Retreat-Holidays
Aix-en-Provence 2010
We are excited to be adding Aix-en-Provence as a new destination in 2010. Clients who have enjoyed visiting the foothills of the Alps of Haute Provence with us asked us to find another location in Provence to enable them to explore a different part of this glorious region - so here it is!
Aix (pronounced "Ex") was a Roman spa town called Aquae Sextiae. It was for centuries the capital of Provence. It has a highly reputed university and is particularly renowned as a city of culture, with an annual Festival as famous as that of Edinburgh. The statue in the photograph above is of the Roi René, the best-known king of Provence, holding court now among the plane trees which line the Cours Mirabeau, the graceful avenue at the heart of Aix. No visit to Aix would be complete without a stroll along the Cours and time spent at one of its many cafés watching everyone else stroll by.
As well as its grandiose architecture, Aix has a wealth of charming narrow streets and tiny sqares with fountains.
Marseille
Whereas Aix is elegant, refined and cultivated, its much bigger neighbour Marseille is big, loud and brash... and yet it has an exciting vitality about it. It is the first commercial port of France and the largest city after Paris, with a population of over 1,600,000. Marseille (also spelt Marseilles in English) is the administrative capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
The heart of Marseille is the old port, le Vieux Port, which is dominated by the basilica of Our Lady of Protection, Notre Dame de la Garde. The spire of the church is surmounted by a gilt statue of Mary which is iconic for the Marseillais - and Marseillais sailors in particular. It is the last thing they see of their city when their ship sails - and the first they see of it on their return. The statue reminds them to invoke the prayers of the one they call the Good Mother, la Bonne Mère, to keep them safe at sea.
From the Vieux Port, it is possible, weather permitting, to go on a boat trip out to the Château d'If, which is traditionally where the Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned.
Cassis
The other place we shall take you on this retreat-holiday is the fishing village of Cassis, which is simply charming. Its château dates back to the 14th century and some of its other buildings to the 16th.
The main focus of the village is still the port, which the fishing boats now share with yachts and boats offering trips to visit the calanques (mini-fjords) - highly recommended for those who are good sailors.
La Baume
Dates prices flights and trains
Printable information sheet 2010