As I walked around the Old Town of Aix-en-Provence, I noticed the huge cathedral. The Aix…read moreCathedral is a beautiful Roman Catholic church and the seat of the Archbishop of Aix-en-Provence and Arles. The cathedral is built on the site of the 1st-century Roman forum of Aix. Built and re-built from the 12th until the 19th century, it includes Romanesque, Gothic and Neo-Gothic elements, as well as Roman columns and parts of the baptistery from a 6th-century Christian church. The cathedral, a national monument of France, is located on the route of the Roman road, the Via Aurelia. A fragment of a Roman wall and the columns of the baptistery seem to be the origin of the legend that the church was built on top of a Roman temple dedicated to Apollo. The historian Scholastique Pitton (1668) claimed that the temple had been dedicated to a sun god, basing his claim upon the discovery of the leg of a statue uncovered at the site. According to the Christian tradition, the first church on the site was founded by Saint Maximinus of Aix, who arrived in Provence from Bethany, a village near Jerusalem, with Mary Magdalene on a boat belonging to Lazarus. Maximin built a modest chapel on the site of the present cathedral and dedicated it to the Holy Saviour (le Saint Sauveur). During the invasion of the Saracens in the 8th and 9th centuries, the original chapel of Saint-Sauveur was destroyed. At the beginning of the 12th century, a new church was begun on the same site, with Romanesque walls bearing the three bays of a wide single nave, constituting a parish church dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Notre Dame de la Sède). It's a nice building to visit while in the city.

Beautiful! I…read morestumbled on this cathedral when I was walking around. Would I suggest making a special trip here? I would normally say no... but there is not much to do in Aix-en-Provence, and the town is so small, that I guess you might as well! I was only here for about 5 minutes, but I did enjoy coming here!

The Cours Mirabeau is a wide thoroughfare in Aix-en-Provence, France. It's just one of the…read morepretties streets in France, in my opinion. Clean, green, with places to sit, people watch, fountains, etc. The Cours Mirabeau is one of the most popular and lively places in the town. It is lined with many cafés, one of the most famous being Les Deux Garçons and during its history frequented by famous French cultural figures such as Paul Cézanne, Émile Zola and Albert Camus. The street has wide sidewalks planted with double rows of plane-trees. The Cours Mirabeau is decorated by fountains, the most notable of which is the Fontaine de la Rotonde , a large fountain that makes up a roundabout at one end of the street. The street also divides Aix into two portions, the Quartier Mazarin, or "new town", which extends to the south and west, and the Ville comtale, or "old town", which lies to the north with its wide but irregular streets and its old mansions dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Just a must see....

One of the most beautiful streets I've ever seen!…read more This street is the heart of Aix-en-Provence, and it's where all the action is. The street has the big stores and is shaded by a tunnel of trees, with a bunch of statues. There are clothing stores, banks, restaurants and cafes (great people-watching when you eat or have a drink on the terrace), Monoprix (what I consider the "Target" of France), so you will want (or maybe need) to check this place out when you are here. I definitely used the bank to get cash, and I bought a cheap pair of sunglasses from Monoprix when my cheap pair from home bit the dust. Lucky for me, I found a hotel that was right in the middle of le Cours Mirabeau, Hotel Negre Coste, which was a great central location. I definitely recommend that hotel. Everything you need is just steps away. As someone from LA, I would compare this to the 3rd street promenade.

I'd been to Aix a couple of times before I "discovered" the Passage Agard. Actually, I first read…read moreabout it in M. F. K. Fisher's The Boss Dog, and went there on my next trip back to Aix. The entrance is blocked by a door (although a sign above it says "Passage Agard"), so, at first you might think it's only the entrance to a building. In reality, it's a narrow passageway between the Cours Mirabeau, and the Place Verdun and the Palais de Justice. At first, near the Cours, it's covered, but then not, so there's sunlight. In M.F.K. Fisher's day, there was a music shop (voice and instrument lessons were given), a butcher shop, a typewriter shop, etc. Now (or at least about a year ago, the last time I went), there's a Sephora, a shoe store, a place that sells pizza (very good), etc. It's a very interesting place, and a great short cut between the Cours Mirabeau and the Palais de Justice. I was almost tempted NOT to write about it for fear that more people would discover it!

From the owner: Un théâtre de plein air et de lyrisme Encaissé entre les murs même de l'Archevêché, ce théâtre de…read moreplein air a accueilli les plus grands artistes lyriques de la planète dans le cadre de l'incontournable Festival lyrique d'Aix, dans un cadre majestueux.

From the owner: Le coeur de la fraternité des moines apostoliques diocésains Il s'agit sans doute du premier…read moreédifice gothique de Provence. Construite au XIIIème siècle, elle doit son nom aux Hospitaliers de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem. Son ancien prieuré (le Palais de Malte) abrite le musée Granet. L'Eglise Saint Jean de Malte est confiée à une communauté de frères, qui, plusieurs fois par jour, se retrouvent avec ceux qui le souhaitent pour chanter la prière.

The real life upstairs studio of Paul Cezanne set in the hilly suburban outskirts of the town of…read moreAix-en-Provence. Massive windows allowing great light into the studio with period pieces and instruments used by the artist for his work. One can imaging the light cast upon the pieces which can be found in many of his works especially his still life pieces. The building houses a gift shop and is surrounded by a garden. Beware, besides mosquitos ... the studio is set in a hilly residential area with no street parking. Parking is several blocks away - uphill or down (with a subsequent corresponding descent or ascent upon the return!).

Museum tour was started with a short video of his life and then continued to Cezanne's studio. The…read morestudio is set-up as Cezanne may have left it. You will see his wooden model and fruit that may have been used to inspire his work. Gift shop to follow. I bought a pencil : ) Thought provoking experience. All pay homage to the mountain!

From the owner: La fontaine d'eau chaude Cette fontaine provient de la source des Bagniers, l'eau qui coule est…read morechaude et l'hiver une légère brume s'en dégage à cause de l'écart de température. On l'appelle également la fontaine moussue car une mousse verte et épaisse la recouvre.

From the owner: Une fontaine baroque Situé dans le quartier Mazarin, la fontaine date de 1667, elle a été sculpté…read morepar Jean-Claude Rambot. L'eau s'y écoule dans une vasque circulaire en pierre de la Saint Baume. Avec ses quatre dauphins et leurs nageoires dressées sur un lit de vagues qui soutiennent l'obélisque, elle est un parfait témoignage de l'art baroque qu'affectionnait particulièrement à l'époque la noblesse aixoise. La petite place est cernée d'hôtel particulier dont l'Hôtel de Boisgelin, construit par Pierre Pavillon.

From the owner: Au coeur du vieil Aix L'Hôtel de Ville fut construit entre 1655 et 1678 par Pierre Pavillon, au…read morepied de l'ancien beffroi de la ville. A noter la magnifique grille en fer forgé ainsi que l'escalier d'honneur. A ses côtés donc : la Tour de l'Horloge. Celle-ci arbore fièrement une horloge astronomique datant de 1661 et abritant 4 statues de bois illustrant les saisons. A chaque changement de saison, une plaque tournante fait apparaître la statue adéquate.