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City and commune in Southern France
Photo: Ketounette, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Aix-en-Provence (usually simply called Aix) is a small, classically Provençal town. It is famous for being the home of the artist Paul Cézanne. The arrival of the TGV (high-speed train) station has brought lots of vacationers from the north, and Aix has turned into a shopping town with high variety and representation considering its small size. Three universities and several French-language schools for international students produce a very strong student presence.
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The main promenade of the town. Market on Tu Th Sa mornings.
The biggest fountain in Aix.
Built as a Carmelite monastery.
Mairie
The former Corn Exchange.
Appeal Court
Musée des Tapisseries
Built and re-built from the 12th until the 19th century, it includes Romanesque, Gothic and Neo-Gothic elements, as well as Roman columns and parts of the baptistery from a 6th-century Christian church. It is a national monument of France. Tours daily every 30 minutes from 10:00-12:00 and from 14:30-17:30, except Sunday morning.
A rare example of an architecture of French Revolution.
Gallery dedicated to the works of the Hungarian-born French Op Art painter Victor Vasarely.
Museum devoted to painting, sculpture and the archeology of Aix. Part of the collection is on a second site 300 metres away.
Cézanne's studio
Obtain tickets via link on website. Guided tours & Audio Guide are available in English.
Le Musée du Vieil Aix
Small museum dedicated to the history & heritage of Aix. Free on first Sunday of month.
Former home of Paul Cezanne. Closed for renovation as of Oct 2023.
Art centre in old house built in 1715 for the marquis de Cabannes. Has substantial gardens. Tickets can be purchased on-line.
A popular place that will fill you up with delicious and authentic crêpes for only a few euros.
A very good restaurant very famous for locals. It proposes simple and reasonably cheap French food in a friendly atmosphere.
A lovely restaurant, family owned, this little establishment is "very french," very friendly, and perhaps the best food you'll find for around €15 (June 2015). It also has a courtyard in back.
It offers a wide range of delicious fondues. The Normande, made with apple cider instead of kirsch, is lovely, and the Provençale is sublime.
American food with high quality local products. A small establishment in the American style in the city centre.
Modern and experimental cuisine, 2 set menus, and à la carte at a higher price
A lovely place for a romantic meal and Provençal-styled fare, though somewhat pricey.
Good quality and price in the centre.
Very cheap.
Nice four-star hotel with pool, garden and hammam. Breakfast included normally, served on terrace looking into gardens and pool area. Drinks fairly expensive. Nice flat easy walk to town centre.
A small food market takes place at the Place Richelme every morning.
By bus
By plane
Fly into Marseille or Nice. Marseille is nearer (just south), but budget airlines such as EasyJet prefer Nice.
By car
If you come from anywhere up north you will most likely use the A7 motorway (Route du Soleil) that runs from Lyon to Marseille (whether you come from Switzerland or from the UK via Paris).
Aix is a fairly small city and can be easily navigated by foot. Within the city centre, electric microbuses called La Diabline provide service on 3 routes every 10 minutes (€0.60, Oct 2023).
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Marignane, Bouches-du-Rhône · International · MRS
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