Start your tour at the Rotonde and other Aix-en-Provence, France General Tips

Favorite Thing: A simple walk around the centre-ville, starting at the Rotonde. This large fountain, encircled by the busy roundabout Charles de Gaulle, was erected in 1860, and is topped by three statues which represent Justice (facing Cours Mirabeau), Agriculture (facing Marseille), and les Beaux Arts (which faces Avignon). From here, you can either walk up the Cours Mirabeau, down Ave Bonaparte towards Cours Sextius, up Rue Espariat, or down Boulevard Roi René towards Parc Jourdain...
Don't forget, you can also find the large and convenient Tourist Office here at the Rotonde.


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Favorite Thing: Leave the Cours Mirabeau and the rotonde for a while, and walk up into the old town, towards the Hotel de Ville. You'll pass many little squares and expensive clothes shops as the narrow streets wind around - you will probably get lost, but that's a good thing. then past the leafy Place Richelme you will find yourself in the small grandeur of the Place de l'Hotel de Ville (pictured), dominated by the clocktower and the large column topped by a globe. A nice place to stop for a Fanta, before strolling up to the Cathedrale St.Sauveur.


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Favorite Thing: South of the Cours Mirabeau is the old planned estate of the Quartier Mazarin, townhouses for the richer Provencaux, constructed in the name of Cardinal Mazarin in the 17th century. Rue Mazarine and Rue de 4 Septembre meet at the Place des Quatre Dauphins, which features a fountain on which four dolphins pour cool water (see photo). The old buildings of this quarter are not spectacular, but are so well preserved as to be worth a look. Pass through on your way to the Parc Jourdain.


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Favorite Thing: If you want to get away from the streets, take yourself down to the Parc Jourdain. Situated not far from the Facultes, off Boulevard Roi Rene, this park is home to some lovely fountains, and is popular with students taking time out for a moment in the sun. I used to come here to rehearse the play I was directing with the actors.
But the most intriguing tale was told to me by my friend Corentin, who often comes to this park to play his drum and climb the trees. He told me that there were garden gnomes, les nains de jardin, who every night leave their ponds and their rods and come to the Jourdain for a spot of fun, drinking, smoking, playing music, hanging with the gnomies. Whether or not it be true, I would say this - don't come down here at night!
The picture shows some people playing petanque, or boules, a very popular pastime here!


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Favorite Thing: Just next to the youth Hostel, and not too far from where I lived in Encagnane is the Fondation Vasarely, which is an ordely mass of black circles and white circles (see the picture when i post it - just watch this space!!!) I never went in, for fear of losing interest in this undoubtedly interesting artist, who also created a big colourful tile thing in Monaco (for those who've been). From above, the building is a large collection of hexagons, very much in the style of Vasarely's graphics. It was built in 1975, and is worth a visit, if only for the spectacular views of aix with St.Victoire behind it you can get. Bring a camera.


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Favorite Thing: Here's a view of one of the four dolphins to be found in the heart of the Mazarin Quarter. I know that they don't look all that much like dolphins, but they had a different idea of things in the olden days.


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Favorite Thing: As you see from my badly scanned old postcard of Aix, the place has not really changed all that much even today. So you see, to visit Aix is to see an almost perfectly preserved old town in the heart of Provence, and if that doesn't attract you, well, I'm off mate, I retire. Do one.


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Favorite Thing: Just off Avenue de l'Europe is the big library of Aix, the Cite du Livre. Here is not just a great collection of books and cds, but also a gallery and exhibition centre, where many famed people come and give talks or put on shows. Toni Morrison, author of Beloved and Tar Baby, held a three day festival here, which included readings, films, talks and discussions, plus more. Arthouse Films are regularly shown here from all over the world.
The great thing about this place though is the architecture - the building consists of huge classic French books, from Le Petit Prince to l'Etranger, leaning upon one another.


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Favorite Thing: At the tourist office at the Rotonde you can obtain a map of Aix with the 'Route de Cézanne' marked up on it. Alternatively, look down, and follow the little brass squares. They lead you in a circle around town, visiting all of the places where the great impressionist painter used to hang out - where he drank, where he got married - except his Atelier, which is just to the north of town (you can walk there though). Each little brass square has a large C on it - you will easily recognise it. And you'll need to look down anyway, to avoid the dogpoo.
Here is one of his masterful images of St.Victoire.


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Favorite Thing: Keep following those little brass plaques in the street...go up to the Atelier Cezanne just to the north of the city. This is where the great artist, obsessor of the mountain, astonisher of Paris with his apples (his words, not mine), would work. The studio was built in 1902 on Les Lauves (the hill) and was the creative home of the "new art" of which Cezanne liked to call himself the primitive. He died in 1906 of pleurisy. It was later bought by Marcel Provence, and preserved, and then given to the University of Aix-Marseille (my former employers). In 1955, Marilyn Monroe of all people visited, and wrote in the visitors book, "a wonderful visit". She crossed out, "boo-boo-be-doop". Now the studio is owned by the City.

It's address is: Atelier Paul Cezanne,
9, Avenue Pauk Cezanne
13090 Aix-en-Provence

email: atelier.cezanne@wanadoo.fr
tel: 04 42 21 06 53


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