A slice of Parisian chic in the south of France, Aix-en-Provence is an idyllic place to while away an autumn weekend. In July and August, the Roman boulevards bake – the heat here is more intense than coastal Marseille just 30km away – and the rows of elegant plane trees along the Cours Mirabeau offer little respite. But come in November or early spring and the place is lively, thanks to a university population of 80,000, and the cafés and restaurants in its many leafy squares are vibrant and busy. The weather is crisper and fresher, too, meaning there’s more to do and less excuse not to try out the many walking and hiking trails around the town, including Mont Sainte-Victoire, the craggy peak that rises to 3,300ft to the east of the city.
Sainte-Victoire has iconic status in Aix. It’s almost inseparable from the work of Paul Cézanne, who painted its pitted grey angles more than 80 times. His style evolving from impressionism to something else altogether. The bold geometric shapes and abstract lines that came out of these compositions would inspire Picasso, earning Cézanne the title of founding father of modern art.
