The charm of Aix en Provence:
WHY IN SURVEYS DO THE FRENCH ALWAYS VOTE AIX IN TOP 5 OF BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN FRANCE and why is it an ideal place for you to take a holiday? 1) contrary to most other famous towns in the area...where out of the summer season, populations drop drastically and there is little to do since so many places closed - Aix is a thriving university town with a constant population of 160,000 all year long. In the summer there are festivals that attract tourists but the town is just as full of life, if not more so, from September through May. In December chalets line the Cours Mirabeau selling special holiday food and gifts, special Xmas activities for children...No matter what month, day of the week, you will find the cafes on the Cours Mirabeau full of people till late at night and more than 400 restaurants open. In terms of shopping Aix has many of the same boutiques found in Paris, as well as a flea market 3 days a week where you can buy clothes and Provencal specialties.
Using Aix as a base for exploring the region.:
EXCURSIONS IN THE AREA
The Tourist Office, which is on the same street as the apartment, offers air-conditioned ½ or full day bus tours several days a week. This is a convenient way to get to know the region for the 1st time…for those without a car, or even those with. A sample of the tours offered: Bastides and Gardens in/around Aix; The cliffs and hidden inlets of the Blue Coast; :Les Beaux de Provence; Marseille; St. Remy de Provence/Avignon; The Lavender Route; Tracing the life and paintings of Cezanne; Luberon – Hilltop Villages; Camargue; Cassis on the sea; Markets in Apt/Roussillon/Gordes/Fontaine de Vaucluse.
Le Festival de l’Art Lyrique in Aix every July is one of the top opera festivals in Europe. At the same time, Avignon hosts its famous theater festival, there’s the world class jazz festival in Nice. Every day during the summer, there are at least 10 – 20 events in Aix and within an hour’s drive.
Summer Festivals and Special Interests :
Provence and the Cote d’Azur offers an extraordinary diversity of historical towns and villages, outdoor parks, mountains, lakes, remote seaside cliffs or world famous resorts.
In less than one hour you can be in the old port of Marseille; on the cliffs of Cassis overlooking the sea; lying on one of the many near-by beaches; visiting one of the famous villages of the Vaucluse. Besides the proximity to the famous towns of the Cote d’Azur...
In less than 2 hours you can be canoeing or hiking along the Ardeche river; in Camargue looking at the pink flamingos and wild ponies before strolling along the sandy beaches of St Marie; climbing the canyons of “The Little Colorado”; visiting the little known back lands of the Var; touring the wine districts of Chateauneuf du Pape, Cotes du Rhone, as well as the local wines of Cassis, Bandol,.. Half a day’s drive will take you to Italy or Spain.
marks the location of the property in Aix-en-Provence area
