Aix and Les Baux-de-Provence

Beyond the iconic lavender fields swaying in the Provençal sun, and not far from the ancient city walls of Avignon, Provence offers a landscape of timeless beauty—olive groves, sun-drenched vineyards, hilltop villages carved from stone, and towns where fountains whisper beneath plane trees. It’s a region where everyday life is touched by art, history, and the rhythm of the seasons.

Among Provence’s many treasures, two destinations stand out for their charm and contrast: the elegant university town of Aix-en-Provence, and the dramatic medieval village of Les Baux-de-Provence.

🎨 Aix-en-Provence

Often called the “21st arrondissement of Paris” for its chic appeal and cultural sophistication, Aix is a city of fountains, classical façades, and bustling markets. The birthplace of Paul Cézanne, it has long inspired artists and writers drawn to its warm light and refined air. Spend your morning wandering the Cours Mirabeau, sipping a coffee under the plane trees, then explore the narrow lanes filled with art galleries, patisseries, and sunlit squares. Aix blends the elegance of the past with the creativity of the present.

Aix

Hotel

• Villa Gallici 

Art (especially Paul Cezanne)

• (Home) Jas de Bouffan

• *(Workshop) Atelier de Cézanne

• *Musée Granet-7pm (Exhibition at Musée Granet 6.28-10.12)

• Pavillon Vendôme -5pm

• Fondation Vasarely (contemporary art) -5:30pm

• Hôtel de Caumont Centre d’Art -7pm

Hiking

• Bibémus quarry

• Terrain des peintres (can walk from the city to St Victoire Hill, which Cézanne painted for decades)

Restaurants

[Gastronomic]

• La Taula Gallici (inside hotel)

• Dan B. - Table de Ventabren⭐️

• Mas Bottero⭐️ (15min drive)

• La Bastide Bourrelly⭐️

• Le Art ⭐️

[Casual]

• La Dolce Serata （Italian）

• L’Incontournable

• Le Chastel

Grocery store

• La Maison Française

• La Fromagerie du Passage （cheese shop)

• La Rotonde

• Le Jardin Mazarin

• Le Relais de Saint-Ser

• D’Amour

• Les Caves Henri IV

• Lautraix

• Toinou (fishmonger)

• Madeleines De Christophe depuis

Market

• Place de Verdun

• Pl. des Prêcheurs (food market)

[Brunch]

• Breakfast club

• KAVA

Sites

• Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur

• Eglise Saint Jean de Malte

• Place de l'hôtel de Ville

• Place de l'hôtel de Ville

• Place des Prêcheurs

• Place d'Albertas

• Cours Mirabeau

• La Rotonde

• La Fontaine des Quatre-Dauphins

Streets/Shops

• (street) Cour Mirabeau

• (street) Rue Fabrot

• Rue Thiers

• Rue Paul Bert

• Les Allées Provençales

• Hermès Aix en Provence

100+ fountains here

Markets

• Food market : everyday on "Place Richelme"

• Thursday : Roussillon

• Friday : Lourmarin and Bonnieux

• Thursdays and Saturdays on Place des Prêcheurs, Cour Mirabeau Provencal markets

⛰️ Les Baux-de-Provence

A short drive away, perched high on a rocky outcrop in the Alpilles mountains, lies Les Baux-de-Provence—one of the most beautiful villages in France. The ruined medieval castle offers sweeping views over vineyards and olive groves that stretch to the Camargue. Time seems to stand still in the cobbled streets lined with artisan shops, but just beneath the surface, creativity pulses—especially at the immersive Carrières des Lumières, a former quarry transformed into a world-renowned digital art space that brings classic masterpieces to life on stone walls.

• The castle (Château des Baux-de-Provence)

• Les Carrières de lumières (immersive artistic show)

• L’Oustau de Baumanière ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

• Hotel Baumanière les Baux de Provence