Aix-en-Provence, France
Self Catering Aix-en-Provence Holiday Homes, Villas and Gites
Aix-en-Provence is located in the Bouches-du-Rhone department of the Provence-Alpes-Cote D’Azur region of Southern France. Aix, as it’s usually known, is a small, classically Provençal town, famous for being the home of Cezanne. When you visit Aix-en-Provence know that you’re visiting a city which is famous for its fountains. The largest and most famous is on the Cours Mirabeau, the main avenue through town, as well as a moss-covered fountain which draws its water from a hot spring. You’ll also notice dozens of fountains sprawled around the city!
A stay in an Aix-en-Provence Holiday Home is a must for lovers of architecture. The varied and often intricate doors are a key feature, as well as the bell towers. The bell towers throughout Aix-en-Provence, and Provence generally, are made of wrought iron. This allows the strong winds of the Mistral to flow straight through them, since solid stone would be destroyed by the force of the winds.
When you rent a holiday gite in Aix-en-Provence be sure to visit the city’s markets - which run on numerous days during the week. The largest and most colourful is the Saturday market which includes a flower market at the Place de l'Hotel de Ville. The main food market is at Place Richelme.
Aix’s centre ville can be enjoyed best on foot. It consists of narrow streets, lined with interesting buildings from 17th century hotels to paved plazas.
When you stay in self catering holiday accommodation in Aix-en-Provence you can also visit the atelier of the artist Cezanne. The Bibémus Quarries allow you to see Mt. St. Victoire, the mountains he captured in many of his paintings. You can also visit the Manor of Jas de Bouffan which houses many of his masterpieces.
To get to your Aix-en-Provence Holday Villa: The nearest airport is at Marseille which is served by bmi, British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, Air France and Aer Lingus.Aix has both a TGV and a regular station; journey time to Paris Gare du Lyon is approx 4 hours. From France’s northern ferry ports and the Eurotunnel it’s a 10 ½ drive – without breaks.
Aix-en-Provence enjoys a Mediterranean climate. It has an average January temperature of 5 °C (41 °F) and a July average of 22 °C (72 °F). It has an average of 300 days of sunshine and only 91 days of rain. While it is partially protected from the Mistral, Aix does occasionally suffer from the cold gusty conditions it brings.