26th Centenary Park

Located in the heart of Marseille, the 26th Centennial Park covers 10.5 hectares. It was developed on the site of the former Prado train station.


Although the park is very contemporary in design, it is nevertheless part of the city's shared memory, making reference to the twenty-six centuries of history of the city. Some of the remains of the station are witnesses to a past that is still alive in the memories of many Marseilles residents.
Water is omnipresent and echoes the "Tree of Hope" that stands at the main entrance.

Four thematic gardens symbolize the cultural mix of the population and the openness of Marseille to the world:

the Provençal Garden, structured in terraces
the Oriental Garden, of Arab-Andalusian style
the African Garden, animated by dunes
the Asian Garden, reminiscent of Japanese gardens
The plants are arranged according to their shape and their ability to illustrate or evoke the desired style. These are not botanical gardens, in the scientific sense of the term, because the plants are not selected according to their true area of origin.
In fact, the people of Marseille, thanks to their large port, have always been in contact with the Mediterranean, but also with Africa, the Middle and the Far East. Thus, different plant species have managed to acclimatize in Marseille.

In 2005, this park obtained the label "Remarkable Garden" from the Ministry of Culture.

In this 21st century park, the walker discovers a paved and planted mall, bordered by a canal with 26 water jets and a shed, a vestige of the old train station, which now houses a tea room.
The landscaped park is composed of a 30,000 square meter lake overlooked by a belvedere that offers a view of Notre-Dame de la Garde and the hills of Saint-Cyr.
It also has a bowling green and two playgrounds for children.
Conference and exhibition rooms have also been built near the main entrance, on the Place de la Fontaine de l'Espérance.

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