Notre-Dame de la Garde

The neo-Byzantine basilica sits on the highest ground in Marseille, gilded Virgin on top, serving as a landmark for anyone arriving by sea. Inside, past the mosaics and coloured marble, the affecting part is the ex-votos: model ships, paintings and objects hung by generations of Marseillais for lives returned from the water.

Come for the view as much as the church — from the terrace the port basin, the forts and the Frioul islands finally arrange themselves into one map. The climb is steep and unshaded, which matters more than the distance.