Saint-Charles and Longchamp

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.

Palais Longchamp is an imposing edifice, that was built in the 1862 on the Longchamp plateau to take care of the water that came from the new Durance canal, that was constructed to solve the city's shortage of water in the 16th century. On the two wings hold together with the colonade, Musée Grobet Labadié, Musée des Beaux Arts and the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle (the former zoo that has been converted to a park) are located.

Palais Longchamp was designed in Second Empire architecture by Espérandieu, who also designed Nôtre-Dame de la Garde. The structure also contains a water tower behind the water fall.

The structure was decorated by famous sculptors and painters.

The backside of Palais Longchamp. A park (formerly a zoo) is situated on the higher part of the complex.

View from Palais Longchamp to Boulevard Longchamp.

Gare de Marseille Saint-Charles, one of the most famous train stations in France.

The decorations of Saint-Charles, Marseille´s main railway station.

The stairs to Saint-Charles station (blury picture taken from the car).

A gold statue of Virgin Maria, just like the one on top of Nôtre-Dame de la Garde.

The new tram at Boulevard Longchamp J. Thierry, that goes from Palais Longchamp to the Reform Church (Church of Saint Vincent-du-Pau).

View from just next to Palais Longchamp. We took the metro (for the only time in Marseille) to reach this palace and water tower.