Historical visit/Treasure Hunt of Aix en Provence
Description
Discover Aix-en-Provence through a fun and interactive treasure hunt guided by a local expert. Great for families as well as adults, learn about Aix's colorful history while on the hunt for a treasure filled with local goodies.
Tour Options
Itinerary
12 meters high, the fountain is built of cold stone and composed of two basins. Lions, dolphins, swans and children, works by Truphème, decorate it. The three statues which surmount it represent Justice (towards Le Cours), Agriculture (towards Marseille) and Fine Arts (towards Avignon), forming a road star. Ramus, Chabaud and Ferrat are the authors.
The Hôtel de Caumont is located in an aristocratic district of the old town of Aix-en-Provence, the Mazarin district. Of Parisian influence, it is a hotel "between courtyard and garden", an architectural scheme that appeared in Paris in the 16th century, which, reported on an urban scale, corresponds to the castle and its park. This type of construction "between courtyard and garden" disappeared in 1680 in Aix-en-Provence, favoring the construction of hotels on the street to stand out from the Parisian style. The portals are then more decorated in a baroque tendency characteristic of southern taste. By the scale of its design without equivalent in Aix-en-Provence, it represents a sample of French architecture of the 18th century. For their quality, the carriage gate, the facade and the wrought iron stair railing were listed in the additional inventory of Historic Monuments in 1925. The entire hotel was listed in 1987.
Among the paintings exhibited in the church, Delacroix's Crucifixion is the one that attracts the most visitors. Several stained glass windows are inside. The stained glass window dating from 1854 has the Baptism of Christ as its main theme.
The fountain in the center of the square, the work of the sculptor Jean-Claude Rambot in 1667, represents four "architectural dolphins" surrounding a pyramid which was originally crowned by a statue of Saint Michael. The statue was successively replaced by a fleur-de-lis, a Maltese cross, then a pinecone.
The cathedral is located on the route of the old via Aurelia. A fragment of Roman wall as well as the columns of the baptistery seem to have forged the legend according to which Saint-Sauveur was erected on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Apollo. Historian Pitton (1654) claimed that this temple was dedicated to a solar deity, relying on the discovery of a statue with an uncovered thigh to substantiate his claims.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(12)
Édouard is a great guide—we covered a lot of ground in this tour and learned some history. The treasure hunt was cute and fun to find the treasure at the end.
Outstanding experience, Edouard was a knowledgeable, intelligent, thoughtful guide who took his time and explained many unique aspects of Aix. Five stars. Glenn
The guide Edouard made it a relaxing, informative, engaging, laid-back way to get to know the city. Definitely recommend exploring the city with him.
Relaxing, cozy tour with Edouard! Book it if you want to walk around the city with an artistic feeling
My daughter and I would not have enjoyed our time in Aix as much as we did if we hadn’t taken Edouard’s tour. It was riveting - full of history, special stories, and details that made us understand the city’s beauty and interesting past. He was very knowledgeable and friendly and answered all of our questions thoroughly. His tour is a must! Do it at the beginning of your stay so you get a full picture of Aix.
We very much enjoyed the walking tour with Edouard (Ted). He is easy to understand as he speaks French like a Frenchman and English like an American. The tour proceeded at a steady but unhurried pace. Edouard not only provided the history and explanations of the various types of architecture but also pointed out some of the less obvious but interesting city treasures. He was very accommodating answering everyone’s questions. He recommended restaurants, bakeries, patisseries, and a shop that sells Madeleines. I later went back for some Madeleines and was glad I did. I wholeheartedly recommend Edouard/Ted’s tour.
Having only passed through briefly before this visit, this tour was a brilliant way to scratch the surface and discover the real heart of Aix en Provence. As an unabashed foodie, I really enjoyed learning about the origins of the famous Calisson (and of course buying some to taste for myself) as well as having brilliant restaurants pointed out along the way. Ted was super patient and interesting, offering up lots of little bits of knowledge and context as we walked around. I had briefly studied Cezanne in college so getting to explore his town was amazing, and Ted made it a really fun, learning experience. I highly recommend!
We had a wonderful time with Edouard on the treasure hunt. We learned a lot about the history and culture of the city, as well as tips for some of the best food and markets as we walked around town. It was a great overview of the city for my husband and me, and the treasure hunt kept my four year old engaged as we covered a lot of ground. He was so excited that we actually found a treasure at the end!
Edouard's tour is a great way for adults to learn about Aix's history, while also keeping children engaged and having fun. It was perfect for us and our 7 year old.
The tour was very informative. A nice walk through the city and our guide Eduard was very nice and helpful. A nice treasure surprise at the end was super cool.
