Abbaye Saint Victor is a working Catholic church, which was founded back in the 11th century as an abbey and named for the Roman soldier and Christian martyr Victor of Marseille. Much of the abbey was destroyed in 1794, with the austere church and crypts remaining.

Visitors call the abbey simple – and somehow stunning in its stark design. Others highly recommend paying the 2 euros for access to the unique crypts. 

You can visit the basilica for free, but admission to the crypts costs 2 euros (about $2.50). The basilica and crypts are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, and there is Saturday Mass at 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Sunday Mass at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., and weekday Mass at 6:30 p.m. You can download a free audio tour (available in English) to your smartphone if you want to learn more as you wander through Abbaye Saint-Victor, which is located in Vieux Port. For more information, visit the Abbaye Saint Victor's website.