Visit Aix en Provence
Discover our suggestions for visits from our hotel near La Rotonde in Aix-en-Provence.
From the historic center punctuated by fountains and cobbled streets, to parks and gardens and museums, we share our best ideas for exploring Aix en Provence.
Explore Aix en Provence from Hôtel Escaletto: Discover our Recommendations
If you’re wondering what to do in Aix en Provence while you’re staying at the Hotel Escaletto, follow our recommendations. Step through our doors and let yourself be charmed by the unique atmosphere of Aix en Provence. The Escaletto is ideally located on the Cours Sextius, just a few steps from the historic center. In less than 5 minutes on foot, you’ll reach the Place des Cardeurs, where you’ll find numerous restaurants, bars and wine bars. Continue to Place de l’Hôtel de Ville and admire the Tour de l’Horloge while strolling through the flower market.
Lose yourself in the pretty cobbled streets of the surrounding area and discover boutiques selling clothes, home decoration, handicrafts and Marseille soap. Taste the famous calissons, Provencal sweets made from fruit paste, candied melon and almonds. Along the way, take a break by one of the city’s 130 fountains, including the one in Place d’Albertas, visit Saint Sauveur Cathedral or the Tapestry Museum.
A little further on, Place Richelme and Place des Prêcheurs host markets where you can find many other specialties.
From Place de Verdun, take Passage Agard to Cours Mirabeau, the city’s main thoroughfare. It’s impossible to visit Aix-en-Provence without passing through this courtyard, lined with cafés and overlooking the magnificent Rotonde fountain.
Cultural and Natural Explorations in Aix en Provence
A little further south, the Mazarin district offers quiet streets lined with discreet restaurants. Here you’ll also find the Place des Quatre-Dauphins and its fountain, as well as the Musée Granet. The latter exhibits works by great masters such as Rembrandt, Ingres and Cézanne. The Hôtel de Caumont, a superb private mansion, hosts temporary exhibitions dedicated to the great names in the history of art. The Centre d’Art Hôtel de Caumont also houses a bookshop-boutique and an elegant café-restaurant. Its formal gardens are the perfect spot for a drink after a cultural visit or a shopping spree in the city streets.
While you’re staying at the Hotel Escaletto Aix en Provence, you can also visit Cézanne’s studio, located just north of the city center (a 20-minute walk from our hotel or accessible by bus), where you’ll find the painter’s furniture, models and working tools.
As for nature, stroll through the classical gardens of the Pavillon Vendôme Museum (3 minutes’ walk from the Escaletto), sit on the lawns of Parc Jourdan (20 minutes’ walk from the hotel) or in the shade of a tree in Parc de la Torse (25 minutes’ walk from the hotel), which follows the river of the same name.
LA SAINTE VICTOIRE
An unmissable symbol of Cézanne’s Provence, Mont Sainte Victoire rises to an altitude of 1,011 meters. Hiking trails criss-cross the massif, providing a wonderful playground for nature lovers.
Discover our suggestions for walks to admire the most beautiful views of this sublime site.
The backdrop to the Pays d’Aix, the muse of Cézanne, Sainte Victoire deserves its reputation. Its 35,000 hectares of biodiversity and landscapes shaped by forestry, farming and pastoral activities have earned it Natura 2000 status and recognition as a Grand Site de France since 2004.
SAINTE VICTOIRE WALKS
This incredible natural paradise lends itself to hiking, mountain biking and climbing. The north side in particular, with its limestone plateaus offering a succession of starting points for walks (numerous parking areas are available) and charming villages. Don’t miss Le Tholonet, Beaurecueil, Saint Antonin sur Bayon, Puyloubier, Pourrières and Vauvenargues, with its château once owned by Picasso.
The vineyards on this side of the mountain are also worth a visit, whether for a wine tasting, a bike ride or a special movie night: some estates offer open-air screenings in summer.
Sainte Victoire is also home to a rich religious heritage, from the Sainte-Victoire priory to the Ermitage Saint-Ser, not forgetting the Croix de Provence.
A little higher up, at Pic des Mouches, you can admire an extraordinary panorama, on a clear day as far as Mont Ventoux, the sea and the Alps. The Pic des Mouches is also a departure point for paragliders, as is the Pas de l’Escalette at 610 m altitude.
GO TO SAINTE VICTOIRE
From the Hotel Escaletto Aix-en-Provence, it’s a 20-minute drive to the Bimont dam, 45 minutes to the Bibemus parking lot, 25 minutes to the Roques Hautes estate and 30 minutes to the Maison Sainte Victoire in Saint-Antonin sur Bayon.
Please note: before visiting the massif, check access conditions. In very hot or windy weather, the massif is not accessible.