Воскресенье, 09 Октября 2011 г. 09:00
+ в цитатник
Skylines of Marseille
Most French people don´t like highrises, especially in southern France since they claim that tall buildings would block their views of the beautiful nature. But in Marseille, there are huge amount of residential highrise for poor people and people with middle incomes in the suburbs. In the outskirts of central Marseille, there are also office highrises in a boxy modernist style. The first multi apartment complex in the world, Le Corbusier's famous Unité d'Habitation, that also was the first building in the world with a Brutalist architecture, is situated in the outskirts of Marseille. And now the city is constructing its first skyscraper, Tour CGA CGM, in the modern part of the harbour, not far from the city center. Some tall churches also help up the skyline a bit. The surrounding mountains make the skyline look interesting anyway.
Nôtre-Dame de la Garde and its views
There is a tourist train that drove us up the 162 m high limestone outcrop ( just above the historical city center) where the fascinating basilica Nôtre-Dame de la Garde stands.The train sometimes felt like a rollercoaster, since it was driving in a high speed down some hills, just next to the steep slopes!
St-Charles is the district where Marseille's most important railway station, with the same name, is situated. Longchamp is an imposing structure, constructed in the 1800s to lead the water.
The Old Port, Vieux-Port, is perhaps the nicest part of Marseille, where most of the tourists like to hang around. This area (and La Canebière) feels less dangerous than many other parts of the city. Panier is the historic district just west of the old port, with hills with narrow streets filled with old rundown buildings and poor people.Old Port is guarded by two massive forts.The northern quayside was rebuilt by the architect Fernand Pouillon after the destruction by the Nazis in 1943.
Belsunce is the most centrally located district of Marseille.The city center of Marseille is very compact, so it is possible to walk around it. From the foot of the cathedral Église des Réformés, La Canebière, that is the main avenue in the city center, begins. The avenues of Marseille are not even near as wide as the ones of Marseille, and the city center mainly consist of narrow streets and old rundown buildings.