Aix-en-Provence

The City of a Thousand Fountains and Cézanne's hometown. The plane-tree-shaded Cours Mirabeau, its fountains and its markets make it Provence's most elegant city life.

Aix-en-Provence lies 30 km north of Marseille. It was once the seat of the Counts of Provence and their parliament. Its 17th- and 18th-century aristocratic mansions and more than a hundred fountains earned it the nickname City of a Thousand Fountains. The city's central axis is the Cours Mirabeau, 440 m long and shaded by four rows of plane trees. On its north side are cafés. Les Deux Garçons, opened in 1792, was once a hangout of Cézanne and Zola, and it was under reconstruction after a fire in 2019. On its south side stand aristocratic mansions. Among the four fountains along the avenue, the Fontaine moussue (Mossy Fountain) releases 34°C hot spring water, and the round-domed La Rotonde fountain at the western end is the city's landmark. North of the avenue is the old town (Vieil Aix), with a flower market on Hôtel de Ville square (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings), produce and Provençal fabric markets on the old town squares, and the Cathedral of St. Saviour, home to the triptych The Burning Bush. South of the avenue is the Quartier Mazarin, with its Four Dolphins Fountain. Cézanne was born here in 1839 and died here in 1906. Outside the city to the north, you can visit the Atelier Cézanne (preserved as it was, reservation required, about €10), the Painters' Path (Terrain des Peintres) overlooking Mont Sainte-Victoire, and the Bibémus quarry. The Granet Museum holds several of his paintings. The local specialty is calisson, an almond confection recorded since 1473. Getting there: the airport bus from Marseille takes 30 minutes, and the shuttle from Aix TGV station to the city center takes 20 minutes. The old town is entirely walkable, and half a day to a full day is enough. Almost all shops are closed on Sundays.

Aix-en-Provence

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