Current Time in Aix-en-Provence, France

Aix-en-Provence is an elegant city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France, located approximately 30 kilometers north of Marseille in the valley of the Arc River. Known affectionately as "Aix" by its inhabitants, the city is celebrated for its graceful tree-lined boulevards, colorful markets, Roman thermal springs, and its most famous son, the Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne, whose vision of the surrounding Provençal landscape profoundly influenced the course of modern art.

With a population of approximately 145,000, Aix-en-Provence is the cultural capital of Provence and home to one of France's oldest and most prestigious universities, Aix-Marseille University, with a student population that gives the city a youthful and intellectually vibrant character. The city's blend of aristocratic 17th and 18th-century architecture, café culture, and natural beauty makes it one of the most consistently appealing cities in southern France.

The history of Aix-en-Provence stretches back to Roman times, when it was founded as Aquae Sextiae around 122 BC by the Roman consul Sextius Calvinus near a natural hot spring. The thermal waters that gave the city its name continue to flow today. In the medieval period Aix became the capital of the County of Provence and later of the Parlement de Provence, the judicial and administrative body that governed the region under French sovereignty, and this administrative role attracted the aristocracy and legal elite whose patronage financed the beautiful urban fabric that characterizes the historic center.

The Cours Mirabeau, a grand boulevard lined with plane trees and 17th-century mansions, is the social heart of Aix-en-Provence. On one side elegant buildings house banks and offices, while the opposite side is lined with cafes including the famous Les Deux Garçons, where intellectuals and artists have gathered for centuries. The old town above the Cours Mirabeau is a dense network of pedestrian streets, fountains, baroque churches, and colorful markets that reward aimless exploration. The Place de la Rotonde with its monumental fountain, the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, and the numerous private mansions, or hôtels particuliers, built by the Aix nobility are highlights of the historic center.

The Atelier Cézanne, the studio where Paul Cézanne worked in his final years, is preserved as a museum and pilgrimage site for art lovers from around the world. The Sainte-Victoire Mountain, whose distinctive shape Cézanne painted obsessively throughout his career, rises dramatically east of the city and can be hiked, offering magnificent views over the Provençal countryside. The Musée Granet houses an important collection of art including works by Cézanne, Rembrandt, and other European masters.

The International Festival of Lyric Art and Music, held each summer in the remarkable open-air theater of the Archbishop's Palace, is one of the world's most prestigious opera festivals and has been a cultural landmark since its founding in 1948. Aix is also renowned for its calissons, a traditional almond and candied melon confection unique to the city and sold in pastry shops throughout the historic center.

Aix-en-Provence is easily accessible from Marseille by frequent bus and train services, and the TGV high-speed rail connects it to Paris in approximately three hours. The combination of extraordinary architectural heritage, world-class arts scene, Cézanne connections, Provençal culinary traditions, and the glowing light of the south French landscape make Aix-en-Provence one of France's most completely satisfying cities.