Exploring Aix: A Day Guide

Aix-en-Provence was always this semi-mythical place, shrouded in mystery. I knew somethings about it like it was an elegant tech-forward university-city and with several sun-drenched boulevards as many Provencal villages, towns and cities are.

I'd never been before but knowing it was day 2 of their annual Christmas market and that autumn was slowly making way for winter, I was hopeful. I pictured shimmering lights, steaming mugs of rich cocoa, and delightful trinkets filling the wooden cabin-style market stalls that'd line Cours Mirabeau, their main boulevard.

While the picture I'd painted didn't unfold, the city held a magical-glint all the same. It was warm (people walking around in t-shirts and trendy dresses), the streets energetic, filled with a delightful mix of cultures and ages. Despite knowing Aix is a university city, I didn’t expect how much the it’s youthfulness would stand out. (Either Aix is getting younger, or I’m getting older. I’ll let you decide which it is).

After securing a parking spot, our plan was simple: find somewhere for a coffee (because we’re not monsters), browse the Christmas market, enjoy lunch, then finish with VoiceMap's English version of their Aix tour.

Aix-en-Provence's Christmas Market

We arrived mid-morning, that perfect pocket of time when the sun is awake but not fully committed. Aix's Marché de Noël stretched out across the boulevard in its neat wooden chalets and branching out from either side, to my utter delight, was the city's usual food and crafts market. Street performers, a few mechanical rides, and people steaming in from all directions completed the look and added to the festive spirit.

After a quick, over-priced coffee, we slowly strolled down Cours Mirabeau, perusing the stalls that lined the wide street. We ooo-ed and ahhh-ed at the decor fitted around the stalls, admiring the things on sale. While we ultimately didn't buy anything, we walked the market a few times and browsed the weekly market too.

What caught our attention more than the wares, were the people. Young families in puffer jackets, students weaving through the crowd, couples of every mix and hue walking under the warm embrace of one of the last autumn day.

Lunch at Le MARIOLE

After a couple of hours of strolling, hunger nudged us down a few streets in search of a decent lunch spot. While perusing the markets, we'd come across Le Mariole down a half-hidden historical passage. The plat du jour that the Quaint italian restaurant proudly declared on a chalkboard was gnocchi in tomato-basil sauce, topped with half a burrata – which is, frankly, all I ever need to hear.

It was delicious. Comforting. The culinary equivalent of someone handing you a warm blanket and telling you it’s okay to rest now. We demolished it with embarrassing enthusiasm and mopped up the sauce with our pieces of baguette. No french table is complete without a side of baguette.

Around us, a buzz of accents filled the air: French, English, American, something Scandinavian-sounding, maybe. The tables were filled with students, trendy professionals, and families. We sat outside, watching the buzz of people passing, the waiters dodging and delivering mouth-watering pizzas and other tantalizing dishes to their awaiting diners.

VoiceMap’s Aix Walking Tour

After lunch, we headed back down Cours Mirabeau to the city's impressive fountain where our audio tour would start. We opened VoiceMap, selected our tour, popped in our headphones and hit play.

Being a seasoned VoiceMapper myself, I enjoy the strange intimacy of being guided by a disembodied narrator with impeccable timing. My phone only ever came out to snap photos or take videos as British expat turned local told me exactly which streets to turn down and what to look at.

The tour led us through the historic centre, revealing details I would have walked right past without noticing. Like Cours Mirabeau's beautiful golden sandstone has seashells embedded in it and the statues adorning the facade of Aix's Cathedral don't have necks!

While a street's perculiar name is explained here, an architectural quirk pointed out there, real-life Aix continued around us. None of them had a secret friend in their ear – a knowledgeable, slightly dramatic friend who loves a good anecdote.

We finished the tour two hours later, a random muscle cramp slowing us down in the second half, with a greater appreciation for the city around us and its rich history.

Hot Chocolate at Amorino

Now that we'd finished our day of exploring, we were ready for a final treat before the long drive home. Early on in the day, we'd passed a spot advertising decadent hot chocolate so we meandered through the crowds, retracing our steps in search of it.

Thanks to my incredible sense of direction and (not always) impeccable memory, we found Amorino Gelato's golden yellow shopfront fairly easily. It was pumping so we quickly placed our order of flavoured (hazelnut and white chocolate) hot choccie and grabbed a seat. Their hot chocolate is less “drink” and more “melted chocolate posing as a beverage.” Thick. Rich. Decadent. Absolutely no regrets.

We drank it outside, watching the people pass and remarking again on the multi-cultural and generational mix that made up Aix. The whole city felt warm and open.

We walked back to the car with slow steps, Aix fading behind us, glowing softly. The kind of glow that makes you promise yourself you’ll return.