The city of Aix en Provence. Aix-en-Provence - a quiet provincial town
French Riviera
Fourth day of travel in Provence and the last part of my
Cote d'Azur
: Nice, San Rafael, Saint Tropez, Bandol. Aix-en-Provence
I was traveling without a fixed address of residence. First the end point of the day assumed Grasse, but it turned out to be some nondescript small town. For me, the previous stop in Castellane was more interesting. So I stepped on the gas and after 40 minutes I drove into Nice.
Or rather, I stopped at some parking lot and using the mobile Internet, I booked a hotel for one night in Nice, not far from the old year and the promenade on the Nice embankment: Hotel Victor Hugo Nice
The lower town of Nice is quite simple and divided into squares by one-way streets, so I found the hotel quickly.
What about parking? The owner of the hotel, which is a multi-room apartment on the first floor of an old mansion, suggested that I needed to find something somewhere on the street and pay for parking at the rate of a parking machine. However, when I tried to put a coin of 2 euros into the one I found near the place where I threw the car, an elderly woman called me:
- Monsieur, you don't have to pay!
- And why?
Today is Sunday and parking on the street is free.
Thanking the woman, I threw my things into the room given to me: everything is fine, there is free internet, a shower and the size of the room is not Parisian: I went outside and went for a walk around the city
The city has already dressed up for Christmas: a skating rink has been flooded in the center (this is at plus 20 during the day), a Christmas tree market has been opened, and children and non-children have been sent to spin on the wheel of disobedience.
Beautiful illumination, beautiful streets, but somehow I didn’t like it here, although I had dinner in a good restaurant - I didn’t feel comfortable in Nice. There was something in it from the station: a lot of motley people from different places, a lot of noise about nothing.
Therefore, walking and taking pictures of something in Vieux Nice, which seemed interesting to me periodically drinking a glass of wine, I accidentally wandered into the gateway, behind a well-dressed couple walking in front of me and had a wonderful dinner at the restaurant La Maison de Marie.
And in the morning of the next day, after having breakfast, I set off to the west, along the highway, along the coast. I didn’t specifically go along the roads along the sea, because I didn’t want to waste time on traffic lights and traffic jams, considering that the picture that opens up to me will be the same: fences and gates of villas separating the coast, precious meters and acres of the coast from prying eyes.
San Rafael
The next point of my journey along the Cote d'Azur was Port De Frejus And Saint Raphael. Arriving quickly on toll road Before the exit to San Rafael, I traveled for some time along the stretch of coast between these towns, looking for something that would make me stop and look around. This something turned out to be an inflatable snowman on the waterfront of San Rafael. Leaving the car under the sign prohibiting parking, I walked with a camera in my hands along several streets, but there was no desire to remove the cap from the lens.
- No, this is not my place, Cote d'Azur.
I don't feel comfortable here. Therefore, having reached Saint Tropez with a bottle of rosé wine from the Bandol wineries, I did not find fish sellers at the fish market, which in St. Tropez was a room under the arches of the area of \u200b\u200bthe average glass shop somewhere in Biryulyovo.
I hoped for more, so after breathing tobacco smoke into the compressor supplying air to the diver who was making something at the bottom of the marina, I decided to move to the origins - in Bandol
But there was desolation, unfortunately. In one of the cafes, they drew me a map of directions to one of the wineries, located closer to the Verdon Canyon than to Bandol, and they were not sure that it would be open.
Therefore, spitting on the Cote d'Azur with its dense buildings, I moved to Aix en Provence, since it was starting to get dark and I had already booked an overnight stay via the Internet.
Aix-en-Provence
As soon as I, walking down the street and seeing the shells in the boxes, pestered the seller with questions, and he directed me behind the wall to a restaurant where I sat down and ordered champagne with two servings of oysters ... I immediately fell in love with Aix-en-Provence.
oysters
By the way, a good restaurant - I can recommend Les Deux Garcons but the champagne is there…. I stared at the bill and asked - didn't you pour me a crystal? What are you, of course not. But in all French restaurants, champagne is expensive. Having chatted a little on this subject with a garcon, I came to the conclusion that the difference between Italy and France is that in the first (in Italy) a sparkling wine costs a little more than water without gas in France ...
The oysters were served with oranges, with bread and butter underneath. I have never eaten oysters with bread, but here I tried it and liked it: Gillardo number 3 were very gentle
Strange, but it was Monday. I understand the flower market, but the stalls of cheese and seafood did not fit into the market schedule in Provence, which I studied before the trip.
So that I live like this: fresh, you can bargain, they give you a taste and they can cook right there: for example, fry fish without cutting, and you can take greens from a neighbor ... it’s a pity they don’t pour wine.
However, the pictures in supermarkets are no worse. I'm sorry, but I deleted these photos from my phone, so I'm posting them in full size.
But this has some advantage, as you can immediately see the prices of champagne in the store carrefour
Fifth and sixth day of travel.
Arles, Camargue Park
As a base, I chose a good motel 12 km from Arles: Hôtel et Résidence de la Transhumance and I can safely recommend this place: quiet, bedroom and large living room made like a studio, fully equipped kitchen, internet, breakfast (not included in the price, but good), 100 meters from a supermarket with some crazy prices for wine: I walked along the row several times and looked for wine more expensive than 5 euros per bottle.
Did not have. As a result, I took Montepulciano d'Abruzzo for 1.79 euros a bottle. Wow, they wrote to me from Italy on FB that they have more expensive this wine on sales
In view of this, I stopped going to restaurants and switched to grazing, that is, I stocked up in the supermarket with fresh sea food and wine and clowned around posting photos on FB.
As for Arles, this is a small, pretty town with an arena where bullfighting is carried out in French, that is, bulls are not killed, but only affectionately stroked on the head.
Probably all about Arles.
Below Arles are plains with water meadows and swamps. White horses graze on free grasses there. They say that this is the most ancient breed of horses and their ancestors are unicorns. There is something ancient in them: they are inactive and usually stand staring at one point, as if they had smoked something.
Several resort towns of these places Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer(it’s enough to enter French names with hyphens into the navigator. Literally, Saints-virgins-Mary-on-the-Sea) and a village with a large marina - marina Le Grau-du-Roi(let's call it as the "degree of the king" or the king under the degree) were empty at this time. Muddy waves crashed against the brown sandy shores and only a couple of surfers in wetsuits tried to stand up.
The next point of my program in this park was a visit to the lakes with a large colony of flamingos. If you drive from St. Mary to Mora, then you need to keep to the right and as a result, a narrow asphalt road will go close to the sea, so that even waves can overwhelm it, but this does not happen - shallowly. Met several parked jeeps with boats on trailers. But I don't understand how you can fish here.
And in these places they mine salt. I went to look at it - the process is simple, sea water settles in wide and shallow reservoirs, where the salt concentration increases by evaporation of fresh water.
This concentrate is then fed by pumps that quickly fail due to corrosion onto the existing pile of salt on a dry surface through sprinklers. At the same time, some of the water evaporates.
Conclusion
I don't remember how much this trip cost me. But I don't think it's a lot. Although I did not deny myself anything. In addition, the mode of operation of restaurants in Provence partially saved my budget: at lunch I had to buy Lidl wine and champagne, seafood, I ate cooked there and it's minus 40-50 euros every day.
France, not so much biting prices. Moscow is more expensive (I went to the Fish Bazaar restaurant for dinner here - I paid 250 euros, taking into account the fact that I have a 10% discount).
Therefore, feel free to go to Provence and enjoy its atmosphere and views. Not for nothing that famous artists of the world spent their creative time here. True, I didn’t really like the food there .... it’s a little fatty for me.
43.676675 4.627502
North of Marseille.
Aix-en-Provence was founded in 123 BC. Roman consul Gaius Sextus Calvinus.
In the 5th century Aix-en-Provence was conquered by the Visigoths, then the city passed to the Franks and Lombards, until in 731 it was captured by the Saracens, and in 737 it was liberated by Charles Martell, who went down in history as the liberator of Europe from the Arab invaders.
In the Middle Ages, Aix-en-Provence was the capital of Provence.
And, starting from the XII century, it became a city of art and education.
In the XV century. Aix-en-Provence passed to the French kingdom.
Now Aix-en-Provence is one of the most beautiful and elegant cities in Provence, a rich, bourgeois city with beautiful architecture, numerous cafes and restaurants, attracting crowds of tourists and vacationers, where a cheerful student life is seething and various cultural events are held.
Wide Mirabeau Boulevard (cours Mirabeau) was founded in 1650, it is surrounded by old houses (XVI-XVIII centuries) and decorated with fountains, lush trees create a green tunnel and form a shady coolness.
Fountain on Mirabeau Boulevard. Aix-en-Provence. France.
Boulevard Mirabeau. Aix-en-Provence. France.
Among the numerous cafes and restaurants, Deux Garcons (house 53), built in 1792, stands out. Paul Cezanne, Emile Zola and Ernes Hemingway liked to visit it. And nearby, in house number 55, the childhood years of the famous artist Paul Cezanne passed.
Passage Agar.
On the other side of the Mirabeau Boulevard is the Mazarin quarter. Here in the second half of the XVII century. was the residence of the brother of Cardinal Mazarin and built their magnificent mansions to know Aix. Now there are chic shops here, art galleries, antique shops.
On the other side of the boulevard, a bright, noisy and colorful market unfolds, the epicenter of which is Place de Verdun.
Aix-en-Provence. France.
Aix-en-Provence. France.
Narrow streets lead to a cozy square with a clock tower built in 1661. The small square is lined with cafe tables. Fountain installed in the center (1756)
Aix-en-Provence. France.
Aix-en-Provence. France.
Nearby is another charming square - lace des cardeurs, decorated with an Italian-style esplanade and an original fountain, built in 1977 by Jean Amado.
Aix-en-Provence. France.
Aix-en-Provence. France.
Up the busy rue Gaston de Saport you can go to the Cathedral, which is located on the former Roman forum. The first cathedral on this site was built in the 5th century. Since then, the cathedral has been rebuilt several times, until the 17th century, when it received a Gothic portal. Inside the cathedral, works of art from the 15th-17th centuries are stored, among them a triptych (XV century) depicting King René the Good and his wife (René the Good became the Duke of Provence in 1434), it is also worth paying attention to the font of the 5th century.
There are many universities located in the city, this tradition originates from Louis II of Anjou, who in 1409 gave the universities privileges.
Traditional flatbread from Provence - fugasse- baked from wheat flour with cheese.
Fougasse. Aix-en-Provence. France.
Interesting local sweets - Calisson, which are made from candied almonds and fruits.
French city of Aix-en-Provence (Provence region)
Do not be nearby, only 25 kilometers away, huge Marseille, French city Aix-en-Provence would dominate all of Central Provence.
Historically, culturally and socially, these two cities are very different from each other, and usually those who love one of them hate the other. The city of Aix-en-Provence is smugly conservative and breathtakingly beautiful.
A wealthy part of its population are landowners and people of free professions. The youth of Aix dress impeccably. Hundreds of students from other countries, in particular Americans, come to study in the city, and the inhabitants of the city are distinguished by snobbery of almost Parisian level.
From the 12th century until the revolution, Aix-en-Provence was the capital of Provence. In those days when Provence was an independent county, its popular ruler, the "good" King René of Anjou (1409-1480), maintained a brilliant court, famous for its popular festivals and patronage of the arts.
René was a typical Renaissance man, he spoke many languages (including Greek and Hebrew), was a scientist, poet and economist. It was he who began to plant Muscat grapes in Provence. Today, a stone statue of him, made in the style of illustrations from medieval books, stands in the city. Holding a bunch of grapes in his left hand, he looks along the majestic Mirabeau Boulevard, created in the 17th century.
Arrival, city information and accommodation in Aix-en-Provence
The main place of arrival in the city is Place General de Gaulle (place General-de-Gaulle), or Rotunda (La Rotonda), with several fountains, which ends in the west of the main artery of Aix: Mirabeau Boulevard (cours Mirabeau), broken on the site of the old fortifications of its southern side.
The train station is located on rue Gustavo-Desplace at the end of avenue Vicyor-Hugo, leading south from Place General de Gaulle, and the bus station is on avenue Europe at the end of avenue de l'Europe. New station high-speed trains(TGV) is located 10 kilometers southwest of Aix and is connected by regular shuttle buses to the bus station (every 30 minutes: daily 4.45-22.30, 3.70 €).
It's easy to get lost when entering Aix-en-Provence. It is best to follow the signs gare to the station, and after passing the station, move along Belge Avenue (avenue des Belges), which will lead to the tourist office in the city center (2 place General-de-Gaulle) between Belge and Victor Hugo Avenues, where there is a car park on the ring road encircling Old city. From mid-June to the end of July (festival time), the chances of finding a free room in hotel very small unless you booked him, at least two months before the actual arrival. At other times, there are many more opportunities.
Aix-en-Provence Hotels
1). Des Arts Hotel– A very friendly, if a little noisy hotel with the cheapest rooms you can find in the center. Advance booking no, so come early. Hotel address: 69 bd Carnot;
2). Le Caravella Hotel– More expensive numbers facing the courtyard gardens. Hotel address: 29 bd Roi-Rene;
3). Hotel Cardinal– A clean, calm and welcoming hotel, but expensive. Hotel address: 22-24 rue Cardinale;
4). De France Hotel– Right in the center and with very comfortable rooms. Hotel address: 63 rue Espriat;
5). Le Manoir Hotel– A very elegant and comfortable old building with a covered gallery of the XIV century. Hotel address: 8 rue d'Entrecasteaux;
6). Number One Hotel– A small family hotel about a kilometer from the city center. One of the cheapest hotels in all of Aix-en-Provence. Hotel address: 10 cours des Minimes;
7). Paul Hotel“Inexpensive for Aix and with a garden. The rooms have a shower and a telephone. There are triple and quadruple rooms. Hotel address: 10 avenue Pasteur;
8). Des Quatre-Dauphins Hotel– Old world charm in the Mazarin quarter. Hotel address: 54 rue Roux-Alpheran;
9). St Christophe Hotel– Hotel with a high level of services near both train stations and Mirabeau Boulevard. Hotel address: 2 avenue Victor-Hugo.
Hostels and campsites in Aix-en-Provence
1). Airotel Camping Chanteclere– Three kilometers from the center. Excellent amenities. Open: all year. Camping address: Rte de Nice, Val St-Andre, bus no. 3 or 10, same prices;
2). Camping Arc-en-Ciel- Also three kilometers from the city center to the southeast. Not a very cheap campsite, but with very good facilities. Closed: October-March. Camping address: Rte de Nice, Pont de Trois Sautets, bus number 3;
3). Crous- (Centre Regional des Oeuvres Universitaires et Scolaires / Regional Center for the Creativity of Students and Schoolchildren). This student organization can sometimes find cheap rooms on campus in July and August. Bus number 5 direction "Belle Ormeaux", stop "Pierre-Puget". Address wtynhf: Cite Universitaire des Gazellez, 38 avenue Jules-Ferry;
4). Network Hostel Holiday Inn(hi)– Located 2 kilometers west of the city center and has good bedrooms (17 € overnight). There are no kitchens, but there is a TV lounge, a bar, a laundry room, a left-luggage double rooms. Closed: Christmas-February. Hostel address: 3 avenue Marcel-Pagnol. Bus number 4 direction "Ojas de Bouffan", stop "Vasarely".
Attractions Aix-en-Provence
The entire old city of Aix, clearly delineated by the ring of boulevards, including the majestic Mirabeau Boulevard, is one large monument, much more significant than any single building or museum in it. There are so many busy streets, tempting restaurants, cafes and shops and the best markets in Provence, that you can wander through it for many days, having neither a specific route nor a specific goal. As a preliminary introduction to the life of Aix, it is absolutely necessary to walk along Mirabeau Boulevard with stops at cafes.
Old Ex
To explore the tangle of small streets and narrow roads that make up the heart of Aix, head north from the shady Mirabeau Boulevard anywhere within the ring of wide streets called avenues, cours, or boulevards (although "boulevard" may not be a boulevard). The layout of Old Aix makes it difficult to navigate, but it does not matter when every 50 meters there are squares with fountains where you can relax, and a continuous architectural feast of the 16th-17th centuries stretches around.
On Saturdays and, to a lesser extent, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the market fills the center: fruits and vegetables in Place Richelme, fish in the street Marseille, flowers on the Hotel de Ville, clothes on the streets of Peyrecs, Rifle-Rafle, Bouteilles, Chaudronniers and Monclar, swap meet on Verdun Square (place de Verun) and provisions on Precher squares (place des Precheurs) and Madeleine (place de la Madelein).
The Madeleine church is decorated with paintings by Rubens and Vanloo (who was born in Aix in 1684) and the medieval triptych "Annunciation". On Place Richelme, above the architrave of the former grain exchange, which today houses the post office, hangs an elegant, albeit rather massive foot of the goddess Cybele, flirting with Rhone (Rhone is masculine in French). A little to the north rises the town hall of classical proportions with wrought iron lace over the entrance.
From Place de Hotel-de-Ville, rue Gaston-de-Saporta will take you to the Cathedral Cathedral of the Holy Savior(Cathedrale Saint-Sauveur), a conglomeration of buildings from the 15th-16th centuries, full of treasures of medieval art. The best of them is the Burning Bush triptych, commissioned in 1475 by King René. The sacristan regularly opens its side panels, revealing the Virgin Mary and Child in a flaming bush to the eyes of the spectators.
Next to the cathedral on Resistance Square stands the former episcopal palace (Ancien Archeveche), which today houses Tapestry Museum(Musee des Tapisseries) is an excellent collection that includes a modern section, in which the concept of "tapestry" is expanded to include products made from rope, raffia or feathers. The Old Aix Museum (Musee du Vieil Aix; 17 rue Gaston-de-Saporta) also deserves attention, which presents sets of cult puppets and a large collection of santons (santons - Provencal Christmas figurines).
Mazarin quarter
Other important museums of Aix are located in the Mazarin quarter (quartier Mazarin) south of Mirabeau Boulevard (cours Mirabeau). The most interesting of them Granet Museum(Musee Granet; place St-Jean-de-Malte), located on Saint-Jean-de-Malte Square (St. John of Malta). It presents works of art and archaeological finds, in particular from Oppidum d'Entremont (Oppidum d'Entremont), a Celtic-Ligurian settlement 3 kilometers north of Aix.
It flourished for about 100 years, until the Romans defeated it in 124 BC, who founded the city of Aquae Sextae, the future Aix-en-Provence, here. The museum's collection of paintings is quite colorful - works by Italians, Dutch, French, mainly from the 17th to the 19th centuries, not very well hung and poorly lit.
A number of French paintings of the 18th and early 19th centuries, including Ingres' repulsive Jupiter and Thetis, are mostly terrible, although Ingres' portrait of Granet is noteworthy. Finally, here you can see the works of Aix's most famous painter, Paul Cezanne, who studied on the ground floor of this building, which was then an art school. The museum has two of his student works and a number of small canvases, including "Bathsheba" and "Portrait of a Lady".
Out of the center
Cezanne worked in many studios in and around Aix, but eventually in 1902 he acquired a house built specifically as a studio and towering north above Aix. Today it is Atelier Cezanne (9 avenue Paul-Cesanne). It was here that he wrote some of his finest work. Here everything remains the same as it was in 1906 when he died: coat, hat, glass and easel, objects that he liked to depict, his pipe and several letters and drawings ... The atmosphere in which he worked is preserved here.
Public cultural life The city is the City of the Book (Cite du livre; 8-10 rue des Allumettes), which occupies the building of a former match factory (not far from the tourist office), the entrance to which is decorated in the form of rows of giant books, as if standing on a shelf. It houses libraries, a cinema hall, a theater hall, a video library of lyrical arts (where almost all French opera performances are presented) and various exhibitions. Away from the sometimes wearisome grandeur of 17th-century Aix, you can get a completely different visual and abstract experience by visiting the Vasarely Foundation (Fondation asarely; avenue Marcel-Pagnol, Jas-de-Bouffan, 4 kilometers west of the city).
Here, in countless showcases, images relating to all themes of the work of the architect and artist Vasarely, including his projects of residential buildings, are presented. However, you will get the most direct impression of the work of this extraordinary person in the seven hexagonal rooms on the ground floor, each of which presents six large projects. Finally, 3 kilometers north of the city is the Oppidum d'Entremont, an excavation of a Gallic settlement that preceded the founding of the city and arose more than 200 years before its conquest by the Romans. There are remains of impressively located fortifications, as well as residential and commercial quarters of the city.
Where to eat and drink, entertainment in Aix-en-Provence
Ex is literally "stuffed" restaurants all price categories and ethnicities. Place des Cardeurs, northwest of Place de Hotel de Ville, is lined with restaurant tables, brasseries and cafe, while Verrerie Street, south of the Hotel de Ville and Place Ramus, is home to a variety of Indian, Chinese and North African restaurants. For people on a modest budget, Tanneurs Street is good. Worthy of attention are the cafe-brasserie on Mirabeau Boulevard, among which there are inexpensive eateries. There you can also find peddlers of very tasty fresh fruit juices.
Cafes and Restaurants in Aix-en-Provence
1). Restaurant L'Amphitryon– Eclectic cuisine based on fresh products from the market. Meals are served on a flower-lined terrace in the Old Town. Excellent and not very expensive restaurant. A set of dishes from 26 €. Closed: Sundays and Mondays, as well as in the second half of August. Restaurant address: 2-4 rue Paul Doumer;
2). Restaurant De l'Archeveche– Good pasta dishes and salads are served during the day for less than 10 €. Restaurant address: Place des Martyrs-de-la-Resistance;
3). Restaurant Le Basilic Gourmand- Classic Provencal food. A3 la carte from 14 €. Live music. Closed: Sundays and Mondays. Restaurant address: 6 rue du Griffon;
4). Restaurant Le Bistrot Latin– The best dishes are profiteroles with snails in olive and honey sauce and rabbit in garlic sauce. Lunch menu 15.00 €, evening set from 21 €. Closed: Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, as well as for lunch out of season. Restaurant address: 18 rue Couronne;
5). Cay Tam Restaurant– The best East Asian cuisine in Aix. The basis of the menu is Vietnamese dishes. Set of dishes from 15.50 €. Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays, and for lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays. Restaurant address: 29 rue Verrerie;
6). Restaurant Le Chimere“A new take on French standards and possibly the only place in town serving kangaroo food.” Set of dishes around 26.50 €. Closed: Sundays. Restaurant address: 15 rue Brueys;
7). Restaurant Le Clos de la Violette– The most famous restaurant in Aix, whose names may sound a little scary, such as stuffed lamb hooves, but in fact these dishes are true gastronomic masterpieces. Desserts are more frankly attracted: clafoutis (plum cake), pistachios with peach sauce and melted chocolate tarts. Lunch menu 54 €, other sets from 107 €, a la carte from 75 €. Closed: Mondays and Wednesdays for lunch, and for two weeks in mid-August. Restaurant address: 10 avenue de la Violette;
8). Cafe Les Deux Garcons- Once favorite place Albert Camus, decorated in the decadent style of the 1900s and still attracting a motley society of intellectuals. Good brasserie type food, but not cheap (from €27.80). Open: daily until midnight. Cafe address: 53 cours Mirabeau;
9). Cafe L'Hacienda– Outdoor seating and inexpensive lunch menu (€9) including wine. Closed: Sundays. Cafe address: Corner of rue Merindol and place Cardeur;
10). Cafe Le Jasmin– Delicious and distinctive Persian dishes for about 16.50 €. As for desserts, you should try the traditional Iranian choleh zard - a rice dish with saffron, spices and nuts. Closed: Sundays. Cafe address: 6 rue de la Fonderie;
11). Cafe Kheops- Egyptian cuisine including falafel, stuffed pigeons and rich dairy desserts. A set of dishes 10 €. Closed: Wednesdays for lunch. Cafe address: 28 rue de la Verrerie;
12). Pizza Chez Jo/Bar des Augustins– Thanks to pizza and traditional daily meals, it is usually crowded. From 12 €. Closed: Sundays. Place address: Place des Augustins;
13). Institution Le Platanos– A very cheap and popular Greek place with a lunch menu for 10 €. Closed: Sundays and Mondays. Location: 13 rue Rifle-Rafle.
Nightlife and festivals in Aix-en-Provence
The best jazz clubs are Hot Brass (chemin de la Plaine-des-Verguetiers, rte d'eguilles-Celony) and Le Scat (11 rue de la Verrerie) with jazz, rock and funk music. Disco mainstream - in Le Richelme (24 rue de la Verrerie). Live music pubs are Le Manoir (25 rue de la Verrerie), Pago (38 rue de la Verrerie), Pub Solferino (place d'Armenie) and Le Festival (67 bis rue Espariat).
During the annual Aix en Music festivals (rock, jazz, experimental and classical music; June) and the International Festival of Lyrical Art (Festival International d’Art Lyrique; opera and classical music concerts; last two weeks of July), alternative scenes - street theater, rock concerts and impromptu gatherings - turn the whole of Old Aix into one continuous party.
Ticket prices for festival events range from 12 to 185 euros. Tickets and programs can be purchased at the Official Festival Committee (Comite Officiel des Fetes; Espace Forbin, 3 place John-Rewald) near Gambetta Boulevard. There you can also find out more about the International Dance Festival (two weeks in mid-July).
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The theater was built in an abandoned building of the former royal tennis court, where, according to legend, the king himself - the Sun Louis XIV - loved to play. Although the building belongs to XVIII century, its facade and interior are simple and laconic, devoid of pompous decoration and pompous decor.
In 1998 the building was closed for renovation. In May 2000, the renovated theater reopened its doors to visitors.
Coordinates: 43.52721400,5.45357500
Cathedral in Aix-en-Provence
The cathedral was built in the 12th century, but since then it has undergone a series of restoration works and reconstructions, and therefore only part of the baptistery has survived to this day. The construction of the facade lasted for many years, and was completely completed only at the beginning of the 16th century. Amazing not only for its size, but also for its beauty architectural solutions, this cathedral has long been popular among tourists. Inside you can see the famous triptych "Burning Bush", created by Nicolas Froment in the 15th century. The cloister of the cathedral, built in the 12th century to house the canons, is decorated with four columns located at the corners, on which the four religious symbols of the evangelists are depicted: an angel, a lion, a calf and an eagle.
Coordinates: 43.53194400,5.44722200
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Town hall in Aix-en-Provence
Built in the sixteenth century, the town hall with a Gothic clock tower from the 16th century is one of the most interesting sights of Aix-en-Provence.
The foundation of the town hall has been preserved since Roman times. The tower is decorated with a bust of Louis XIII, erected in honor of the monarch's visit to Aix. The architecture of the town hall is inspired by Italian buildings, the sculptural decoration belongs to the masters Rambo and Fosse. The facade was richly decorated, but most of the decoration was destroyed during the Revolution. The doors made of carved wood and the courtyard have been preserved.
On the first floor of the town hall, in the main hall, paintings on historical subjects, portraits of the counts of Provence and French kings are exhibited.
Coordinates: 43.51666700,5.44911600
In the city of Aix-en-Provence, there are markets three times a week - on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, but the largest market is held, of course, on a day off.
In the markets you can always find lavender oil, various varieties of olives, tapenades (pastes from olives, anchovies and capers), pastis, Marseille soap, Provencal sweets and other products and things that are made in this city. In the market, you can buy local cheeses, mostly goat, the most famous of which is Banon cheese, wrapped in chestnut leaves.
The Provence market is not only a place where you can buy food, things and household items, but also a place for communication, discussion of news and gossip. It is always crowded, fun, noisy and fragrant.
The city is also the center of Provencal antiques: rare antiques are sold here, which are “chased” by connoisseurs of rarities and collectors from all over the world.
Coordinates: 43.52900300,5.44786700
Fountains of Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence is known as the "city of water" or "the city of a thousand fountains", and this is not surprising - after all, in almost every square of the city you can find water, and sometimes even unusual fountains are made in the back streets and on the walls. All fountains are made in completely different styles and built in different eras.
The Romans, who founded the city, discovered cold and hot springs here, which made it possible to supply the city with water and open Roman baths here. To date, in Aix-en-Provence, there are several hundred fountains - ancient and modern.
The fountain in Place d'Albert is one of the most attractive places cities for tourists. His metal jewelry was cast by the students of the School of Crafts in 1912. The value of the fountain gives an attractive architectural ensemble the square itself, built in six years at the behest of Jean-Baptiste d'Albert.
Coordinates: 43.52780200,5.44875200
Monument to Paul Cezanne
The monument is a full-length figure of the artist, standing with arms crossed on a cane and a hat pulled down over his eyes - this is how Paul Cezanne preferred to wear his headdress. This monument was erected against the backdrop of evergreen plantations in the park, where the painter liked to walk. For a long time, Paul Cezanne lived away from home, but, returning to his native Aix-en-Provence in 1886, he spent the last 20 years of his life without a break here, enjoying the beauties of his native city.
As one of the most prominent exponents of post-impressionism of his period, Paul Césan immortalized his name with such works as "Girl at the Piano", "In the Rooms" and "Tannhäuser Overture". Art connoisseurs from the most different countries visit this monument, paying tribute to the talent of the painter.
Coordinates: 43.54058500,5.44704400
Club Spartacus
Spartacus Club - the famous French club electronic music, which is located between Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.
The interior of the club is made in the Roman style, which corresponds to its name.
The club is famous among the French and visitors from other countries. It is famous for its amazing parties that are remembered for a long time.
The club is open on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as on some public holidays.
Coordinates: 43.44126600,5.37999300
Workshop of Paul Cezanne
Admirers of the work of Paul Cezanne tend to go where you can feel the presence of the artist himself. In a small town in Aix-en-Provence, Cezanne set up his workshop, which served him as a refuge, inspiration, and place of work. Dozens of works written here, in a quiet, sun-drenched corner of France, are now stored in major museums peace.
Entering the studio, the first thing we see is a shelf along the entire western wall, a table, a drawer, low stairs, a high easel, a sofa, several chairs - objects that became the heroes of his still lifes. All of them immerse visitors into the closed world of the artist's soul. Each item complements each other. They continue to live, keeping the memory of the Master.
Thanks to Marcel Provence, the owner of the workshop after the death of Cezanne, which he bought from the artist's son, Paul, the workshop remained in the same form as during the life of the great master.
Coordinates: 43.53842700,5.44627800
Grand Theater of Provence
The Grand Théâtre de Provence is a young but already very popular musical theater in the region.
The Grand Théâtre de Provence was solemnly opened on June 29, 2007, and the famous opera Valkyrie by Richard Wagner was the first to be performed on the stage of the newly-made theater.
The amazing building of the young theater deserves special attention, which does not look like a theater building in the traditional sense. Take at least its shape, which resembles either a funnel, or a flask, or a key - everyone is free to interpret it in their own way.
It is also noteworthy that the theater is located below the level of the street on which it is located.
The theater has been the main theater for the French Youth Orchestra since its foundation.
Coordinates: 43.52608800,5.44069300
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