Cours Mirabeau
One of the most beautiful boulevards in France, if not Europe
This 400 metre long stretch of of tree-lined boulevard divides Aix en Provence's old town at its northerly end from the new to the south.
It's lined with cafés, galleries, bookshops, hotels and restaurants and has a large market every Saturday which pretty much takes over its entire length.
Cours Mirabeau is a popular place to go for a leisurely stroll, drink coffee and people watch, stop for breakfast, shop for food and to cool off in summer. It has four fountains, the most well known of which is the Fontaine de la Rotonde at the far end which also serves as a roundabout. The three statues that adorn the fountain indicate the principal activities of the city: Justice (oriented Cours Mirabeau), Agriculture (to Marseille) and Fine Arts (towards Avignon).
The three other fountains are the Fontaine des Neufs Canons (fountain of 9 canons) which was built in 1691, the Fontaine d'Eau Chaude (fountain of hot water) thanks to its 18 degrees C temperature and the Fontaine du Roi René (King René).
