Jardin des Vestiges (Garden of Ruins), Marseille

Marseille seems to have been here forever—and in the Garden of Ruins, you can see traces of a port that dates back more than 2,000 years. Foundation stones still bear the masons’ marks of ancient Greek and Roman builders, a tangible link to the city’s earliest days.

Imagine the sound of wooden ships creaking against stone quays and the bustle of merchants along the waterfront. The remains of this ancient port were unearthed during excavations for the nearby Bourse Shopping Center, revealing layers of Marseille’s maritime past. Some of the structures and artifacts on display date as far back as the 6th century BCE.

The garden was designed and developed by Joël-Louis Martin, a renowned landscape architect, and is managed by the Museum of Marseille. Visitors can clearly see the outlines of wharves, docks, and storage areas that once formed the heart of one of the Mediterranean’s busiest trading hubs.
The Garden of Ruins is accessible with a ticket purchased from the Museum of Marseille. Informational panels in English, French, and Italian guide visitors through this remarkable archaeological window into the city’s ancient seafaring history.