AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FRANCE

Cours Mirabeau is Aix's main thoroughfare. The left side of the Cours leads to the Palais de Justice (judicial center), which carries into the Town Hall area and Aix's old town before coming to the city's Sextius district. On the right side of Cours Mirabeau, Mazarin is the first area you come to and thereafter the area of Carnot, which is sandwiched between Sextius to the north and the university district to the south. The immediate outskirts of the city are divided up geographically and are described here as northern, southern, western and eastern Aix .

Mirabeau

A walk along Cours Mirabeau (laid out in 1651), with its many fountains and abundance of greenery, is an essential part of a visit to Aix. In the depths of winter, hot water flows from the Moussue fountain in the middle of the Cours, enveloping the immediate surroundings in a shroud of mist. At the far end of the Cours, Place de la Rotonde is home to the fountain of the same name, an imposing cast-iron basin topped by cherubs from whose lips water continuously trickles. Both sides of the Cours are lined with luxury... more