aix calissons smallOn 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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This gallery, photographed on an early spring morning, gives you a foretaste of what to expect. Scroll down for details of what markets are on when and where and click here to read a general guide to shopping in Aix en Provence.

Flower market on the Town Hall square in Aix en Provence

The last couple of years have seen huge disruptions to Aix's market scene, with the complete renovation of the "three squares" (Prêcheurs-Madeleine-Verdun) in the Old Town. During this period all the stalls had to move to temporary locations.

But the works are now finally complete and the farmers' market is back in its traditional spot on the three squares. Actually they are now one enormous open space, the largest square in Aix.

It's sometimes referred to as the places comtales, referring back to the mediaeval era when Provence was a comté (county).

Whatever you want to call it, over 100 stalls can be found here on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays until 1pm. There is also a smaller market daily on the place Richelme.

Around 30 craft stalls are on the rue Thiers linking these squares with the Cours Mirabeau, where the clothes market (Tues, Thurs, Sat) remains, unaffected by the changes.

 

At the bottom of the Cours Mirabeau, the antiques are on La Rotonde and the place des Combattants d'Afrique du Nord, which leads directly off it (Tues, Thurs, Sat).

The flower market is held on the place de l'Hôtel de Ville on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and on the place des Prêcheurs on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The centre of Aix is compact and you can easily walk here. If you need to take public transport, the little mini-buses called diablines will take you to the market area.

Following all those building works, parking spaces are now very difficult to come by in this part of town. If you are driving into Aix, your best bet is the Parking Rambot on the edge of the city.

markets of provence smallWarning: If you really need to drive into the centre, do pay special attention to the no-parking signs on market days, as both the police and the tow-away companies patrol these areas zealously.

Useful phone numbers are the police station, (+33) 4 42 91 91 11, and the car pound, or fourrière in French, (+33) 4 42 20 37 54.

Finally, Markets of Provence is a comprehensive new guide to exactly that by the American travel writer Marjorie R Williams.

It's a survey of the best markets all across the region with interviews, background featurettes and useful tips and you can buy a copy on Amazon here. Click here to read our full review.

Photo credits: all images © SJ for Marvellous Provence.

 

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