Discover the Magic of Aix-en-Provence and the Stories Behind the Picture Perfect Town

If ever there was a town that made you want to move to France, it’s Aix-en-Provence. Apart from the fact that it’s in one of the most talked about regions of France, Provence, with lavender fields and fabulous cafe life, there is more to this place than meets the eye.

For 2,000 years, this city has been pulling people in, first as a Roman spa town, then as the seat of Provençal power, and finally as the obsession of a painter.

The light here is spectacular, and you can completely understand the draw of artists. But it’s more than that. Something special happens when you walk the streets, and it’s magic draws you in further. Before you visit, take five minutes to discover its history as it will help you plan your trip.

Walking Tour of Aix-en-Provence

Why the Romans Built a City Here

In 123 BC, a Roman consul, Gaius Sextius Calvinus, destroyed a Celtic-Ligurian hillfort called Entremont and built a military camp at its base. He chose the spot because thermal springs bubbled up from the ground.

He named it Aquae Sextiae. The Waters of Sextius.

Those springs are why Aix exists. The Romans built baths around them, and people came for the healing properties of the mineral-rich water. The city sat on the Via Aurelia, the road connecting Italy to Spain, which made it strategically important and commercially viable.

You can still see the natural hot water fountain halfway down Cours Mirabeau today, and in 1705 they built a spa near the original Roman baths. 

Aix survived barbarian invasions that destroyed other Roman towns in Provence because, even when the aqueducts were destroyed, the underground water tables kept the springs flowing.

When Aix Became the Capital of Provence

In 1182, the Counts of Provence moved their residence to Aix. The town grew around the palace, Saint-Sauveur Cathedral, and new merchant quarters. In 1409, they founded a university.

Then came René of Anjou, who ruled as Count of Provence from 1434 to 1480 and held so many other titles (Duke of Anjou, Duke of Bar, technically King of Naples and Jerusalem) that people mostly remember him for what he did in Provence. He settled in Aix in 1472 and held court there until he died in 1480.

The Provençals called him “Good King René” because he brought peace after decades of plague and war. He gathered artists to his court and patronized poets, painters, and musicians. He also made practical improvements, such as installing irrigation systems and renovating Marseille’s port.

His legacy in Aix includes introducing Muscat grapes to Provence. Legend says he created calissons, the almond and orange flower candy you’ll find in every shop in town.

There’s a fountain dedicated to him at the top of Cours Mirabeau. The statue shows him holding Muscat grapes and his dolphin-decorated scepter, carved in Paris and unveiled in 1823.

After René’s death, Provence was annexed to France in 1481.

The Mansions That Made Aix Beautiful

In 1501, Louis XII established the Parliament of Provence in Aix. The city became the region’s judicial and administrative capital, and that’s when the money poured in.

From 1646 onward, magistrates, lawyers, and aristocrats started building mansions in a new quarter south of Cours Mirabeau. Cardinal Mazarin’s brother designed the Quartier Mazarin as a planned residential district for the wealthy.

They were built in the Baroque style, with decorative portals, atlantes supporting doorways, and facades that showcased their owners’ success. Some mansions were U-shaped in the Parisian style, others were built in the massed Roman style.

Aix has over 150 private mansions from the 16th to 18th centuries. It’s second only to Paris for the number of grand townhouses, and first when you count per capita.

The Cours Mirabeau itself was built in 1650 on the old ramparts. It started as a street for horse-drawn carriages and got its name in the 19th century from Count Mirabeau, who represented the Third Estate in 1789.

Walking down it today, you see the wealth of 17th and 18th century Aix in the buildings on either side.

Paul Cézanne’s Obsession With Aix

Paul Cézanne was born in Aix in 1839. His father owned a hat shop on Cours Mirabeau before founding a bank.

Cézanne studied law to please his father, but he wanted to paint. He moved to Paris, met the Impressionists, had his work rejected by every major salon, and kept coming back to Aix. 

He spent the last years of his life painting Mont Sainte-Victoire, the mountain that rises east of the city. He painted it over 80 times, trying to capture something about the light and the geometric shapes of the Provençal landscape.

Art historians call him the father of modern art and the father of Cubism. His obsessive approach to breaking down forms into geometric shapes influenced Picasso and the direction of 20th-century painting.

He died in Aix in 1906 after collapsing while painting Mont Sainte-Victoire in a storm.

Walking Cézanne’s Aix

Bronze studs marked with a “C” are embedded in the sidewalks throughout Aix. They trace a self-guided walking tour through places connected to his life.

The route takes you past his childhood homes, the schools he attended, cafés where he met friends, and the Granet Museum where he first studied art.

Several Cézanne sites have been preserved:

Atelier Cézanne is the studio he built in 1902 in the hills north of town. He painted here until his death. The studio reopened in 2025 after renovations, and now the ground floor rooms are accessible, including the kitchen, dining room, and living room. You can see his painting materials and the objects he used for still life compositions.

Jas de Bouffan was the family estate that his father bought in 1859. Cézanne painted here for over 40 years. The house was renovated for 2025 and now includes his first studio, the Provençal kitchen, and his mother’s bedroom. There’s an immersive art walk through the 12-acre grounds.

Bibémus Quarries is an abandoned stone quarry where workers once cut the golden stone used to build Aix’s houses. Cézanne discovered it overgrown with vegetation and painted the orange rocks and sparse trees. The geometric shapes here influenced his development toward Cubism.

Terrain des Peintres is a viewpoint overlooking Mont Sainte-Victoire. You can hike up from the city center. The view shows you what Cézanne was trying to capture in all those paintings.

Musée Granet displays several of his original works along with paintings by Rembrandt and Ingres.

He’s buried in Saint-Pierre Cemetery. His last apartment at 23 Rue Boulegon, where he died, has a plaque marking the spot.

His childhood friend Émile Zola also spent his first 18 years in Aix, and they explored the countryside together. Zola later drew inspiration from Aix for his naturalist novels.

The City of Fountains

Aix calls itself the city of 1,000 fountains. The real number is closer to 107, but who are we to argue?

Fontaine de la Rotonde is the most photographed. Built in 1860 at the western end of Cours Mirabeau, it features three female statues representing Justice, Agriculture, and Fine Arts.

Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins (Four Dolphins) dates from the 17th century and sits in the Quartier Mazarin.

Fontaine Moussue is the moss fountain. Thermal water creates the moss that covers it.

The natural hot water fountain on Cours Mirabeau still flows with water from the original Roman springs.

The Markets of Aix

The daily food market at Place Richelme has been running every morning for centuries. It’s open until 1 pm.

You’ll find seasonal fruits and vegetables, cheese from the Luberon, olive oil from the Alpilles, lavender honey, fish, and calissons. One produce stand always seems to have fresh-cut sunflowers, even in winter.

The flower market at Place de l’Hôtel de Ville runs every day except the first Sunday of the month.

Big market days are Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. That’s when the markets spread beyond Place Richelme into the surrounding streets and down Cours Mirabeau.

Le Grand Marché takes over Cours Mirabeau on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings from 8:30am to 1pm. You’ll find textiles, linens, clothing, housewares, and vintage items. Scarves go for €5. Table linens in Provençal prints. Kitchen tools and pottery.

Near Fontaine de la Rotonde, the market turns into a flea market with secondhand books, antique furniture, and bric-a-brac.

On big market days, food vendors also set up in Place des Prêcheurs with prepared foods, spices, olives, truffle products, and regional wines from wineries too small to export.

This is one of the best tours of the markets in Provence >>>

In summer (July to late August), there’s an evening market on Cours Mirabeau Monday through Saturday from 5pm to midnight. It focuses on artisanal crafts, handmade jewelry, leather bags, and local products.

What to See in the Old Town

Start at Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. The town hall has a 16th-century clock tower. Under the archway, there’s a plaque commemorating the liberation of Aix by American troops in 1944.

Saint-Sauveur Cathedral sits in the medieval part of town. Built on the site of a Roman forum, it’s a mix of architectural styles from the 5th to 17th centuries. The Merovingian baptistery has a Renaissance dome supported by original Roman columns. There’s a 15th-century triptych showing King René and his wife, and a Gothic portal with doors carved in walnut.

The Quartier Mazarin south of Cours Mirabeau is where the wealthy built their mansions in the 17th century. Walk the streets to see the Baroque facades and decorative portals.

Hôtel de Caumont is an 18th-century mansion that’s now an art center. It hosts major temporary exhibitions, has a restaurant, beautiful gardens, and a cinema that screens a 30-minute film about Cézanne’s life.

Pavillon de Vendôme is a 17th-century mansion with furniture and art from the 17th and 18th centuries. The French garden is a quiet spot away from the crowds.

Musée Granet sits in the former Palace of Malta near Cours Mirabeau. The collection spans the 14th to 20th centuries and includes works by Cézanne, Rembrandt, and Ingres.

Day Trips from Aix

There are plenty of places to see in Provence, even if you don’t have a car, and some great tours you can take, too.

Mont Sainte-Victoire is 30 minutes away by car. You can hike to the top or walk trails at the base. The mountain dominates the landscape east of Aix and appears in dozens of Cézanne paintings.

Near the village of Vauvenargues at the foot of the mountain, you can have lunch overlooking Picasso’s castle.

Marseille is 30 minutes by bus or train. The airport shuttle from Marseille-Provence Airport takes 30 minutes and costs €10.

Provençal villages in the Luberon are within an hour’s drive. Lourmarin and Gordes are popular stops.

Avignon and Nice are accessible by train.

Gorges du Verdon is about two hours away.

Practical Information

Getting There: Marseille-Provence Airport is 20 miles north. Shuttle buses run every 30 minutes for €10.

The TGV from Paris takes under three hours direct. The train station is two minutes from Cours Mirabeau.

From Marseille, it’s 30 minutes by bus or train.

When to Visit Aix gets over 300 days of sunshine a year.

Spring (March to May) has temperatures from 15°C to 22°C. The weather can be unpredictable.

Summer is hot. The evening markets run in July and August.

Fall brings harvest season and pleasant temperatures.

Winter is milder than northern France with fewer tourists.

Where to Stay Le Pigonnet sits on the outskirts with gardens, pools, and an onsite restaurant. It’s walking distance to the city center with easy parking.

Hotel Escaletto is a boutique hotel steps from the old town.

Maison Dauphine rents apartments in a historic building in a quiet alley.

Where to Eat Maison Weibel is a pâtisserie institution. Get there before 8am to snag a table overlooking Place Richelme as vendors set up the market.

Les Deux Garçons is one of the historic cafés on Cours Mirabeau.

L’Incontournable is a local favorite. Tables surround a fountain in a small square.

Try calissons at any market stall or shop in town.

Why Aix Works

Every fountain, mansion, and cobblestone street in Aix exists because of decisions made over 2,000 years. Romans chose the springs. Medieval counts chose the capital. Wealthy lawyers built the Baroque mansions. Cézanne chose to paint here instead of staying in Paris.

Those layers make walking through Aix more interesting than just looking at pretty buildings. You’re seeing what happens when a city stays important for two millennia.

The springs still flow. The markets still run every morning. Students still pack the cafés on Cours Mirabeau.

That’s Aix..