(By someone who lives there)
Living near Aix-en-Provence feels a bit like living inside a painting — one that smells faintly of lavender and espresso. It’s elegant, sunlit, and endlessly walkable, yet always full of surprises. Whether you’re visiting for a few days or lucky enough to call it home, here are ten things to do that capture the city’s real charm.
1. Start your day at the market
There’s a market every day somewhere in Aix, but the one on Place Richelme is my favourite — a riot of colours, scents, and Provençal chatter. Buy a handful of olives, a baguette still warm from the oven, and maybe a bunch of flowers you didn’t plan on. It’s the kind of place that makes grocery shopping feel romantic.
2. Follow in Cézanne’s footsteps
Aix is Cézanne’s hometown, and his presence lingers everywhere — from the Atelier Cézanne, his preserved studio in the hills, to the bronze plaques marking his daily walk through the city. Go early in the morning, when the air is still cool, and you can almost hear the painter thinking.
3. Sit for coffee on the Cours Mirabeau
The Cours Mirabeau is Aix’s elegant main artery, shaded by plane trees and lined with cafés. Order an espresso, people-watch, and let time dissolve. It’s the city’s living room, where everyone from students to grandmothers passes through.
4. Wander without purpose
Aix is made for aimless wandering. Get lost in the Vieil Aix, the old town, where narrow streets twist between sunlit squares, fountains, and pastel shutters. You’ll stumble upon tiny bookshops, art galleries, and those little boutiques that make you wonder how anyone could resist moving here.
5. Listen to street music
Music is part of Aix’s heartbeat. Street performers play year-round, from jazz trios to classical violinists outside cafés. If you come in July, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence transforms the city into one big open-air opera. Even if you’re not an opera lover, it’s impossible not to be swept up in it.
6. Climb Montagne Sainte-Victoire
Cézanne painted it over sixty times, and once you see it in person, you’ll understand why. The climb isn’t too hard, and from the top, you can see all the way to the Alps on a clear day. Bring water, a hat, and a sense of perspective — literally and figuratively.
7. Visit a vineyard (or three)
Aix sits at the heart of rosé country. Within half an hour, you’ll find countless caves and domaines offering tastings — from small family-run estates to sleek modern wineries. My advice: take your time, chat to the owners, and let them pour you something local.
8. Explore the fountains
Aix is nicknamed the city of a thousand fountains — and though that might be an exaggeration, there are dozens scattered through its streets, each with its own personality. My favourite is the Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins in the Mazarin quarter — quietly baroque, always elegant.
9. Take a picnic to Parc Jourdan
When the sun’s out (which is often), head to Parc Jourdan, a leafy park near the centre, for a picnic. Bring cheese, fruit, and something bubbly, and enjoy the relaxed rhythm of local families and students doing exactly the same thing.
10. Stay out late — but not too late
Aix doesn’t do chaos. The nightlife is lively but civilised — full of terrace bars and tucked-away wine spots rather than clubs. Try a drink at Le Grillon or Les Deux Garçons, and end your evening strolling home under the soft amber glow of the streetlights.
Final Thoughts
What makes Aix-en-Provence truly special isn’t just the markets, the music, or the wine — it’s the feeling it gives you. A kind of gentle beauty that seeps into your bones. You start to notice it in small ways — the sound of a fountain, the taste of apricots in summer, the light on the buildings at 8 a.m.And even after a year of living here, I still stop to take it all in.
Every. Single. Morning.