France - French Dolce Vita: Aix-en-Provence (13/151)

France - French Dolce Vita: Aix-en-Provence (13/151)

Aix is regarded as one of the jewels among the cities of the Provence: the unique atmosphere, a southern-French form of "dolce vita" make it a favourite destination for travellers. The garden of the "Chateau de la Gaude", with the castle in the background, is never deserted. The city was already founded by the Romans as "Aquae Sextiae", a fact recalled by the many fountains which delight the visitor strolling through the city. The most beautiful fountain is without a doubt the "Fontaine d'Eau Chaude". There is a special atmosphere here, particularly in winter, when the spring water, at a temperature of 23 degrees, transforms the fountain into a steaming grotto. The old facades of the former aristocratic palaces, the shady squares, the sunny café terraces, the Cours Mirabeau, the boulevard of Aix - all these are an invitation to linger. And yet the city is by no means a museum piece: many of its inhabitants are young people studying in Aix, in one of France's largest and most venerable universities. Particularly in summer when tourists and visitors to the renowned "Festival de la Musique" roam the streets, then Aix is a haven of cultivated pleasure and of good living - and this although the city still has no opera house, not even a symphony orchestra of its own.