We are going on the Rick Steves' tour Best of Eastern France which ends in Aix-en-Provence. The tour includes only 1 night there, but we have added on 3 additional nights, so we will have all of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday on our own. (Tuesday we take the train back to CDG).
I've heard that the markets in Aix are great, and Saturday is a market day, so there's that. Other suggestions? We could rent a car if that helps.
Thanks in advance for your help!
We were in Aix about 5 years ago and really enjoyed taking a market tour which also provided the history of the city. The guide was able to give us some tips on up and coming chefs where we were able to snag reservations. We also took a tour of the Luberon region that included wine tasting. We had lunch on our own as a small group at a recommended restaurant. A tour is way easier than renting a car and arguing with the navigator about where to turn. Check out getyourguide.com
Outside the center of Aix-en-Provence is an excellent WWII-related site, the Camp des Milles. There's public bus service from the center of town. This is a memorial/museum set up in a former factory where Jews and others were held before being shipped off to the transit camp in Drancy and ultimately to concentration camps farther east. I thought the educational material was very well done.
Some of the exhibition area is in the basement, which can be quite chilly even on a hot summer day, so I recommend taking a sweater or jacket.
We just returned this week from a 6-wk trip, ended in Provence. I was over the moon seeing the lavender fields and many of the villages I've seen in pictures and read about---so beautiful. Although you may not be there when the lavender is blooming, I would rent a car and go to some of the small, most beautiful villages---Gordes, Rousillon, Bonnieux, Goult---we stayed in a B&B outside of Gordes and it was just idyllic. We didn't get to St Paul de Vence or St Remy (next time)! Many of these villages would only take an hour or so to stroll through, as they are small, but big on photo ops and ambiance, and easy driving. Others probably have more small villages that you could add---you could visit quite a few, have lunch in one and dinner in another---all within about an hour an a half or so drive. Provence and the French Riviera (particularly Eze) was the highlight of our 3-country trip.
Paul Cézanne's studio is worth a visit. There's some beautiful scenery and walks one can take around the area.
Frankly, just sitting outside a restaurant or bar along Cours Mirabeau sharing a bottle of rosé de Provence with friends while people watching is a very pleasant way to spend a late afternoon.
