← Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes Nice-Cannes·3 nights

Aix-en-Provence: Three Slow Days in Provence

A change from the coast: a Provençal town of fountains, plane trees and markets, with Cézanne's studio on the hill, reached by train via Marseille and best enjoyed slowly in the quiet of November.

Duration3 nights
TransitTrain from Nice to Marseille, then on to Aix-en-Provence, about 3 hours in total
DepartsNice-Ville

After the Nice-Cannes Marathon: Aix-en-Provence

The Route: Nice-Ville → Marseille → Aix-en-Provence (3 nights) → Marseille Logistics: Trains from Nice to Marseille Saint-Charles, then a regional train or coach to Aix-en-Provence, about 3 hours in total. Check connections at sncf-connect.com. Marathon Month: November Duration: 3 nights

Nice-Ville ──(train, ≈2.5 h)──> Marseille Saint-Charles ──(≈40 min)──> Aix-en-Provence
                                          ▲                                   │
                                          └───────────(return)────────────────┘

After a race on the coast, Aix-en-Provence offers something different: an inland town of honey-coloured stone, fountains on every square and a café life that carries on through the autumn. November is outside the summer season and long past the lavender, so the town is quieter and the trip is about food, streets and museums. Marseille, with its airport and high-speed trains, is close by for the journey home.

Day One: The Cours Mirabeau

Arrive, check in and keep the first day short. The Cours Mirabeau, a broad avenue lined with plane trees, 17th and 18th-century mansions and café terraces, is flat and the natural place to start. The old town lanes to the north are full of small squares and fountains, all within a few minutes' walk.

Day Two: Markets and Museums

Aix holds markets in its squares on several mornings a week, selling produce, flowers and local specialities such as calissons, the almond sweets the town is known for. In the afternoon, the Musée Granet in the Mazarin quarter shows European painting, including works by Paul Cézanne, who was born in Aix. The Cathedral of Saint-Sauveur, at the top of the old town, mixes architecture from many centuries.

Day Three: Cézanne's Studio

Cézanne's last studio, the Atelier des Lauves, stands on a hill north of the centre, kept much as he left it. It is a short bus ride or an uphill walk; take the bus if the legs are still sore. Check opening days and booking in advance, as the studio has limited capacity.

Getting Home

Return to Marseille for the airport or high-speed trains, or to Nice by train via Marseille.