Only One Day to Spend in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence in One Day

It’s surprising to me that when people come to Provence, their tours are often so short. Travelling from the Côte d’ Azur to Marseilles, to Aix-en-Provence, to Montpelier, to St. Rémy, to the Luberon, to Avignon, and all the quaint villages in between is a pretty tall order.

One destination that seems to be on everyone’s travel list is Aix-en-Provence. Simply known as “Aix,” the city has a bit of everything that makes Provence special: history, art, amazing architecture and charming Provençal markets.

Continue reading here for suggestions on what to do in Aix-en-Provence if all you have is one day. Although we would never recommend spending so little time in the city of art and water, sometimes that is all you have. Aix-en-Provence is famous for its daily markets where you can buy everything and anything from soap to spices.  Fishmongers bring fresh catch straight from the Mediterranean Sea. You can follow the seasons, and local chefs, at the fresh produce stands. The market in Place Richelme is our personal favourite.

Aix is known as the city of art for good reason, but the best of all is probably because this was the place where Paul Cézanne lived, worked and eventually died.  Sadly, there are not many of his famous pieces located at the Musée Granet, but that should not stop you from visiting the museum’s permanent collection as well as temporary works.

Musée Granet (Facebook)
Place Saint-Jean de Malte,
13100 Aix-en-Provence (see map)
Tel: +33 (0)4 42 52 88 32
Closed Mondays

Have a drink in the Cours Mirabeau. This streetscape has changed considerably over the years but retains much of its former architectural elegance. The iconic spot for a cocktail is Brassiere les Deux Garçons, the café-bar-restaurant that opened its doors in 1792  and has been frequented by many famous names over the years.

Brasserie Les Deux Garçons (website)
53 Cours Mirabeau,
13100 Aix-en-Provence (see map)

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Deborah Bine

The Barefoot Blogger, aka Deborah Bine, loves to share tales of her solo life in France as an American expat who speaks no French. Retired from a career in advertising and marketing communications, and divorced after a 40-year marriage with children, Deborah left Beaufort, South Carolina and all of her belongings last year to move to the south of France. Now that she has found her "bliss," her passion is to encourage others to break away from whatever is holding them back and to go after their dreams. "We're on life's journey alone. Be certain you love where you are."

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