Aix-en-Provence

Where the light falls differently — that is how Cézanne himself described the peculiar radiance of Aix-en-Provence, the city where he was born in 1839 and to which he returned, again and again, to paint the limestone ridges of Mont Sainte-Victoire until the mountain became inseparable from his name. Founded as Aquae Sextiae by the Roman consul Gaius Sextius Calvinus in 123 BC, Aix was built upon thermal springs that still murmur beneath its elegant boulevards, a reminder that this city has been devoted to the art of civilised pleasure for over two millennia. The Cours Mirabeau, that magnificent canopy of plane trees stretching between the Fontaine de la Rotonde and the statue of King René, was laid out in the seventeenth century and remains one of the most beautiful promenades in all of France.

To walk through Aix is to move through layers of golden stone and dappled shade, past hôtels particuliers whose carved atlantes and wrought-iron balconies speak of the parlementary aristocracy that once governed Provence from this very city. The Old Town unfolds in a labyrinth of narrow streets punctuated by mossy fountains — there are more than forty of them — each one trickling with the same thermal water the Romans prized. On Saturday mornings, the Place Richelme transforms into a market of almost theatrical beauty, where lavender bundles lean against pyramids of Cavaillon melons and vendors offer tastings of local olive oil pressed from Aglandau olives. The atmosphere is unhurried, aristocratic without pretension, suffused with the dry perfume of rosemary and warm stone that defines the Provençal interior.

The cuisine of Aix-en-Provence rewards those who arrive with appetite and patience. Begin with a bowl of soupe au pistou, that fragrant summer broth of white beans, courgettes, and tomatoes finished with a pounded basil-and-garlic paste that bears no resemblance to its Genoese cousin. The calissons d'Aix — those diamond-shaped confections of ground almonds and candied melon glazed with royal icing — have been produced here since the fifteenth century, and the Confiserie du Roy René still crafts them according to tradition. Linger over a glass of pale rosé from the nearby Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence appellation at one of the café terraces along the Cours Mirabeau, where the ritual of the apéritif has been elevated to something approaching philosophy. For a more substantial affair, seek out pieds et paquets — lamb tripe parcels simmered for hours in white wine and tomatoes — a dish that reveals the rustic soul beneath the city's polished façade.

The surrounding countryside offers excursions of considerable beauty and historical depth. The medieval town of Viviers, perched above the Rhône with its Romanesque cathedral and Renaissance bishops' palace, provides a magnificent window into ecclesiastical Provence. Further afield, the caves at Montignac — gateway to the legendary Lascaux — transport visitors across seventeen thousand years of human expression in a single afternoon. The Provençal hinterland between Aix and the coast unfolds in a patchwork of vineyards, ochre villages, and silvery olive groves, each turn in the road revealing another composition that Cézanne might have painted. Whether one ventures to the lavender plateaux of the Luberon or the calanques that fracture the coastline near Cassis, the region surrounding Aix is among the most visually intoxicating in Europe.

River cruise itineraries along the Rhône bring travellers to Aix-en-Provence with an elegance that suits the city's temperament perfectly. Tauck, renowned for its seamlessly inclusive approach to luxury travel, features Aix as a highlight of its Provence and southern France voyages, typically offering guided excursions to Cézanne's studio and the Old Town markets that capture the essence of the destination. Arriving by river allows guests to experience the transition from the dramatic Rhône valley into the gentler landscape of the Aix countryside, a journey that feels less like transport and more like a slow unveiling. The city's compact centre and pedestrian-friendly streets make it ideally suited to the unhurried pace that distinguishes the finest river cruise experiences.