Aix-en-Provence. You and the fountain
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Popular and balneological resorts Aix-en-Provence, located in the valley of the Arc River, at an altitude of 175 meters above sea level. Warm healing springs were discovered in this region by the Romans, and until today, calcium bicarbonate waters with a temperature of about 36°C are used for both bathing and drinking, as an auxiliary treatment for diseases of the cardiovascular, excretory and musculoskeletal systems. Spa treatments with healing waters are offered not only in countryside health centers, but also in some hotels in the city itself.
- Area: 186 km²;
- Time zone: UTC+1, summer UTC+2;
- Population: 141,200.
How to get to the city
You can get to Aix-en-Provence from Marseille - this is where the nearest international Airport, from which express buses regularly run to the city. There is also a train connection with the capital of France - the trip will take about 3 hours. high speed train, traveling from Paris to Aix-en-Provence.
Selection favorable air tickets through Aviadiscounter (searches like Aviasales + a selection of airline promotions and sales).
| From where to where | departure date | Find a ticket |
|
Brussels → Marseille | ||
|
Nantes → Marseille | ||
|
Palermo → Marseille | ||
|
London → Marseille | ||
|
Lille → Marseille | ||
|
Rome → Marseille | ||
|
Eindhoven → Marseille | ||
|
Catania → Marseille | ||
|
Olbia → Marseille | ||
|
Strasbourg → Marseille | ||
|
Split → Marseille | ||
|
Warsaw → Marseille | ||
|
Venice → Marseille | ||
|
Vienna → Marseille | ||
|
Lisbon → Marseille | ||
|
Barcelona → Marseille | ||
|
Bordeaux → Marseille | ||
|
Berlin → Marseille | ||
|
Valencia → Marseille | ||
|
Malaga → Marseille | ||
|
Biarritz → Marseille | ||
|
Krakow → Marseille | ||
|
Saint Petersburg → Marseille | ||
|
Bucharest → Marseille | ||
|
Nador → Marseille | ||
|
Loix → Marseille | ||
|
Tunisia → Marseille | ||
|
Naples → Marseille | ||
|
Faro → Marseille | ||
|
Kutaisi → Marseille | ||
|
Milan → Marseille | ||
|
Cologne → Marseille | ||
|
Porto → Marseille | ||
|
Prague → Marseille | ||
|
Moscow → Marseille | ||
|
Seville → Marseille | ||
|
Madrid → Marseille | ||
|
Lyon → Marseille | ||
|
Fes → Marseille | ||
|
Alicante → Marseille | ||
|
Paris → Marseille | ||
|
Dusseldorf → Marseille | ||
|
Bologna → Marseille | ||
|
Ibiza → Marseille | ||
|
Yerevan → Marseille | ||
|
Monastir → Marseille | ||
|
Puerto Del Rosario → Marseille | ||
|
Luxembourg → Marseille | ||
|
Turin → Marseille | ||
|
Algeria → Marseille | ||
|
Toulouse → Marseille | ||
|
Bastia → Marseille | ||
|
Glasgow → Marseille | ||
|
Nice → Marseille | ||
|
Budapest → Marseille | ||
|
Hamburg → Marseille | ||
|
Dublin → Marseille | ||
|
Alghero → Marseille | ||
|
Geneva → Marseille | ||
|
Marrakesh → Marseille | ||
|
Djerba → Marseille | ||
|
Essaouira → Marseille | ||
|
Frankfurt am Main → Marseille | ||
|
Agadir → Marseille | ||
|
Santander → Marseille | ||
|
Mulhouse → Marseille | ||
|
Belgrade → Marseille | ||
|
Manchester → Marseille | ||
|
Ajaccio → Marseille | ||
|
Hannover → Marseille |
Aix-en-Provence is a charming aristocratic town in the south of France, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, located between Marseille and the Luberon mountains, among healing thermal springs. For many centuries, it was and still remains the cultural center of Provence with a huge number of festivals held here. With one of France's oldest universities and the European Academy of Music, the city is bustling with students and has the feel of a vibrant creative laboratory. The special charm of Aix-en-Provence is added by medieval stone-paved streets, luxurious palaces of the Provençal nobility, made in the Italian Baroque style of the 17th-18th centuries, elegant facades of ancient estates with sophisticated openwork wrought-iron balconies and a huge variety of fountains. This southern French town is considered the center of antiques in Provence: at local flea markets and numerous antique shops, collectors and antique lovers from all over the world are constantly “rummaging” in search of relics.
The balneological resorts of Aix-en-Provence, located in the Arc River valley, at an altitude of 175 meters above sea level, are also popular. Warm healing springs were discovered in this region by the Romans, and until today, calcium bicarbonate waters with a temperature of about 36°C are used for both bathing and drinking, as an auxiliary treatment for diseases of the cardiovascular, excretory and musculoskeletal systems. Spa treatments with healing waters are offered not only in country health centers, but also in some hotels in the city itself.
- Area: 186 km²;
- Time zone: UTC+1, summer UTC+2;
- Population: 141,200.
How to get to the city
You can get to Aix-en-Provence from Marseille - this is where the nearest international airport is located, from which express buses regularly run to the city. There is also a train connection with the capital of France - a trip on a high-speed train from Paris to Aix-en-Provence will take about 3 hours.
A selection of profitable air tickets through Aviadiscounter (searches like Aviasales + a selection of airline promotions and sales).
| From where to where | departure date | Find a ticket |
|
Brussels → Marseille | ||
|
Nantes → Marseille | ||
|
Palermo → Marseille | ||
|
London → Marseille | ||
|
Lille → Marseille | ||
|
Rome → Marseille | ||
|
Eindhoven → Marseille | ||
|
Catania → Marseille | ||
|
Olbia → Marseille | ||
|
Strasbourg → Marseille | ||
|
Split → Marseille | ||
|
Warsaw → Marseille | ||
|
Venice → Marseille | ||
|
Vienna → Marseille | ||
|
Lisbon → Marseille | ||
|
Barcelona → Marseille | ||
|
Bordeaux → Marseille | ||
|
Berlin → Marseille | ||
|
Valencia → Marseille | ||
|
Malaga → Marseille | ||
|
Biarritz → Marseille | ||
|
Krakow → Marseille | ||
|
Saint Petersburg → Marseille | ||
|
Bucharest → Marseille | ||
|
Nador → Marseille | ||
|
Loix → Marseille | ||
|
Tunisia → Marseille | ||
|
Naples → Marseille | ||
|
Faro → Marseille | ||
|
Kutaisi → Marseille | ||
|
Milan → Marseille | ||
|
Cologne → Marseille | ||
|
Porto → Marseille | ||
|
Prague → Marseille | ||
|
Moscow → Marseille | ||
|
Seville → Marseille | ||
|
Madrid → Marseille | ||
|
Lyon → Marseille | ||
|
Fes → Marseille | ||
|
Alicante → Marseille | ||
|
Paris → Marseille | ||
|
Dusseldorf → Marseille | ||
|
Bologna → Marseille | ||
|
Ibiza → Marseille | ||
|
Yerevan → Marseille | ||
|
Monastir → Marseille | ||
|
Puerto Del Rosario → Marseille | ||
|
Luxembourg → Marseille | ||
|
Turin → Marseille | ||
|
Algeria → Marseille | ||
|
Toulouse → Marseille | ||
|
Bastia → Marseille | ||
|
Glasgow → Marseille | ||
|
Nice → Marseille | ||
|
Budapest → Marseille | ||
|
Hamburg → Marseille | ||
|
Dublin → Marseille | ||
|
Alghero → Marseille | ||
|
Geneva → Marseille | ||
|
Marrakesh → Marseille | ||
|
Djerba → Marseille | ||
|
Essaouira → Marseille | ||
|
Frankfurt am Main → Marseille | ||
|
Agadir → Marseille | ||
|
Santander → Marseille | ||
|
Mulhouse → Marseille | ||
|
Belgrade → Marseille | ||
|
Manchester → Marseille | ||
|
Ajaccio → Marseille | ||
|
Hannover → Marseille |
North of Marseille.
Aix-en-Provence was founded in 123 BC. Roman consul Gaius Sextus Calvinus.
In the 5th century Aix-en-Provence was conquered by the Visigoths, then the city passed to the Franks and Lombards until it was captured by the Saracens in 731, and liberated in 737 by Charles Martel, who went down in history as the liberator of Europe from Arab invaders.
During the Middle Ages, Aix-en-Provence was the capital of Provence.
And, starting from the 12th century, it became a city of art and education.
In the 15th century Aix-en-Provence passed to the French kingdom.
Now Aix-en-Provence is one of the most beautiful and elegant cities in Provence, a rich, bourgeois city with beautiful architecture, numerous cafes and restaurants, attracting crowds of tourists and vacationers, which is bustling with cheerful student life and hosts a variety of cultural events.
Wide Boulevard Mirabeau (cours Mirabeau) was founded in 1650, it is surrounded by ancient houses (XVI-XVIII centuries) and decorated with fountains, lush trees create a green tunnel and create a shady coolness.
Fountain on Boulevard Mirabeau. Aix-en-Provence. France.
Boulevard Mirabeau. Aix-en-Provence. France.
Among the numerous cafes and restaurants, Deux Garcons (house 53), built in 1792, stands out. Paul Cezanne, Emile Zola and Ernes Hemingway loved to visit it. And nearby, in house No. 55, the famous artist Paul Cezanne spent his childhood years.
Passage Agar.
On the other side of Boulevard Mirabeau is the Mazarin quarter. Here in the second half of the 17th century. The residence of the brother of Cardinal Mazarin was located and the nobles of Aix built their magnificent mansions. Nowadays there are chic shops, art galleries, and antique shops here.
On the other side of the boulevard there is a bright, noisy and colorful market, the epicenter of which is Place de Verdun.
Aix-en-Provence. France.
Aix-en-Provence. France.
Narrow streets lead to a cozy square with a clock tower, erected in 1661. The small square is lined with tables and cafes located here. There is a fountain in the center (1756)
Aix-en-Provence. France.
Aix-en-Provence. France.
Nearby is another charming square - lace des Cardeurs, decorated with an Italian-style esplanade and an original fountain, erected in 1977 according to the design of Jean Amado.
Aix-en-Provence. France.
Aix-en-Provence. France.
Up the busy street Gaston de Saporta you can go to Cathedral, which is located in the former Roman forum. The first cathedral on this site was built in the 5th century. Since then, the cathedral was rebuilt several times, until the 17th century, when it received a Gothic portal. Inside the cathedral there are works of art from the 15th-17th centuries, including a triptych (15th century) depicting King René the Good and his wife (Rene the Good became Duke of Provence in 1434); it is also worth paying attention to the font of the 5th century.
There are many universities located in the city; this tradition dates back to Louis II of Anjou, who in 1409 gave universities privileges.
Traditional flatbreads from Provence – fougasse– baked from wheat flour with cheese.
Fougasse. Aix-en-Provence. France.
Interesting local sweets - calisson, which are made from candied almonds and fruit.
Aix-en-Provence is the most charming, sophisticated and aristocratic city in Provence - France. Having driven just 30 km from bustling Marseille, you will find yourself in another world, in which the imposing atmosphere of bygone eras still reigns, and the cobblestones of the boulevards still remember the promenades of aristocrats and the sound of the wheels of luxury carriages.
Aix-en-Provence owes its formation to the Romans, who discovered here thermal source, and in its heyday - to King Rene of Anjou. It was during the reign of “good Rene” that the city became cultural capital France, which attracts artists, writers, and actors.
Aix-en-Provence – a special atmosphere of aristocracy and comfort
If you look at a map of the city, the exquisite and once majestic Aix-en-Provence consists of narrow winding streets with rather sparse buildings. Here the squares are paved with paving stones, and the magnificent fountains, the splashes of which sparkle in the rays of the Mediterranean sun, delight the eye. Aix is often called the “city of a hundred and one fountains”; the most original of them are located on Mirabeau Boulevard, culminating in the majestic Rotunda fountain.
The historical capital of Provence, which once was Aix-en-Provence, has many colorful mansions, the architecture of which displays the strict features of 17th-century classicism and the casual elegance of Baroque. The history of almost all villas in Aix is centuries old.
The old town is the more ancient part of Aix-en-Provence - the “abode” of tourists, life is constantly in full swing here. Fashionable boutiques and respectable restaurants, cozy cafes and souvenir shops. But you just have to cross Mirabeau Boulevard and you will see a completely different Aix-en-Provence - pompous, imposing and aristocratic. The Mazarin quarter is a place where celebrities, ministers and the highest aristocracy have built mansions over the centuries. Luxurious villas still hide the lives of their inhabitants behind high wrought-iron fences and lush vegetation.
Aix-en-Provence is the historical capital of Provence - the city where the great impressionist Paul Cézanne was born. Yes, the painter often visited Marseilles and Paris, he even lived there for quite a long time, but he was always drawn to Aix. Cezanne immortalized the landscapes of Provence in his canvases; the painter's favorite object was Mount Sainte-Victoire. The great artist considered Aix-en-Provence his inspiration - the town really makes even skeptics admire it.
In the Mazarin quarter, next to the Cathedral of St. Jean of Malta, the grandeur of which is clearly conveyed even in photographs, is the Granet Museum, where you can see many of the paintings of the great Paul Cézanne. Tourists who come to Aix-en-Provence can also admire the works of other artists and sculptors - Jean Dominique Ingres, Anthony van Dyck, Nicolas de Staël, Rembrandt.
Sights of Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence is worth visiting not only to enjoy its unique, sophisticated atmosphere. The sights of Aix are worth seeing with your own eyes and taking several hundred photos.
The “pearl” of Aix-en-Provence is rightfully considered the Cathedral of Saint-Sauveur (Holy Savior), where you can see a masterpiece of Provençal painting of the 15th century - the triptych “The Burning Bush”, painted by Nicolas Froment. Commissioned a painting masterpiece by “good Rene,” the monarch to whom Aix-en-Provence owes its flourishing and transformation into Cultural Center France.
Old Aix, in the language of tourist guides, is “a museum under open air" - one big attraction. You can wander for hours in this part of Aix-en-Provence, clearly defined by boulevards. The wonderful weather for which Aix is famous allows for walks at any time of the year. You don’t have to think through the route, architectural monuments, picturesque fountains, colorful cafes - interesting objects will meet you at every step.
Saturday, Thursday and Tuesday are the days when the center of Aix-en-Provence is filled with markets. On Place Richelme, farmers sell fruits and vegetables, the street of Marseille turns into a huge “ocean”, here you can buy any seafood and fish. The Hôtel de Ville square becomes a real flower plantation - in Aix-en-Provence, Flora's children are sold from all over France. A flea market opens on Place Verdun, where you can buy antiques for literally a few euros. It is in Aix that many world-famous collectors replenish their collections.
Aix-en-Provence is an aristocratic city with ancient history and traditions, living a modern life. Music and art festivals are constantly held here; planning a trip to Aix will take you on a journey back in time. The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, which includes Aix-en-Provence, is the most popular among tourists who come here in the hope of “feeling the true France.” Want some fun? Just two hours along the highway and you will be in Nice - the favorite resort of celebrities and bohemians.
