Go Citybreak: The southern city of Aix is like a piece of Left Bank Paris dropped into rural France, writes Tony Clayton-Lea
ELEGANT, CLASSY AND CHIC. There is no better way to describe Aix-en-Provence. This southern French city of fewer than 140,000 citizens is like a velvet-lined pocket of Left Bank Paris deep within bucolic Pays d'Aix.
It has leafy boulevards and public squares that are lined with 17th- and 18th-century mansions and dotted with bubbling fountains. And its Mediterranean climate brings it 300 days of sunshine a year. I visited in late July for a weekend, sweltered in 30-degree heat and loved every minute of it. Friends who had booked a villa for three weeks that month had just one day of rain.
Founded in 123 BC by the Roman consul Sextius Calvinus, who gave his name to its springs, Aix – Aquae Sextiae – tumbled ingloriously through the centuries. Occupied by the Visigoths in 477 and by the Saracens in 731, it became the capital of Provence during the Middle Ages – remaining so until the French Revolution, when it was supplanted by Marseilles – and in the 12th century was positioned as an artistic centre and seat of learning. And so it has been since: first established in 1409, the University of Provence Aix-Marseille now has 30,000 students, which makes midterm breaks and summer months even more appealing for a visit.
Because of its size, Aix-en-Provence is a perfect city in which to walk from one end to the other without thinking of public transport. Its wide thoroughfare, Cours Mirabeau, is planted with double rows of plane trees that provide day-long shade; it is also decorated by lazy-spray fountains and bordered by fine old houses.
The avenue follows the line of the old city wall and divides into two sections. The old town, with its spacious if architecturally variable streets, and its 16th-, 17th- and 18th-century mansions, lies to the north; the new town extends to the south and west.
Inevitably, it is the old town that seduces the visitor with its laid-back atmosphere. When your feet need to rest, they will invariably guide you to Aix's famous outdoor cafe, Les Deux Garçons. Who knows? As you sip a coffee, a beer or a glass of local wine, perhaps you will sit in the very chair that once supported the bottom of Jean-Paul Sartre, Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Paul Cézanne, Emile Zola or Edith Piaf.
If you'd prefer not to think of Cézanne's cheeks or Piaf's posterior but rather visit another of the city's attractions, make your way to Quartier Mazarin, south of Cours Mirabeau. Seek out Place des Quatre Dauphins, once a residential area for the aristocracy and the
grande bourgeoisie, where the city's prettiest fountain, built in 1667 by Jean-Claude Rambot, gurgles.
So: pretty fountains, tree-lined boulevards, renowned cafes, Michelin-starred restaurants, markets, art, history, climate, literature, learning, wine, museums, regional produce . . .
And should you ever tire of gentility, civility, elegance or serenity, the bustling port city of Marseilles is less than an hour away.
The best of both worlds in Provence? Somehow, life has become very interesting again.
aixenprovencetourism.com
Where to stay, where to eat and where to go in the southern French city
5 places to stay
Hôtel Le Pigonnet. 5 Avenue du Pigonnet, 00-33-4-42590290, hotelpigonnet.com. To the south of the town, and within easy walking distance of the centre, this 18th-century establishment is something of a classic. Doubles from €110.
Bastide du Cours. 43-47 Cours Mirabeau, 00-33-4-42261006, cafebastideducours.com. A hotel with a great cafe or a cafe with a several beautifully ornate rooms? Either way, this is a winner – although an additional charge for breakfast of up to €20 is, as usual, irritating. Doubles from €145.
La Petite Maison de Carla. 7 Rue du Puits Neuf, 00-33-4-42212073, maison-de-carla.com. A gem in the heart of the old town, with five rooms and one suite, each of which delivers a warm, authentic and typically charming Provençal greeting. Doubles from €125.
Hôtel Cézanne. 40 Avenue Victor Hugo, 00-33-4-42911111, hotelaix.com. One of Aix's most famous sons is given a themed overview in this elegant white building. Nice touches abound – monogrammed towels, free stamped postcards and, in the bar, a colour scheme that Cézanne himself would be proud of. Doubles from €150.
Hôtel Cardinal. 24 Rue Cardinale, 00-33-4-42383230, hotel-cardinal-aix.com. You want romance? Rooms with very – and we mean very – high ceilings? Choose from antique-filled rooms or more modern self-catering suites in this characterful place. Doubles from €60; self-catering suites from €80.
5 places to eat/drink
Les Deux Garçons. 53 Cours Mirabeau, 00-33-4-42260051. An Aix institution, rightly regarded as the best cafe in the city. Cézanne and Émile Zola (Aix's other famous son) used to hang out here, swapping their favourite chat-up lines as white-aproned waiters glided by.
Le Grillon. 49 Cours Mirabeau, 00-33-4-42275881. Seen as the most obvious rival to Les Deux Garçons, this might not have as lovely a setting, but the service is sharper and smarter. The menu is slightly cheaper, too.
Bistro Latin. 18 Rue de la Couronne, 00-33-4-42382288. Getting and keeping the public vote is crucial to the survival of a restaurant, so the future of this attractive bistro seems safe. Fish and meat dishes filter through the eminently affordable menu (which means reservations are recommended). Closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Le Formal. 32 Rue Espariat, 00-33-4-42270831, restaurant-leformal.com. Chef Jean-Luc Le Formal has gained quite a reputation over several years, and this top-notch restaurant is part of the reason why. Superb service in a gorgeous interior with whitewashed-stone vaulted cellar dining rooms.
Bar De L'Horloge. Place Richelme. Take a seat in this busy, atmospheric square, wait for the bar staff of this gruff if endearing bar to saunter over, order a beer and watch the world go by.
5 places to go
Cathédral Saint-Sauveur. Rue J de Laroque. Aix's cathedral dates back to the fifth century, but a few architectural styles, including Gothic and Romanesque, have been added. Gregorian chants each Sunday afternoon have become part of the do-not-miss tourist (and resident) experience.
Atelier Paul Cézanne. 9 Avenue Paul Cézanne, 00-33-4-42210653, atelier-cezanne.com. Local artist made good Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) is afforded due respect in Aix, and you can follow the Cézanne Trail from the tourist office, which also provides a free English-language guide, Cézanne Footsteps. You can also visit his fastidiously preserved final studio, which is about a kilometre north of the tourist office.
Musée Granet. Place Saint Jean de Malte, 00-33-4-42528832, museegranet-aixenprovence.fr. An extraordinary art museum and gallery space – the 17th-century priory of the Knights of Malta – the size of which was tripled following an extensive refurbishment and re-opening in 2006. Cézanne is represented by eight of his paintings.
Musée Paul Arbaud. 2 Rue du 4 Septembre, 00-33-4-42383895. A charming, small museum proffering collections of regional porcelain, books and manuscripts about the area, as well as paintings and sculpture.
La Cure Gourmande. 16 Rue Vauvenargues, Place de l'Hotel de Ville, 00-33-4-42212648, la-cure-gourmande.com. This has to be one of the cutest sweet shops we've ever seen – Willy Wonka, eat your candy-coated heart out. Packed from floor to ceiling with brilliantly packaged bonbons, biscuits, cakes, nougat and other dentist-unfriendly items.
For the children
Zoo de la Barben. 00-33-4-90551912. zoolabarben.com. You'll need transport to get to this 33-hectare space, 20km out of town, which has a sizeable play area and a wide range of animals. There are 10km of walkways, but those with aggrieved feet or small children – or even small feet and aggrieved children – will appreciate an on-site tourist train.
Institut pour la Forêt. 00-33-4-42514100, institut-foret.com. A compact ecomuseum that is less than 10 minutes' drive south of Aix. A cleverly designed walkway safely brings children into contact with aspects of the forest.
Shop spot
You can take your pick between chic shopping along the pedestrian Rue Marius Reinaud (behind Palais de Justice, Place de Verdun), some natty high-street names along Cours Mirabeau, or vintage items (and some tat) at the flea market on Place de Verdun (Tueday, Thurday and Saturday mornings). Food and produce markets are commonplace: at Place Richelme (every morning) and at Place des Précheurs (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings).
Hot spot
Bar Sextius. 13 Cours Sextius 00-33-4-42260721. Depending on the night and the mood, DJs operate the decks with a throbbing array of sounds that span raga, house, techno and reggae. Gigs also take place here. Hot spot? More like a meltdown.
Go there
Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) and Ryanair (ryanair.com) fly to Marseille-Provence airport from Dublin during the summer.