Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence—affectionately called "Aix" (pronounced "Äx") by the locals—is the most elegant city in Provence and its cultural heart. The former capital of the historic County of Provence impresses with broad plane tree boulevards, aristocratic townhouses (Hôtels particuliers) from the 17th and 18th centuries, over 40 fountains, and a student energy that gives the city a youthful vibrancy.

The Cours Mirabeau, Aix's grand boulevard, divides the city into two halves: to the north, the medieval Old Town (Vieil Aix) with its winding alleys, small squares, and the daily flower and vegetable market on the Place Richelme; to the south, the elegant Quartier Mazarin with its baroque palaces. On the Cours Mirabeau itself, street cafés line up under mighty plane trees—the Les Deux Garçons (since 1792) was the regular café of Cézanne and Zola.

Aix is inextricably linked with Paul Cézanne. The painter was born here in 1839 and obsessively painted his leitmotif, the Montagne Sainte-Victoire, over 80 times. His Atelier (Atelier de Cézanne) still stands exactly as he left it in 1906: the easel, the hat, the apples—as if he had just stepped out. The studio (€7) and the Terrain des Peintres (viewpoint from which he painted the Sainte-Victoire) are pilgrimage sites for art lovers. The Musée Granet (entry €8) showcases Cézanne alongside Picasso, Giacometti, and contemporary works.

Every Saturday, Aix transforms into one big market: the Marché d'Aix stretches over several squares and streets with Provence lavender, olive oil, Calissons (the famous Aix almond confection specialty), fresh goat cheese, and mountains of fruit.