Paul, to the Vallon des Auffes, Place Castellane or to the Hôtel Dieu. You will also have to sample an aïoli, some tapenade or a good bouillabaisse, all traditional Marseilles dishes. The second City of France will no longer have any secrets for you.