Museum / Gallery Sights in Aix-en-Provence — 12 of Our Favourites

Between 1895 and 1904, Cezanne produced 11 oil paintings and 16 watercolours, featuring the quarry and Mount St Victoire.

The area benefits from outstanding light that enhances the orange/red rocks, the blue/green pine trees and the deep blue sky. You can immediately see the appeal of the landscape for artists. Paths have been recently laid in the quarry and visitors can take a guided tour to explore the rocky outcrops.

The museum also houses a collection of contemporary textile art . A section of the museum is dedicated to the 'Arts du Spectacle', illustrated with models, costumes, sets and various historical documents.

The building is constructed from 14 hexagons in black and white, making it a most distinctive building. Inside you'll find colourful installations featuring abstract works that challenge the visitor with optical illusions and unusual perspectives.

There are guided tours for individuals and groups and workshops and activities for school children throughout the year.

The studio has been pristinely preserved as if Cezanne had popped out for a glass of rosé - his easels and paints along with variuos items featured in his paintings have been left scattered in his studio.This is a popular place for visitors so booking your visit ahead of time with the tourist office is recommended.

Guided visits are available in English, check the website for opening times.

An old tile & brick factory, Les Milles saw more than 10,000 'enemy subjects' pass through it's gates, and in 1942, more than 2500 Jewish men, women and children were deported to Auschwitz. The site is now a museum and centre that aims to remember those who were lost, and to educate and remind us of that time in history.

Calissons are lozenge shaped and made from a fruit paste with a melon flavour, topped with royal icing.

Videos, display cases, sights and smells will tantalise your taste buds on a visit here and you can also make your own batch of sweets at the end of your visit.

Around 600 paintings, sculptures and archaeological discoveries are on show. Their permanent collections include works by the Italian masters, French painitng from the 18th century, the 19th century Granet and Ingres. Cezanne and a special exhibition 'From Cezanne to Giacometti'.

They also have many temporary exhibitions, works that are on loan and special events throughout the year.

A trained artist and an experienced traveller, Aurelien brings his passion into his drawings, paintings (pastels, oil, acrylic, ...) and sculptures. The gallery is worth a visit to experience his work and even take home a piece of art.

Opening Hours :
Tuesdays & Thursdays 10h - 13h & 14h - 17h30
Fridays 13h - 17h30
Saturdays 10h - 13h & 14h - 18H30

The museum is best known for its paleontological collections - dinosaurs. Following archeological digs carried out by the museum over the last ten years, the collections currently boast close to 1,000 dinosaur remains, ranking it among the wealthiest French museums in this category.Its collections, inventoried at the time of their transfer to new storage facilities, total 376.000 specimens, of which beautiful herbiers (150.000 spécimens).

The last private owner was General Isembart who, after some renovation work, sold it to the city of Aix-en-Provence in 1964, thereby ensuring its preservation.

On 6th May 2015 Culturespaces opened the doors of Caumont Art Centre. Located a few steps away from the Cours Mirabeau at the former Hôtel de Caumont, a jewel of the eighteenth century currently undergoing restoration, this new cultural institution will quicken the heartbeat of Aix-en-Provence.

The cultural programming of Caumont Art Centre will highlight the Fine Arts, with two major temporary exhibitions every year dedicated to the world’s greatest masters - from ancient art to modern painting. Its inaugural exhibition, from 6th May to 13th September 2015, will present a retrospective entitled Canaletto, Rome - London - Venice. The triumph of light.

Apart from painting, other art forms will benefit from the privileged setting of Caumont Art Centre. From the outset, continuous screenings of a newly produced film dedicated to Paul Cezanne will take place in the auditorium of the Art Centre, and starting in the autumn of 2015 concerts, artistic performances and forums will be scheduled. Moreover, with a terrace overlooking the shady gardens, the Café Caumont will offer a pleasant stopover right in the heart of the Mazarin district

Monthly exhibitions take place here throughout the year, showcasing exhibitors from all backgrounds and it's one of the main organisers of the Phot'Aix festival which takes place every year.