Discover Aix-en-Provence A South of France Hidden Gem

Despite never having heard about Aix-en-Provence, we chose it as our base city for an entire month. We spent most of our time exploring, relaxing, and ultimately falling in love with this hidden city in the South of France. I’m so glad we added it to our vacation, so I’m going to convince you to do the same! 

When you think of the South of France, the Cote d’Azur or Marseille will come to mind. For some reason, Aix isn’t as well known, but it’s better than any other city making it one of the best South of France hidden gems!

I guarantee you won’t regret adding Aix-en-Provence to your vacation to the South of France. And here’s why…

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

First Off, It’s Aix For Short, Pronounced ‘Ex’…

Before leaving for our one month journey in Aix, we had no idea we were pronouncing the city name wrong (and some of our family still does to this day!).

If you know any bit of French, it’s confusing because you might try pronouncing it like ‘ai‘ (aye). But contrary to all your French lessons, it’s pronounced like the letter ‘ex‘.

There’s also no need to say the full name Aix-en-Provence. Aix, for short, is what all the locals call it.

The city got its name from the thermal baths that used to be there when the Romans settled a few centuries earlier. They gave it the name Aquae Sextiae which became Ais, in Provençal, and today, Aix in French.

It’s A Typical Vacation To The South Of France…

When you think of the South of France certain images come to mind. Well, Aix is the epitome of that image but on steroids. It has orange shell rooftops, pastel-coloured homes, and narrow streets too small to fit a car.

We’re Talking South Of France, Right? But Where’s The Beach!?

Perhaps when you think of a vacation to the South of France, the beautiful blue water of the Mediterranean coast also comes to mind. That’s where Aix en Provence France is different; it’s not a coastal city.

Aix-en-Provence is inland, about an hour away by car from the coast (less if there’s no traffic). So the beach is never out of reach if you want to have a beach day. Marseille is 30 minutes away, with constant shuttles running every 5 minutes. Or if you have access to a car, you can go a bit further to Cassis and the Cap de l’Aigle (the Eagles Beak).

We’re not the biggest beach fans, so Aix was perfect for us! We also visited in the South of France in the fall, so it wasn’t exactly beach weather anyway.

Even Without A Beach, Aix is All About Taking it Easy

You don’t always need a beach to be able to relax on vacation. In Aix, just being in the city relaxes you. I know, sounds like an oxymoron; how can a city be relaxing!? Well, the Aixois way of life is to simply have no stress at all it seems. 

For starters, we noticed that the speed at which everyone walks is EXTREMELY slow for a city! You won’t even realize you’ve adopted their speed, it’s hard not to. It just… happens!

Coming from a city back home, we’re used to walking at a certain pace, regardless of everyone around. We liked joking around with locals calling it Aix-Speed. When we realized how slow we were walking, we’d pick up the pace to walk 10 (ai)X speed.

You’ll have to keep in mind, if Google says it will take you 5 minutes to walk somewhere, account for double the amount of time. 

Considering how slow you’ll be walking, and how small the city is, it’s hard to get your steps in for the day. If that’s not a relaxing vacation, I don’t know what is.

Since there isn’t much to do in the city, it’s all about enjoying the little things and taking it easy. In the morning you can enjoy the boutique shops, daily markets, and art exhibits.

There’s even a mandatory 2-hour lunch break that everyone takes, so all the stores will close from around 12:00- 2:00. I can really get on board with that! You have to eat lunch during these 2 hours because restaurants will close afterwards and only reopen to serve dinner at 8:00 P.M.

… But Somehow The City Is Always Bustling

We visited Aix en Provence France during the low season in November, but the city never felt empty. Considering how small the city is and that it’s not a big tourist destination, we were constantly surrounded by people day and night. It was a real shock!

We first arrived on a Friday, so we assumed it was only busy during the weekend and everyone would leave by Sunday. But it just never died down! We even needed to make reservations when we wanted to eat out (especially for Sunday brunch).

It’s so lively at night because the Université Marseille Aix is on the edge of town. It brought over a young crowd every night that we weren’t expecting!

But aside from that, there are even enough people to support having a daily market in the center of town! Yup! Everyday there’s a delicious food market to pick up fresh produce for supper that evening.

There’s also a textile market every second day in the Cours Mirabeau.

If Aix is this busy in the low season, I can only imagine what it’s going to be like in the summer!

Aix Is So Beautiful It’s Paul Cézanne’s Artistic Muse

There’s no shortage of good art in Aix. Aside from the many art museums you can visit, it’s also the birthplace and muse of artist Paul Cézanne.

It was the source of inspiration for most of his paintings; even when given the opportunity to live in Paris, he chose Aix instead.

By only using primary colors in his work, he realized they’re what makes Aix so beautiful. It’s incredible to walk around the city and see how he was influenced by his surroundings. The yellow buildings, the blue sky, and the green trees!

Read more about Paul Cézanne and his connection to Aix-en-Provence. 

He Loved Aix’s Easy Access To Nature

But Cézanne didn’t stay in the city centre, he loved going out and painting the Carrière de Bibemus (closed in the fall) and the Mont Sainte-Victoire. These are only a 20-40 minute drive from the city centre.

On a nice day, there’s nothing better than escaping the city and going hiking (don’t forget your picnic lunch and wine!). You can hike up to the top of the mountain, which is a relatively easy route. Or you can opt to explore the surrounding areas to see the dams (Barrage de Bimont and Barrage de Zola) with a view of the mountain in the background.

Aix Is Also Home To The Calisson

Just when you thought this South of France hidden gem couldn’t surprise you anymore, just wait ’til you find out about their local candy dating back to the 15th century: Calisson. Although it’s not for everyone, natives seem to love it! But despite the interesting taste, it does have a cute backstory.

When the Roi René was in power, he chose to live in Aix and marry 15 year old Jeanne de Laval. As many 15 year olds would be, Jeanne was not too pleased about this arrangement.

René had a soft heart and didn’t like seeing his wife unhappy. He asked his chef to invent a candy to put a smile on Jeanne’s face. Only using 3 ingredients (ground almonds, candied fruit, and sugar), he created Calisson. This was the first time René saw his new wife with a smile.

Calisson actually refers to the French word “callins” meaning hug. Aix takes Calisson very seriously, they have a yearly festival to celebrate it!

What’s really special about Calisson is that depending on who you buy from, it will be different. Each using a unique recipe, no one manufacturer tastes the same. If you buy from a market vendor, they’ll also be individually handmade. 

Aix, It’s So Hidden, Even Google Doesn’t Know About it

Obviously, this is a bit of a stretch, and Google does knows Aix-en-Provence exists. But for some reason, they don’t have its public transit lines in the system.

We didn’t think Aix had any sort of public transit system at all before we arrived, but they actually have a lot of bus lines. For some reason, you just can’t find any of the bus times on Google.

You’ll have to go to the tourism office to get any information, but we found they didn’t always give you the best advice. For example, we wanted to go to Chateau La Coste, and instead of telling us about the free shuttle offered by the winery (which we later found out they knew about),  they told us to walk 4 km (an hour) along a highway. 

Instead, there’s a website to help plan your trips (like Google, but worse). It’s a bit annoying to use, but it gets the job done!

Bottom Line: Add Aix To Your South Of France Travel!

So there’s no beach nearby, but that’s what sets Aix apart from the rest of the South of France.

And it turns out that Aix itself has a lot to offer, much more so than the coastal towns in my mind! It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with the romanticism of the town and its surroundings.

Adding Aix-en-Provence to your South of France itinerary is a must! I’d even choose it as your South of France base.

Aix-en-Provence is so central to everything you’ll want to see in the South of France; it’s THE place to stay. It’s close enough to leave the city for a day hike or a trip to the beach. Nothing is ever out of reach in Aix. Here are 27 different day trips you can do from Aix-en-Provence!

Have I Convinced You Yet? Find A Place To Stay In Aix!

Aix en Provence is a very small city in the South of France so there’s no bad location to stay during your visit. We stayed at an Airbnb in Aix because we were visiting for a month. Here are some hotel suggestions I found to stay at while in Aix en Provence.

I would recommend staying in an apartment get a more local taste of this small South of France town and a balcony is a must-have! I love Loft “Le Petit Séquoia for both of those features. You can sleep 5 people in this apartment on the edge of town and it has an unbeatable balcony for everyone to enjoy. See room rates and availability.

For a truly luxury getaway with a pool and spa to relax in the South of France, book a room at the Les Lodges Sainte-Victoire Hotel & Spa. Although it is further outside the city centre, they offer a truly relaxing South of France getaway. I mean, they have not one, not two, but THREE swimming pools! See room rates and availability.

If you want a luxury stay in the city, book Luxury Design Hotel Particulier le 28 where every room is different! They also have an indoor pool and give you one of a kind stay in Aix en Provence. See room rates and availability.

For a budget-friendly option in the city centre (on Cours Mirabeau) stay at Séjours & Affaires Aix-en-Provence Mirabeau. They offer a full kitchen and apartment amenities to live like a local in Aix! See room rates and availability.

For more hotel accommodations in Aix en Provence, Click here.

Quick Links – My Amazon Travel Favourites

Related Posts

• How To Hike Mont Sainte Victoire
• Guide To Cafés in Aix
• Discover Paul Cézannes in Aix-en-Provence
• What To Do In Aix-en-Provence On Sunday
• How To Spend One Day In Marseille

Click Image To Share Or Save For Later

Last update on 2024-05-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API