Pierre Puget Park – The Garden on the Hill

A green balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, steeped in history

Tucked into the hillside between Cours Pierre Puget and Boulevard Charles Livon, this terraced garden is at once a cool retreat, a place of memory, and a breathtaking viewpoint over the Bay of Marseille.

Created in 1801 on the remains of the lower Fort Saint-Nicolas, it is the oldest public park in Marseille. Originally known as the “Garden on the Hill”, its name evolved over time in step with France’s political changes.
👉 It was successively dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, the Bourbon monarchy, and finally to Pierre Puget, a renowned local artist whose name now also graces the boulevard leading to the park from the old town.

🧱 An Italian-style garden, with a Marseille touch

The garden follows the style of Italian Renaissance gardens, with its monumental staircases, stone balustrades, statues, fountains, and terraced levels. Each landing offers a different view of the city and the sea. As you climb higher, the panorama opens onto the Old Port, Fort Saint-Jean, the cathedral La Major, and the Frioul Islands in the distance.

The paths are shaded by hackberry trees, cypresses, and umbrella pines, many over a century old. The atmosphere blends 19th-century romanticism with a subtle civic spirit, making this park both poetic and reflective.

🗿 Monuments and remarkable figures

This garden isn’t just for strolling—it's also a quiet memorial space dedicated to great minds and humanist achievements:

• A monument to Abbé Dassy (1808–1866), founder of the institutes for blind and deaf children, whose buildings still line the park’s lower level.

• The former Bonaparte Column, originally erected in Napoleon’s honor, now topped with a bust of Pierre Puget.

• A tribute to Louis Braille, inventor of the tactile writing system that transformed education for the visually impaired.

• And since 1991, the main entrance on Cours Pierre Puget has been graced by a statue of Pierre Puget by sculptor Henri Lombard.

🧭 A place to pause, reflect, and take in the view

Still off the radar of most tourists, the park is a well-kept local secret. Come here to:

• enjoy sweeping views over the city and the sea,

• rest in the shade of tall trees,

• listen to birdsong and the rustling of leaves,

• and simply breathe in the spirit of Marseille.

📌 Key info

• Names: Parc Pierre Puget / Garden on the Hill

• Founded: 1801, during the First French Empire

• Style: Italian-style, romantic garden

• Views: Old Port, harbor, Frioul Islands, Notre-Dame de la Garde

• Entrances: Cours Pierre Puget (main), Rue des Lices, Boulevard Charles Livon

• Highlights: Monuments to Abbé Dassy, Louis Braille, Pierre Puget (bust and statue), Bonaparte Column

• Vibe: Quiet, non-touristy, family-friendly