Provence
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Provence - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Atelier Cézanne
Just north of the vieille ville (Old Town) loop you'll find Cézanne's studio. After the death of his mother forced the sale of the painter's beloved country retreat, Jas de Bouffan, he had this atelier built and some of his finest works, including Les Grandes Baigneuses (The Large Bathers), were created in the upstairs workspace. But what is most striking is the collection of simple objects that once featured prominently in his portraits and still lifes—redingote, bowler hat, ginger jar—all displayed as if awaiting his return. The atelier is behind an obscure garden gate on the left as you climb Avenue Paul-Cézanne.
9 av. Paul-Cézanne, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France04–42–21–06–53Sight Details
Rate Includes: €7, Closed Jan., Sun. and Mon. in Feb., and Sun. in Dec. -
2. Caumont Centre d'Art
Part of the Culturespaces network of museums and monuments, this arts center is a jewel in the organization's impressively laden crown and is one of Aix's top cultural attractions. Given that the center is housed in the glorious Hôtel de Caumont, one of the city's most spectacular 18th-century mansions, it's no wonder that its period rooms are a joy to behold. It hosts two world-class art exhibitions per year in beautifully conceived spaces (the inaugural show was devoted to Venetian master Canaletto), and there are daily screenings of the film Cézanne in the Aix Region and a series of jazz and classical performances. The elegant gardens have been painstakingly restored to their original 18th-century layout, and you can enjoy a drink, light lunch, or dessert in the garden restaurant. The indoor Café Caumont is easily Aix's most elegant.
3 rue Joseph Cabassol, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France04–42–20–70–01Sight Details
Rate Includes: From €7 -
3. Fondation Vasarely
After three decades of neglect, the Centre Pompidou's splendid 2019 retrospective of the father of "op-art" placed Victor Vasarely in his rightful place among the great artists of the later 20th century. Whether a fan of the genre or not, a visit to this exhilarating museum, a short drive or bus ride (lines 2 and 20) from Aix center, will delight art fans of all ages. The building itself is an architectural wonder, composed of 16 hexagonal galleries each housing six of the artist's monumental tapestries, mosaics, paintings, or sculptures. Upstairs, a detailed timeline of Vasarely's life and work reveals the versatility and genius of an artist both of and ahead of his time.
1 av. Marcel Pagnol, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13090, France04–42–20–01–09Sight Details
Rate Includes: €15 -
4. Musée Granet
Once the École de Dessin (Art School) that granted Cézanne a second-place prize in 1856, the former priory of the Église St-Jean-de-Malte now showcases eight of Cézanne's paintings, as well as a nice collection of his watercolors and drawings. Also hanging in the galleries are 300 works by Bonnard, Picasso, Klee, Rubens, David, and Giacometti.
Pl. St-Jean-de-Malte, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France04–42–52–88–32Sight Details
Rate Includes: From €6.50, Closed Mon. -
5. Pavillon de Vendôme
This extravagant Baroque villa was built in 1665 as a country house for the duke of Vendôme. Its position just outside the city's inner circle allowed the duke to commute discreetly from his official home on Cours Mirabeau to this retreat, where his mistress, La Belle du Canet, was comfortably installed. The villa was expanded and heightened in the 18th century to draw attention to the classical orders—Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian—on parade in the row of neo-Grecian columns. Inside the cool, broad chambers you can find a collection of Provençal furniture and artwork. Note the two, curious, giant Atlantes that hold up the interior balcony.
32 rue Celony, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France04–42–91–88–75Sight Details
Rate Includes: €4, Closed Tues. -
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6. Ancienne Halle aux Grains
Built in 1761, this former grain market serves as a post office today—a rather spectacular building for a prosaic service. The frieze, portraying an allegory of the Rhône and Durance rivers, is the work of Aix sculptor Jean Chaste (1726–93); he also created the fountain out in front. That's a real Roman column at the fountain's top.
Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France -
7. Cathédrale St-Sauveur
Many eras of architectural history are clearly delineated and preserved here. The cathedral has a double nave—Romanesque and Gothic side by side—and a Merovingian (5th-century) baptistery, its colonnade mostly recovered from Roman temples built to honor pagan deities. The deep bath on the floor is a remnant of the total-immersion baptisms that used to occur here, marking the forsaking of one's old life (going down into the water) for a new life in Christ (rising up from the water). Shutters hide the ornate 16th-century carvings on the portals, opened by a guide on request. The guide can also lead you into the tranquil Romanesque cloister next door, with carved pillars and slender columns. The extraordinary 15th-century Triptyque du Buisson Ardent (Mary and the Burning Bush) was painted by Nicolas Froment in the heat of inspiration following his travels in Italy and Flanders, and depicts the generous art patrons King René and Queen Jeanne kneeling on either side of the Virgin, who is poised above a burning bush. To avoid light damage, it's rarely opened for viewing; check with the tourist office beforehand.
Pl. des Martyrs de la Résistance, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France04–42–23–45–65 -
8. Collège Mignet
It's within these walls that Cézanne and his schoolmate Emile Zola discussed their ideas. Cézanne received his baccalauréat cum laude here in 1858 and went on to attend a year of law school to please his father.
Rue Cardinale at Rue Joseph-Cabassol, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France -
9. Conservatoire de Musique Darius-Milhaud
In a striking modern edifice designed by architect Kengo Kuma in the Forum Culturel (which includes the Pavillon Noir dance center), the Darius Milhaud Music Conservatory celebrates the music of Marseille's native composer, who spent several years of his childhood in Aix and returned here to die. Milhaud (1892–1974), a member of the group of French composers known as Les Six, created fine-boned, transparent works influenced by jazz and Hebrew chant. Aix has yet to make a museum of his memorabilia, but you can visit during its eclectic series of student performances, jazz and classical concerts, and dance recitals.
380 av. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France04–88–71–84–20 -
10. Cours Mirabeau
Shaded by a double row of tall plane trees, the Cours Mirabeau is one of the most beautiful avenues anywhere, designed so its width and length would be in perfect proportion with the height of the dignified 18th-century hôtels particuliers lining it. You can view this lovely assemblage from one of the dozen or so cafés that spill onto the pavement.
Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France -
11. Église de la Madeleine
Though the facade now bears 19th-century touches, this small 17th-century church still contains the center panel of the fine 15th-century Annunciation Triptych, attributed to the father of Jan Van Eyck, the greatest painter of the Early Netherlandish school. Some say the massive painting on the left side of the transept is a Rubens. The church is used regularly for classical concerts.
Pl. des Prêcheurs, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France -
12. Église St-Jean-de-Malte
This 12th-century church served as a chapel of the Knights of Malta, a medieval order of friars devoted to hospital care. The church was Aix's first attempt at the Gothic style, and it was here that the counts of Provence were buried throughout the 18th century; their tombs (in the upper left) were attacked during the revolution and have been only partially repaired.
Rue Cardinale and rue d'Italie, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France -
13. Fontaine d'Eau Chaude
Deliciously thick with dripping moss, this 18th-century fountain is fed by Sextius's own thermal source. It seems representative of Aix at its artfully negligent best. In sunny Provence, Aix was famous for its shade and its fountains; apropos, James Pope-Hennessy, in his Aspects of Provence, compares living in Aix to being at the bottom of an aquarium, thanks to all the fountains' bubbling waters and the city's shady streets and boulevards.
Cours Mirabeau, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France -
14. Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins
Within a tiny square at a symmetrical crossroads in the Quartier Mazarin, this lovely 17th-century fountain has four graceful dolphins at the foot of a pine-cone-topped obelisk. Under the shade of a chestnut tree and framed by broad, shuttered mansions, it makes an elegant ensemble worth contemplating from the park bench.
Pl. des Quatre Dauphins, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France -
15. Hôtel de Châteaurenard
Across from a commercial gallery that calls itself the Petit Musée Cézanne (actually more of a tourist trap), this 17th-century mansion once hosted Louis XIV—and now houses government offices. This means that during business hours you can slip in and peek at the fabulous 18th-century stairwell, decorated in flamboyant trompe-l'oeil. Pseudo-stone putti and caryatids pop into three dimensions—as does the false balustrade that mirrors the real one in stone.
19 rue Gaston de Saporta, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France -
16. Hôtel de Ville
Built between 1655 and 1678 by Pierre Pavillon, the Hôtel de Ville is fronted by a pebble-encrusted courtyard set off by a wrought-iron gateway. At the back, a double stairway leads to the Salle des Etats de Provences, the old regional assembly room (where taxes were voted on), hung with interesting portraits and pictures of mythological characters. From the window, look for the unmistakable 16th-century clock tower with an open ironwork belfry. The tree-lined square in front—where cafés set up tables right into the center of the space—is a popular gathering place.
Pl. de L'Hôtel-de-Ville, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France04–42–91–90–00 -
17. Hôtel Maynier d'Oppède
This ornately decorated mansion houses the Institut d'Études Françaises (Institute of French Studies), where foreign students take French classes. During the Festival d'Aix in July, the hotel's courtyard is used for a series of classical concerts.
23 rue Gaston de Saporta, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France04–42–21–70–92 -
18. Jas de Bouffan
Cézanne's father bought this lovely property 1 km (½ mile) west of the center of town in 1859 to celebrate his rise from hatmaker to banker. The budding artist lived at the estate, whose name translates as "the sheepfold," until 1899 and painted his first images of Mont Sainte-Victoire—foundations of 20th-century art—from the grounds. Today the salons are empty, but the estate is full of the artist's spirit, especially the Allée des Marronniers out front. The site is closed for renovations until 2025. Check with the central tourist office before visiting, as access has traditionally been via guided tours arranged through the office.
80 rte. de Valcros (D64), Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France04–42–16–10–91 -
19. La Rotonde
If you've just arrived in Aix's center, this sculpture-fountain is a spectacular introduction to the town's rare mix of elegance and urban bustle. It's a towering mass of 19th-century attitude. That's Agriculture yearning toward Marseille, Art leaning toward Avignon, and Justice looking down on Cours Mirabeau. But don't study it too intently—you'll likely be sideswiped by a speeding Vespa.
Pl. de Gaulle, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France -
20. Musée des Tapisseries
In the 17th-century Palais de l'Archevêché (Archbishop's Palace), this museum showcases a sumptuous collection of tapestries that once decorated the bishops' quarters. There are 17 magnificent hangings from Beauvais and a series on the life of Don Quixote from Compiègne. Temporary exhibitions highlight contemporary textile art. The main opera productions of the Festival d'Aix take place in the broad courtyard.
28 pl. des Martyrs de la Resistance, Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 13100, France04–42–23–09–91Sight Details
Rate Includes: €4, Closed Tues.
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