Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations, Mediterranean civilization museum in Old Port area, Marseille, France
This concrete and glass structure connects to Fort Saint-Jean through elevated walkways, forming a complex that extends over the Mediterranean Sea entrance.
The museum opened in 2013 as part of Marseille's European Capital of Culture program, replacing the former Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions from Paris.
The museum displays 250,000 artifacts representing Mediterranean societies through permanent and temporary exhibitions focusing on European and Mediterranean connections.
Visitors can access three distinct areas: the main J4 building for exhibitions, Fort Saint-Jean for gardens, and the Conservation Center in Belle de Mai.
The museum's exterior features a dark concrete lattice shell that filters natural light and creates geometric shadows across the building's surfaces.
Location: Marseille
Inception: June 1, 2013
Architects: Rudy Ricciotti
Official opening: June 7, 2013
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Fee: Yes
Made from material: béton brut
Address: Promenade Robert Laffont
Opening Hours: May-June Monday-Sunday 10:00-19:00; November-April Monday-Sunday 10:00-18:00; July-August 10:00-20:00; Tuesday off;
Phone: +33484351300
Email: reservation@mucem.org
Website: https://mucem.org
GPS coordinates: 43.29694,5.36114
Latest update: July 31, 2025 09:04
The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region depicts a land where architecture narrates a thousand years of history between sea and mountains. From the 12th-century Cistercian abbeys to the brutalist experiments of Le Corbusier, this area features an exceptional built heritage shaped by Mediterranean light. You can find fortresses perched on rocky promontories, Romanesque monasteries where Van Gogh depicted his struggles, and contemporary museums that interact with the blue of the Mediterranean. Vineyards contain large-scale sculptures, the perched villages of Luberon display their medieval architecture in light stone, and Belle Époque villas in Cap d'Antibes mark the golden age of the Riviera. Between the limestone cliffs of the Calanques and the alpine valleys carved with prehistoric signs, Provençal architecture follows the contours of the land, capturing shadow and warmth, blending tradition and modernity. From the port of Marseille to the hanging gardens of Èze, each building bears the mark of a region where Cistercian builders, military engineers, visionary artists, and contemporary architects have inscribed their visions in stone, concrete, and landscape.
This collection gathers examples of architectural rehabilitation where former industrial sites have been transformed into new spaces for living, culture, and gatherings. These projects illustrate how contemporary architecture can give a second life to structures that marked European and North American industrial history, while maintaining their original identity. Included are the Oberhausen Gasometer, a 117-meter gas holder converted into exhibition space, the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam, an old coffee and tobacco factory turned cultural venue, and the High Line in New York, a 1930s elevated railway converted into a 2.3-kilometer urban park. The Zeche Zollverein complex in Essen showcases Bauhaus-style industrial architecture from the 1930s, while Strijp-S in Eindhoven, a former Philips production site, now hosts creative and technological studios. These sites demonstrate the possibilities offered by repurposing industrial heritage into accessible public spaces.
The route connects Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica, the old port and Calanques National Park with historical buildings. The locations display the maritime history, urban architecture and coastal landscape of Marseille.
A selection of the most popular terrace and rooftop bars in Marseille, offering panoramic views over the city and the Mediterranean. These venues allow visitors to enjoy the Mediterranean climate while savoring cocktails and refreshments from above.
Marseille Cathedral
403 m
CMA CGM Tower
2.1 km
Palais du Pharo
396 m
Fort Saint-Jean
270 m
Cathédrale de la Major
446 m
Villa Méditerranée
75 m
Grotte Cosquer
78 m
Eglise Saint-Laurent
216 m
Vieille Major
433 m
Musée de l'illusion Marseille
305 m
Hôtel de police de Marseille
426 m
Musée Regards de Provence
213 m
Théâtre antique de Marseille
300 m
Phare de Sainte Marie
352 m
Monument aux héros et victimes de la mer
339 m
Mémorial des déportations
189 m
Fort Saint-Jean
174 m
Consigne sanitaire de Marseille
293 m
Théâtre de Lenche
394 m
Bâtiment de l'ancien observatoire de Marseille
476 m
Préau des Accoules
456 m
Bench
127 m
Tour du Fanal
139 m
Mémorial des Déportations de la Ville de Marseille
185 m
Jardin Émile Duclaux
424 m
Scenic viewpoint
248 m
Jardin Missak Manouchian
501 m
Tour du roi René
286 mReviews
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