Aix-en-Provence in 3 days

Provencal classic: plane-tree boulevards, fountain squares, Cezanne's light and lavender country. Best time to visit: April-June and September-October. Average daily budget: $130 to $230 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Vieil Aix, The pedestrian old town of fountains, squares, boutiques and the Saint-Sauveur cathedral.

Morning: Cours Mirabeau and the fountains. Walk the boulevard and hunt down the mossy Fontaine Moussue and Rotonde.

Afternoon: Explore Vieil Aix, The pedestrian old town of fountains, squares, boutiques and the Saint-Sauveur cathedral.

Evening: Atelier Cezanne. Visit the painter's preserved studio, left almost exactly as he worked in it.

Eat: Calissons d'Aix, the almond and melon sweet

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Cours Mirabeau, The grand plane-tree boulevard of cafes, the Deux Garcons and fountains at each end.

Morning: Provencal markets. Shop produce, flowers and antiques on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings.

Afternoon: Explore Cours Mirabeau, The grand plane-tree boulevard of cafes, the Deux Garcons and fountains at each end.

Evening: Montagne Sainte-Victoire. Hike or drive the Cezanne country route to the limestone ridge that defined his work.

Eat: Tapenade and anchoiade with market bread

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: Quartier Mazarin, A refined 17th-century grid of mansions, antique shops and the Granet museum.

Morning: Terrain des Peintres, a free hillside viewpoint with the exact Sainte-Victoire angle Cezanne painted.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Quartier Mazarin, A refined 17th-century grid of mansions, antique shops and the Granet museum.

Evening: Pavillon de Vendome, a small baroque mansion and garden that few visitors find.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Daube provencale, slow beef in red wine

Hidden gems

Terrain des Peintres, a free hillside viewpoint with the exact Sainte-Victoire angle Cezanne painted.
Pavillon de Vendome, a small baroque mansion and garden that few visitors find.
Fondation Vasarely, a wildly geometric 1970s art building on the western edge of town.
Village des Bories or Bibemus quarry for the ochre landscapes behind the paintings.

Getting around

Marseille Provence airport is around 20 minutes away by shuttle bus, and the Aix TGV station 15 minutes out puts Paris three hours away. The old town is entirely pedestrian and walkable in 20 minutes end to end, with a free minibus and buses covering the outskirts. A hire car is worth it for the Luberon, lavender fields and Sainte-Victoire, but leave it in a park-and-ride rather than the centre.

Safety

Aix is one of the safest cities in southern France, with student-town energy and low violent crime; pickpocketing at markets and on the Cours Mirabeau is the realistic risk. Summer heat regularly exceeds 35C with strong sun on exposed hikes, and wildfire risk closes Sainte-Victoire trails on high-danger days, so check restrictions before setting off. The mistral wind can be fierce, and rural roads are narrow and winding.

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