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Member since:30.04.2003
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I am not a city lover preferring the peace of more isolated places. However there are a few exceptions and Aix-en Provence is one city that I always enjoy and would have no hesitation in recommending. Aix (pronounced x) is situated 25 km from Marseille in the centre of Provence.
Getting there ************ By plane the nearest international airport is Marseille 25 km away. There are frequent flights from the u.k with several airlines. Fares vary enormously so it’s worth doing your homework before buying! Marseille airport has several car hire outlets and again I would suggest you check via the Internet, as it is usually cheaper to pre book from the U.K.
There are fast rail links from
Paris to Aix and the TGV station is well situated in the centre of town. The train journey takes only 2 hrs 50 mins and I have used it several times with no delays.
By car you will need to take the cross channel ferry and then drive the 780 km from Paris. There are excellent motorway links, but don’t underestimate how far it is and allow for frequent stops.
Accommodation and eating ************************ Aix has a variety of good places to stay in all price brackets. We have friends living in Aix so stay with them when we visit. There are also several campsites on the outskirts of town and I can recommend the Arc-en –Ceil campsite on the route to Nice, 3 km from the town centre. The campsite is not cheap but has great facilities and is clean and well maintained.
I can also recommend the hotel Saint Christophe situated in the centre of town on the cours Mirabeau. This is a very comfortable 19 Th century 2 star hotel with reasonable prices.
Aix is a compact city so don’t worry too much about your hotel being away from the action. I would suggest you contact the tourist information office at 2 place General-de-Gaulle, tel 04.42.16.11.61.
You will be spoilt for choice as far as eating is concerned in Aix. There are numerous street cafes and restaurants serving just about anything you could wish for. I love sitting with a cold drink and watching the world go by. The main street, the Cours Mirabeau tends to be more expensive than many of the cafes situated on the many streets leading off it.
If you are on a tight budget I would suggest you visit Monoprix on the cours Mirabeau, as they have a small food department in the basement that sells sandwiches and other snack foods. There is also a branch of Quick (like McDonald’s) on the cours Mirabeau.
Why is Aix so special? ******************** I would describe Aix as the perfect city, it is stunningly beautiful, vibrant, easy to explore with numerous small streets with many tempting shops and cafes. If you are visiting for the day my first tip would be to follow the signs to Saint Jerome in the south of the city as parking here is easy and inexpensive. From St Jerome it is only a 5-minute walk to the Cours Mirabeau.
The cours Mirabeau is a beautiful wide Boulevard lined with huge plane trees and numerous street cafes. There are several banks here too where you can change travellers cheques. At the end of the cours Mirabeau is a huge fountain.
Having walked the length of the cours Mirabeau with a stop for a drink under the shade of a plane tree, I would suggest you explore the network of small streets that lead off the cours Mirabeau in the old quarter of the town. There are many fountained squares where you can stop for a rest. The architecture is stunning everywhere you look, with many 16th and 17th century buildings.
I really love the markets that are held here on Saturdays, especially the flower market on the place de l’Hotel-de-ville. There is also an excellent flea market on the place de Verdun.
If you are interested in art visit the Rue Gaston-de-Saporta where you will find many 15th century buildings containing medieval art. Aix is associated with the famous painter Cézanne. He had several studios in Aix and you can see some of his greatest paintings in the Atelier Cézanne at 9 av Paul Cézanne. There are gold coloured tiles on the pavements leading from the cours Mirabeau with Cézanne inscribed.
Aix is a university town and has a vibrant exciting feel about it. There is often live music in the bars and cafes in the evening. The streets are always buzzing with every nationality. I have always felt safe in Aix although my friends tell me it has its fair share of crime.
Aix has an average of 300 days of sunshine a year and average summer temperatures of 22 degrees. When we were there last summer the temperate was 35 degrees! Aix has little rain although can be effected by the cold mistral wind.
I love Provence and would always ensure that any trip there included at least a day in Aix.
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Mar 24th, 2005
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