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AIX-EN-PROVENCE Aix-en-Provence is so lovely that various French surveys have chosen it the most desirable city in which to live, due to the ambience of this special place. The modest population of just 150,000 residents gives it a small-town charm, yet Aix is big enough to provide all the necessities and comforts of urban living. Nearly 30 percent are university students, lending an air of youthful energy, culture and enthusiasm. The large pedestrian zone is an idyllic urban landscape of pretty, low-rise buildings three and four centuries old, criss-crossed by a maze of tranquil pedestrian lanes lined with shops and cafes. Little plazas with fountains and benches often accent the intersections of various paths. This is French living at its best. You’ll spend most of your time, naturally, in this oldest part of Aix, which can be easily reached in a ten-minute walk from the train station, up Avenue Victor Hugo which extends directly away from the station. Walk six blocks to the giant fountain called La Rotonde, set in a hectic traffic circle with cars swirling all about, and stop at the very efficient Tourist Information Office here for an excellent free map of the city and other brochures. Take a right on Cours Mirabeau, the broad street established in 1651. Simply called the Cours, it is sometimes considered the most attractive boulevard in all France: lined with shops, outdoor cafés and restaurants in all price ranges along a wide sidewalk with magnificent plane trees towering overhead and three moss-covered fountains in the middle of the street. Its most chic café is Les Deux Garçons, at number 53. The historic, pedestrian center is “Le Vieil Aix,” the old neighborhood to the left (north) of the Cours. About one half-mile square, it’s easy to cover in a few hours but offers enough variety and texture that you might be tempted to spend the entire day exploring. If you have no time left for Marseille at the end of the day, that is no great loss, so don’t worry about keeping to a rigid schedule here. Walk a few blocks along the Cours to experience its allure, then turn left on Nazareth or Clémenceau and plunge into the magic of Le Vieil Aix. In two short blocks you arrive at Place d’Albertas, one of the half-dozen small squares you are about to discover, breathtaking in its beauty. Continue north along what is the main pedestrian lane of the old section, at first called Aude, then changing names to Foch, and you will soon arrive at the prettiest of all squares, Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. Drop anchor for a while at the terrace café to absorb the grand sights all around: the baroque city hall’s columns and triangular pediment define the square, punctuated by the tall clock tower and a Roman column in the center, sheltered under a generous sprinkle of trees and livened by a constant parade of people passing through this central crossroad. The neoclassical grain market, now a post office, completes the scene with a matching pediment of sculpted, allegorical figures. Another attractive square two blocks west is the Place des Cardeurs, whose pastel facades surrounding the large central plaza create a distinctly Provencal atmosphere, enhanced by a row of outdoor restaurants. Cardeurs is often frequented by university students, so it’s a prime budget location for lunch. However, you will be tempted by an enormous variety of foods in all price ranges throughout Aix, from the simple take-out sandwiches to the highest quality haute cuisine. You can’t walk a minute without seeing more food. Among the most enjoyable places to admire the foods, flowers, antiques and colorful local life are the many outdoor markets scattered through Aix, especially on a Saturday morning and to a lesser degree on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The main market takes place in front of the Palais de Justice on Place de Verdun and Place des Prêcheurs, then continues on the streets behind all the way to Place Richelme, whose food market has been operating daily since the Middle Ages. That main pedestrian lane continues north, changing names now to Rue Gaston de Saporta, and leads to Aix’s main church, the Cathédrale St-Sauveur. This ancient building is a mix of styles including Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque, and has a peaceful cloister, all of which close at mid-day for siesta, as do many of the shops. Now backtrack, choosing some alternative routes to wander through. When done exploring the old section, return towards the train station with a walk on the south side of the Cours through what is called the Mazarin district. This rectangular grid, five blocks long and wide, has a series of attractive mansions that are now divided into private apartments, along with a significant art museum, Musée Granet, exhibiting a broad range from prehistory up through Aix’s most famous native son, Paul Cézanne. A whimsical fountain with four dolphins and an obelisk sits in the middle of Place Dauphin, the central crossroads of this neighborhood. You will probably run into some street musicians, so stop and listen for a few minutes and look around at the people, building details, shop fronts and sidewalk action while absorbing the general vibe. All too often in the rush of traveling you come upon sidewalk musicians, take it for granted and don’t even stop. But it’s usually worth a moment to listen -- and they don’t mind if you stop right in front and get real close: that’s why they are there, and they would appreciate a little gratuity in return, of course. That’s a brief look at Aix. It’s an amazing place to visit, but you don’t need to spend more than a day to see it, so it is not worth re-locating from your comfortable hotel in Arles to spend the night. A day-trip will do just fine, and on the return to Arles you might have time for a quick look at the big city of Marseille, second largest in France.

• Category

  Food & Drink

• Release Date

  Aug 12, 2008

• Runtime

  03:47