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Aix en Provence
Aix en Provence is Marseille's better-behaved, slightly younger brother. Founded in 123 BC by the Romans, Aix (pronounced "X") is today a lively university town with elegant, aristocratic old quarters, squares lined with cafes and cooled by fountains and a very vibrant arts scene.
"Its good taste comes so naturally that not even the students can disturb it," observed the travel writer Marcel Renébon. "It was the last city in France to give up its sedan chairs."
Our gallery previews some of Aix's exquisite pleasures. Scroll down the page to read more about them.
Click here to book a hotel in Aix en Provence
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- Practical Information: Aix
Aix en Provence is a compact city and many major sights around the Cours Mirabeau, Mazarin Quarter and Old Town can easily be visited on foot. But, if you want to rest your feet or venture further afield, there are various alternatives.
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- What To See: Aix
On most weekdays, the Old Town of Aix turns into a giant extended market where you can browse delicious regional produce in an exquisite historical setting.
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- Practical Information: Aix
It's a pleasure to go shopping in Aix en Provence with its varied street markets and quality stores, all within an easy stroll round the elegant city centre.
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- What To See: Aix
The Cours Mirabeau is one of Europe's great boulevards. The first thing you're likely to see when you arrive, it cuts a dash of Parisian Left Bank chic and sophistication under the sun of Provence.
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- Practical Information: Aix
Finding great - and great-value - restaurants is surprisingly difficult in Aix, despite its wealth, size and importance as a tourist destination, although there are some delightful hidden gems.
Created in 1976 by the father of Op Art, the Fondation Vasarely has been eroded for decades by a family dispute. But a major restoration programme is well underway and this visionary centre remains a key destination for anyone interested in modern art.
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- What To See: Aix
Aix's Old Town is perfectly poised to seduce the visitor with its winding streets, craft shops, boutiques, restaurants, elegant squares, refreshing fountains, markets - and all steeped in centuries, if not millennia, of history.
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- Paul Cézanne
The studio where Cézanne worked till the end of his life, the Atelier des Lauves is steeped in the artist's personality. It displays his painting materials and personal belongings as if he had just popped out for air.
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- Practical Information: Aix
It's no accident that Aix en Provence is full of sundials. The city has over 300 days of sunshine a year and, in July, temperatures can quite easily reach 30 degrees Celsius or 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
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- What To See: Aix
Aix en Provence is a city, whose pleasures - wine, art, history, culture - are very adult ones. But there are plenty of fun options here for children too.
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- Paul Cézanne
The Jas de Bouffan is the intensely atmospheric mansion where Paul Cézanne worked, on and off, for 40 years and produced some of his greatest art.
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- Paul Cézanne
Hidden in a pine forest high on a sandstone plateau, the brooding Bibémus Quarries are a majestic location and Paul Cézanne mined them for inspiration at the peak of his career.
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- What To See: Aix
In the countryside just outside Aix en Provence, Puyricard, a luxury chocolate factory offers tours, courses and, of course, chocolates for sale. It also has an extraordinary story behind it.
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- Paul Cézanne
In a couple of hours you can connect with Paul Cézanne's spirit on a leisurely self-guided walk through the heart of Aix past many of his haunts.
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- Practical Information: Aix
A lively university town with a large expatriate community, Aix has good resources for English-speakers. Here's a checklist plus the nearest embassies, consulates, doctors, lawyers and emergency phone numbers.
Once a sleepy provincial gallery, the Granet Museum has, thanks to some important loans and bequests, built up a fine collection of modern art over the last decade and now stages several major exhibitions a year.
New
2 Oct: Colour runs in Marseille and Toulon
9 Oct: Discover secret Marseille - by bike!
Paul Cezanne - and Aix - star in new movie
Marseille's music fests from hip-hop to jazz
Autumn in Provence: why to come here now
New show in Marseille: the dream in art
1 Oct: Free fun at the Miramas Train Festival
A brand-new rice wine - made in France
Luminessences in Avignon's Palais des Papes
Septembre en mer: Marseile fêtes the sea
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