Aix-en-Provence, the elegant one

Former capital of Provence, a spa town founded by the Romans, the city of King René, of Cézanne and of grand townhouses, Aix-en-Provence is one of the most elegant cities in France. The cours Mirabeau, its plane trees, its mossy fountains and its golden façades make up an art of living that the whole world comes looking for.

The cathedral of Saint-Sauveur, built on the site of the ancient forum, tells fifteen centuries of Christian history on its own: a Merovingian baptistery with Roman columns, a Romanesque cloister, a Gothic nave, and the celebrated Burning Bush triptych by Nicolas Froment. Tradition attaches to it the memory of Maximinus, companion of Mary Magdalene and first bishop of Aix.

The final base of our tour, Aix offers its mild evenings, its lively squares and its fine tables to bring the journey to a close in style.