Aix en Provence

Aix-en-Provence is one of France's most popular cities. The city has a rocking nightlife. It is in this city, where renowned painter Cezanne lived and painted. Interestingly, the city is built over hot springs. The Roman consul Sextius Calvinus founded the city in 123 BC. The city has a warm climate because of its location in Southern France. The Cours Mirabeau, is planted with double rows of plane-trees that divides the city into two divisions.

The Cathedral of the Holy Saviour is located in the northern portion of Aix. It dates to the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. The 'Festival International d'Art Lyrique' is an important opera festival of the city that takes place each year in July.

Area & Location: Aix-en-Provence is located in the Provence region in the Bouches-du-Rhone departement. The city is a sous-prefecture. The city occupies a total area of 186.08 square kilometer. Around 134,222 people reside in the city with a density of about 721 square kilometer. The latitude 43º31'53?N and 05º25'24?E pass through the city.

Transportation: The international airport that serves Aix-en-Provence is the Marseille-Provence International Airport. From the airport, cars, taxi or shuttle bus can be rented. The two motorways of the city are A7/A46/A8 and A54/A9. Bus Travel and Train Travel are other options. In the city, there are two train stations. One station is for the TGV. Another station stops in town and goes to different towns in the area.

Hotels: Many international hotels serve tourists in Aix-en-Provence and provide state-of-the-art facilities. Hotel Cezanne, Villa Gallici, Aquabella Hotel, Le Mas d'Entremont, Hotel Le Pigonnet, Hotel Saint Christophe, Hotel En Ville, Hotel Le Manoir, Hotel du Globe, Hotel des Quatre Dauphins, Mascotte Aix en Provence and Best Western Hotel le Galice, Villages Hotel Aix en Provence, Campanile Jas de Bouffan and Hotel La Caravelle are some popular hotels of the city.

Places of Attraction: The best way to explore Aix-en-Provence is on foot. The squares and fountains of the city add to its beauty. The main attractions of Aix-en-Provence are Le Cours Mirabeau, Le Musee Granet (Granet Museum), Atelier Cezanne (Cezanne Studio), Museum du Viel Aix (Museum of Old Aix), Pavillon de Vendome (Vendome Pavilion), Musee d'Histoire Naturelle (Natural History Museum) and Fondation Vasarely (Vasarely Foundation).

Le Cours Mirabeau is the city's main thoroughfare. It's a street lined with cafes, restaurants and elegant mansions. It links the Mazarin distict to the south with the old commercial town to the north. Le Musee Granet exhibits paintings from Dutch, Flemish and Italian schools. Atelier Cezanne exhibits several works of Cezanne. Musee du Viel Aix is located in Hotel Estienne de Saint Jean and houses many memorials from the city's past. On visiting the Pavillon de Vendome, the tourists can experience how a typical Aix mansion would have looked in the 18th century. Musee d'Histoire Naturelle displays dinosaur fossils that were found near Ste Victoire Mountain.