Aix (pronounced like the letter
X) was once a Roman spa and then the capital of the region of Provence. Today, this city about 20 mi/30 km north of Marseille is known for romantic streets, stately houses and Art with a capital
A. Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne was born there, and artists still fall in love with the place and never leave. It is also a university town, and this combination gives Aix a young, upbeat, energetic feel.
With its tree-lined cobblestoned streets, Aix is also one of the most charming towns you can visit. Stroll through the King's Gardens (Les Jardins du Roi) in Villeneuve and the Bourg St. Sauveur, called "La Vieille Ville," to see vestiges of Roman and medieval architecture.
One of the highlights of Aix is a "Cezanne Walk," which takes you by the painter's atelier (it has been renovated to look the way it did when he was alive), and the Maurel de Ponteves mansion, where he grew up. Other sights include the town hall and its 17th-century balcony, the cathedral, the Tapestry Museum (housing some Beauvais tapestries) and the Granet Museum. The Vasarely Foundation exhibits works by contemporary artists.
The Lyrical Art Festival in July is a month-long affair for opera lovers and is internationally known. There are also many other festivals that take place throughout the summer in celebration of orchestral music, drama and opera. Aix-en-Provence can be seen as a day trip from Marseille or a stopover en route from Paris to the Riviera.
