Travel to Aix-en-Provence in France and experience a walking extravaganza in this gorgeous town under tree-lined streets and outdoor cafes.
Cours Mirabeau, Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence is a very pretty town in Provence. The tree-lined main street is a like a smaller rural version of the Champs Elysee. Lined with locally made clothes, crafts, and perfumed soaps on market days, a stroll down this Cours Mirabeau with people sitting in cafes "people watching," eating crepes, and drinking apéritifs is a wonderful tradition of French life to partake in. Aix (pronounced "X") is a low-key town that has streets that wind through upmarket boutiques and trendy cafes, which cater to the students who attend the three universities and local international schools.
Vibrant street life, Aix-en-Provence
The foreign students and surrounding landholders from abroad have made Aix-en-Provence an upper class town in Provence. Italian and French fashion is plentiful and drifting through the beautiful streets, you'll be impressed with the cleanliness and upmarket restaurants. While not ostentatious in fashion or attitude, Aix-en-Provence has a relaxed tranquil feeling. Perhaps this is why post impressionist painter Paul Cézanne enjoyed painting the town and surrounding countryside.
Cathedrale Saint-Sauveur, Aix-en-Provence
Don't forget to look up at the spires, towers, clocks, and cathedrals in Aix-en-Provence known as the Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur. The Aix Cathedral is worth visiting to admire the Romanesque, Gothic and Neo-Gothic sculptures and decoration.
Fragrances of Aix-en-Provence
As you enter Aix-en-Provence, the fields of abundant lavender and sunflowers will overtake your senses. Boutique perfumeries and makers of soaps often sell their goods in the local towns between June and August each year. Day trips from Aix-en-Provence to the Valensole Plateau where seemingly endless rows of purple lavender stretch as far as the eye can see is well worth the visit.
