Aix en Provence
Aix En Provence is an amazing city in the South of France, a human-sized city, where the sun shines 300 days per year and it is just 30 minutes by car from Marseille. "City of Art ,City of Water”, Aix en Provence is a spa town whose hot and cold springs are now used, amongst other things, to feed about twenty of the most beautiful fountains that you can find around the city center. Those fountains, as works of art, literally decorate the city of Aix en provence as one of the most beautiful cities in France by giving it the name of 1000 fountains City.
The fountains provide the city with a friendly and pleasant appearance. Coffee in the shade of a plane tree and the freshness of a fountain streaming listening to the murmur of water is one of the favorite activities of the people of Provence. The city is also known for its Provencial architecture , which you can find everywhere , especially in the streets of the city which are so narrow that you can almost touch the walls with your own elbows.These streets are the perfect place to wander, check all the little shops and afterwards stop in one of the numerous cafes.
Pablo Picasso praised the special atmosphere of this road. He was not the only artist to be inspired by this city, which was also Paul Cezanne’s home town, one of the most famous French painters. Cezanne painted plenty of Aix en provence Landscapes like La Saint Victoire the most famous mountain of the city.
I) Attractions to see in Aix en Provence
1/Bastide du Jas de Bouffan
This charming country house is situated in the Road de Galice, owns by the ciy of Aix -en-Provence and it was the Cezanne`s workshop. Between 1860 and 1870, in the large oval room on the ground floor, Cézanne painted twelve large compositions directly on the walls which were detached. Since May 2006 the great room on the ground floor has been open with the creation of multimedia duo of artists, the Electronic Shadow, showing paintings by Cézanne on the walls. There are fixed visiting hours, get information from the Website : http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com
2/Cathedrale Saint-Sauveur (Cathedral)
Is a beautiful cathedral in the centre of the city - 34, Place des Martyrs de la Résistance. It is a Roman Catholic cathedral and the seat of the Archbishop of Aix en Provence. The Cathedral was built in the 1st century and re-built from the 12th until the 19th century, the monument includes Romanesque,Gothic and neo-Gothic elements. Web site : http://www.cathedrale-aix.net
3/Hotel de Ville (Private mansion)
City hall of Aix en Provence, built in 16th century, the building is known thanks to its clock tower.
4/ Aix en Provence Festival
If you will ever travel to Aix En Provence in June or July you should not miss the well-known Aix en Provence Festival which has been running for more than 60 years; you can also attend the very famous international Aix en provence Festival of Lyric Art, an open-air lyric concerts . If you prefer Ballet ,Theatre or Opera , you should get tickets for the Grand theatre , where you can attend the best shows like Petrouchka , Octopus and many more... Web site : http://www.grandtheatre.fr/
II) Aix en Provence travel tips
1/ My word of advice is to rent a car and drive around the area, you should see Marseille, Avignon and Sisteron.
2/ If your feet start hurting, you can use the diabline, a small electric shuttle. For 50p, it will drive you anywhere in the city centre.
3/ You also can use Aix en Bus, Bus network for 1 euro.
4/ In Aix en provence, you also can rent bike, in one of the 10 bike stations.
5/ You should take some confortable shoes , because the best way to get around the city, is by foot.
III) Fun and facts about Aix en Provence
1/ A word of advice is to try the Calisson (candy with almond paste and melon based ), very typical and delicious provencial candy.
2/People never leave its sunglasses, even if it is raining!
3/You should also try the chocolate of Puyricard, delicious.
4/In the summer, you can see some people take a bath in the fountains of the city.
5/All cinemas of the city have a painter`s name.
Find your ideal Hotel in Aix en Provence and enjoy your stay!