Things to do in Aix-en-Provence: the complete guide
Published · 6 min read
What is there to do in Aix-en-Provence when you only have a few days? Here is our local's guide, from the fountains of the cours Mirabeau to Cézanne's studios, with opening times and prices checked for this autumn.
Things to do in Aix-en-Provence when you arrive
The good news is that Aix is best explored on foot. From the cours Mirabeau to Saint-Sauveur Cathedral is barely a fifteen-minute walk, and almost everything there is to do in Aix-en-Provence lies within that area. Leave the car in a car park and put on comfortable shoes: the cobbled streets of the historic centre are unforgiving to slim heels.
Begin with the cours Mirabeau, the avenue locals simply call "le Cours". It is 440 metres long and 42 metres wide, lined with plane trees, café terraces and grand private mansions. At number 20, the Hôtel de Forbin dates from 1656; at number 38, the Hôtel Maurel de Pontevès rests its balcony on stone atlantes. Look up: this is where the city's history can be read.
Along the Cours, count the fountains. La Rotonde, the largest, dates from 1860 and opens the promenade at its western end. Further along, the Fontaine des Neuf Canons goes back to 1691, and the moss-covered Fontaine Moussue lets thermal water flow at 18°C. If you need a map or a ticket, the Tourist Office welcomes you at 300 avenue Giuseppe Verdi, Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 6pm at this time of year.
The historic centre, square by square
South of the Cours lies the quartier Mazarin, laid out in the 17th century on a grid plan. It is the quietest part of the centre, with its regular façades, carved doorways and the Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins, built in 1667 by Jean-Claude Rambot. Come early in the morning or at the end of the day, when the stone turns the colour of honey and the streets are almost empty.
North of the Cours, old Aix changes scale: narrow lanes, small squares, shops and cafés. Walk up to place de l'Hôtel de Ville, overlooked by its clock tower, then pass through place Richelme, where the fruit and vegetable market sets up every morning. Nearby place d'Albertas, with its fountain and classical 18th-century façades, is worth a two-minute detour.
Finish at Saint-Sauveur Cathedral, open every day from 8.40am to 6.30pm, with free entry. Its baptistery rests on columns said to come from an ancient temple, and its small late 12th-century cloister remains one of the most peaceful places in the city. Until 1 November, then from the first Sunday of Advent to Epiphany, you can see the Burning Bush triptych, painted by Nicolas Froment around 1476.
Museums to see in Aix
The musée Granet, on place Saint-Jean-de-Malte, is the city's great museum. It holds paintings from the 14th to the 19th century, works by Cézanne and the Jean Planque collection, with Picasso, Bonnard and Dubuffet. It opens Tuesday to Sunday; a ticket costs €7 outside major exhibitions, and entry is free for under-18s.
A short walk from the Cours, Caumont Centre d'Art occupies an 18th-century mansion set between courtyard and garden. From 5 November 2026 to 21 March 2027, it hosts an exhibition devoted to Henri Cartier-Bresson, at €16.50 full price. Open every day from 10am to 6pm, it also has a café whose terrace looks onto the gardens, our favourite spot for a break.
More discreet, the Pavillon de Vendôme, at 32 rue Célony, is a 17th-century residence surrounded by a formal French garden. From 30 October, it opens every day except Tuesday, from 10am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 5pm, for €5. Outside the centre, the Fondation Vasarely rounds off the tour with its large works of optical art.
In Cézanne's footsteps in Aix
Paul Cézanne was born in Aix in 1839 and painted there all his life. The city has kept two places where he lived and worked: the Atelier des Lauves, at 13 avenue Paul Cézanne, and the Jas de Bouffan country house, at 4 rue de Valcros, the family estate where he painted for nearly forty years. Both sites open seasonally, and visits must be booked in advance on the city's Cézanne website.
They open in the fine season: in 2026, from 4 July to 31 October, from 10am to 5pm in October. The rest of the year, keep an eye on the city's Cézanne website for the next season's announcement before planning your visit. A self-guided visit with audio guide costs €9.50, a guided tour €12. Neither site has parking nearby: come by bus, as the "Atelier Cezanne" stop is served by lines 5 and 12.
Part of Cézanne's world remains accessible all year round. A fifteen-minute walk from the studio, the Painters' Garden (jardin des peintres) offers the view of Sainte-Victoire that he painted so many times, free to enter. The Bibémus quarries, where he painted his landscapes of ochre rock, can only be visited with a Tourist Office guide.
| Place | Access |
|---|---|
| Atelier des Lauves | Online booking, in season |
| Jas de Bouffan country house | Online booking, in season |
| Painters' Garden | Free access all year round |
| Bibémus quarries | Guided tour only |
Markets, fountains and Aix sweets
Aix lives to the rhythm of its markets. On place Richelme, producers set up every morning, from about 8am to 1pm, and place des Comtales hosts a second market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Come before 10am for the light, the calm and the finest stalls. We will soon devote a complete guide to them, day by day, with the markets of the neighbouring villages.
Aix is nicknamed the city of a thousand fountains, and it is not just a figure of speech. Around the corner of a lane, a mossy basin, a carved mask or a stone bollard fountain reminds you that the city grew up around its hot springs more than two thousand years ago. An aimless stroll from one fountain to the next remains one of the loveliest ways to discover the centre.
Finally, take home a souvenir you can eat. The calisson, a small almond and candied melon sweet under a white icing, is the city's speciality, and several confectioners still make it on site. Try the navettes biscuits or the candied fruit too, then treat yourself to a break on a terrace on the Cours, coffee in hand, simply to watch the city go by.
Our ideas for a longer stay
If you are staying more than two days, here is what we suggest to our guests.
Head up towards Sainte-Victoire
The mountain that dominates the east of Aix is twenty minutes' drive from the centre. For a first approach, the Zola dam, in Le Tholonet, and the paths on the southern slopes offer fine views. Longer hikes call for good shoes, water and an early start, especially in summer, when access to the massifs may be restricted by prefectoral order. If you would rather be accompanied, our Sainte-Victoire by bike experience takes you to the foot of the mountain with a guide.
Tour the villages
The Pays d'Aix has some very beautiful villages less than twenty minutes from the centre. Le Tholonet, at the foot of Sainte-Victoire, remains attached to the memory of Cézanne; Vauvenargues is home to the château where Picasso is buried; Éguilles and Ventabren offer sweeping views over the Aix countryside. We are preparing a guide devoted to these villages, with our favourite addresses in each of them.
Visit the Christmas market
From 13 November to 31 December 2026, the Christmas market sets up on the cours Mirabeau, with its chalets open from 10am to 8pm, and until 9.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Entry is free, and the illuminated Cours takes on a completely different atmosphere at nightfall. Remember to book your accommodation early for December weekends, which are in high demand.
Let someone tell you the city's story
A city like Aix is better understood with someone who knows its stories: who built which mansion, why a street bears its name, where the inner courtyards are hidden. Our guided tour of Aix is on foot, in French or English, at your own pace, and adapts to your wishes: history, architecture or simply wandering. For a day further afield, the sidecar ride takes you along the back roads of the Alpilles, as far as Les Baux-de-Provence.
Stay in the heart of Aix
Staying in the historic centre changes everything: you walk home after dinner, enjoy the squares in the morning before the visitors arrive, and forget about the car. Our homes in Aix are apartments in the centre, chosen for their charm and prepared with upmarket linen and a personal welcome. And if you own an apartment in the centre yourself, our Owners page and our guide to short-term rental regulations in Aix explain how to let it.
And if you have the slightest question about Aix, write to us.
Fancy a stay in Aix? Discover our homes
Frequently asked questions
What to do in Aix-en-Provence in one day?
Start with the cours Mirabeau and the quartier Mazarin in the morning, then head up to place de l'Hôtel de Ville, the market on place Richelme and Saint-Sauveur Cathedral. Keep the afternoon for the musée Granet or Caumont Centre d'Art, and finish with a drink on a café terrace.
Can you visit Cézanne's studio all year round?
No. In 2026, the Atelier des Lauves and the Jas de Bouffan country house are open from 4 July to 31 October, by online booking only; the Painters' Garden, however, is freely accessible all year round.
Which museums in Aix are free?
The musée Granet, the Pavillon de Vendôme, the musée des Tapisseries and the musée du Vieil Aix are free on the first Sunday of every month, excluding temporary exhibitions. The musée Granet is also free for under-18s and students under 26.
Do you need a car to visit Aix-en-Provence?
Not in the centre, which can be explored entirely on foot and where parking is scarce. A car becomes useful for Sainte-Victoire and the villages of the Pays d'Aix, although buses serve the Cézanne sites.
What are our sources?
- Aix-en-Provence Tourist Office: address and opening times
- City of Aix-en-Provence Cézanne website: 2026 season press kit (Atelier des Lauves, Jas de Bouffan, Bibémus, in French)
- Caumont Centre d'Art: opening times and access
- Aix-en-Provence Tourist Office: Saint-Sauveur Cathedral
- Aix-en-Provence Tourist Office: the fruit and vegetable market
