10 Best museums in Aix-en-Provence

In the south of France and very close to Marseille, Aix-en-Provence has established itself as an artistic city with a wealth of cultural events. This is reflected in a wide range of museums.

Enjoy getting to know the exhibitions and works on display in the city's major venues. The Hotel de Caumont, the Musée des Tapisseries, the Musée Granet, the Musée du Calisson, the Vasarely Foundation or the Atelier de Cézanne are some of the main ones.

A building that is a work of art in itself. The Hotel de Caumont is one of the most interesting buildings in all of Aix-en-Provence, as it is a large 18th century mansion that has been completely renovated over the years.

And it's not just the rooms: this mansion has more than a thousand square metres of private gardens where you can get some fresh air and re-enter the temporary exhibitions of artists from all periods. Here you can enjoy works by artists from Picasso to an important collection of Renaissance art.

The best thing is that you can see the works of the Guggenheim or Manet while you relax in a traditional tea room that will take you back to France in the early 18th century. This museum is a must-see and should be part of any city tour itinerary. However, I recommend that you book your tickets for the Hotel de Caumont exhibitions in advance, as it is one of the most visited museums in the city.

Practical information

• Location: 3, rue Joseph Cabassol 13100 Aix-en-Provence. One minute from the Mirabeau promenade.
• Price: €6.5 when there are no temporary exhibitions. With temporary exhibitions it can go up to €16. Discounts are available for over 65s and for young people aged 7-25.
• Opening hours: Between May and October, from 10am to 7pm. Between October and May, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

20 minutes from the city, you will find a paradise of art, restaurants and vineyards: the Château La Coste, a combination of these three elements that will allow you to spend an afternoon totally isolated from the urban hustle and bustle. The château is more of a summer space, where wine is the main protagonist, so from here you can take one of the best wine tours in Aix-en-Provence.

The interesting thing about this plan is that it combines art with wine tasting. About the museum area, the organisation says it focuses on unusual art and temporary exhibitions, as well as the Tadao Ando art centre. Additionally, the space features a pavilion that serves as an auditorium designed by renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. Surrounding the château are more than 200 hectares of vineyards.

If you want to spend a very different day, take a full day tour from Aix-en-Provence, taste the best wine while seeing some unconventional art and then have lunch on a terrace or in a delicious restaurant overlooking many hectares of vineyards, then save a day to get to know this château in detail.

Practical information

• Location: 2750 Route de la Cride, 13610 Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade.
• Price: There is a separate entrance for art and a separate entrance for vineyard, plus hotel and restaurant options. The fee to visit the art section is about €15 for adults and €12 for students, over 65s, students and unemployed.
• Opening hours: between 10 am and 7 pm, every day.

Carpets and tapestries are an important part of the whole history of Western Europe. They were a status symbol for the different European monarchies that implanted them in their colonies. Today, many of them are a souvenir and are exhibited in one of the most important museums in France: the Tapestry Museum in Aix-en-Provence.

It is located in one of the halls of the former Archbishops' Palace, which is a spectacle in itself. This is why it was declared a National Historic Monument. This building ceased to be a religious institution well into the 20th century, so much of the religious iconography is still preserved. As for the tapestries, the main ones are from the 17th and 18th centuries and depict all kinds of stories, literary or real events.

But that's not all: there is also a temporary exhibition room, where you can see more variety in the tapestries on display. This is also the space where different artistic manifestations are mixed in the framework of the museum's exhibitions, such as the Festival of Lyric Art that takes place here.

Practical information

• Location: 28 Pl des Martyrs de la Resistance, 13100, Aix-en-Provence France.
• Price: about €4 general admission. Free for under 26s, press and unemployed.
• Opening hours: open from Wednesday to Monday and closed on Tuesdays. From April to October it is open between 10am and 12.30pm and thereafter between 1.30pm and 6pm. Between October and April, opening hours are between 10am and 12:30pm and finally between 1:30pm and 5pm.

The Granet Museum was inaugurated in 1838, so that's almost two centuries of shared history with Aix-en-Provence. This space is phenomenal, as it is more than 4 thousand square metres full of works of art and archaeological finds. Of all the collection, the paintings of Paul Cézanne or Rubens stand out, which you must see on any of the best tours of Aix-en-Provence.

Another of the most outstanding elements of this beautiful museum is the sculptures, with great exponents such as Alberto Giacometti or certain archaeological pieces from the French environment. Cézanne steals the show in this museum, which has a total of around 700 works of art, not all of which are on display.

The building where this museum is located is truly spectacular and conveys an air of the Renaissance, one of the historical periods that is most represented in its art collection. It really is a visit not to be missed.

Practical information

• Location: Place Saint Jean de Malte, 13100, Aix-en-Provence. Served by bus lines 1, 3 and 13, at Saint Jean stop.

Price: about €11 with temporary exhibitions. You can go down a couple of euros thanks to the reduced fare for senior citizens.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 12 noon to 6pm. Closed on Mondays.

Would you like to get to know Paul Cézanne at his most personal and close to his work? Then a visit to the Atelier of Cézanne is a must. This is a very intimate space where you will find the painter's personal belongings, as well as the tools he used to paint with. Everything is decorated as it was at the time when Cézanne lived, including the furniture.

It is a fairly small space, which will only hold about 25 people, and it is best to take a guided tour that will explain to you part by part what each of the objects means. This is done through an audio guide that you should activate as soon as you arrive at the museum, as you only have 30 minutes to walk around and enjoy the whole space.

Always bear in mind that this is not a museum of Cézanne's works. It is simply his atelier, where he lived and worked. The museum is about Cézanne's life rather than his work, which makes it all the more interesting.

Practical information

• Location: 9 Av. Paul Cézanne, 13100 Aix-en-Provence.

Price: about €6.5 for adults and €3 for the audio gallery. If you are between 13 and 25 years old, there is a reduced rate of about €3.65.

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 5pm.

Have you tried calisson? This is a traditional sweet from Aix-en-Provence and the surrounding region and is said to have been made and eaten since at least the 15th century. Although it is common at Christmas, it is made all year round and its white colour stands out in any shop window. Whether you know the calisson or not, a visit to the Calisson Museum is a splendid way to learn more about the region's gastronomy and culture.

This museum is a Roy René confectionery factory, one of the best known in the region. By being there, you will not only learn about the history of the calisson and its social significance, but you will also have the opportunity to learn all about the manufacturing process. The calisson is a kind of very sweet soft biscuit, similar to marzipan, so its manufacture at an industrial level is very precise.

Delight yourself eating calissons and enjoying all the steps that lead to the production of this wonderful sweet at the Calisson Museum. You're sure to spend a few sweet hours here.

Practical information

• Location: 5380 Route D'Avignon, 13090, Aix-en-Provence.
• Price: the tour of the museum premises is free for 30 minutes.
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 6.30pm and Sunday from 10am to 5.30pm.

Do you like optical illusions? How about psychedelic works of art with extensive use of shapes and colours to trick your mind? Victor Vasarely is considered one of the fathers of op art that plays with optical illusions and in Aix-en-Provence there is a museum dedicated mainly to his work and legacy: the Vasarely Foundation.

This museum defines itself as an architectural centre, as Vasarely's works go from sculptures to huge constructions, where his art of optical illusions dazzles. But you will not only see Vasarely, but also many other artists of this trend who are sure to captivate you with their artistic play.

The spaces of the Vasarely Foundation are really fantastic because they combine large works in open areas with smaller, more conventional spaces called integrations. The museum has 44 integrations, ready to be exhibited to the general public. Are you going to miss the most charming museum of contemporary art?

Practical information

• Location: 1, Avenue Marcel Pagnol, CS 50490, 13096 Aix-en-Provence CEDEX 2.
• Price: about €12 for adults and €9 reduced rate for students, disabled, unemployed and seniors.
• Opening hours: daily from 10 am to 6 pm.

An elegant and glamorous space for contemporary art. It is an association of contemporary artists, with exhibitions all the time in 2D and 3D. The concept is totally different from that of a museum or a traditional gallery, as it includes personalised creation workshops for the different artists, as well as a free to use workshop for them.

Every few months, at the 361° Espace d'Art Contemporain there are new temporary exhibitions on artists you may not know, but who are very talented. When you come to Aix-en-Provence, you will be able to enjoy a magnificent exhibition in its premises. In addition, this space also has virtual exhibitions.

If you like the atmosphere of a gallery with contemporary art and even have the opportunity to dialogue with the artists, then this space is for you. The good thing is that it' s a short visit, so in half an hour or 45 minutes you'll be ready to move on.

Practical information

• Location: Andersen, c/o Liselotte, 220 Chem. de Bibémus, 13100 Aix-en-Provence.
• Price: free admission.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 7pm.

The horror of the Second World War is still very much alive in the South of France and if you are interested in history, the Camp des Milles Memorial is a place not to be missed. Also known today as the Museum of History and Human Sciences, Camp des Milles was a concentration camp where Germans were first interned in France and, after the German invasion, it was used for the extermination of Jews.

This structure is still standing, because before being a concentration camp it was a tile factory that was adapted for these horrible purposes. Despite its long and distinguished history, this memorial was only opened in 2012, so its development as a museum is quite recent. All this has made this exhibition space quite attractive to all those who are sensitive to these issues.

Keep in mind that this is a museum that remembers a very dark episode of humanity and that when you go, most of the exhibits will not be pleasant. The idea is to raise awareness of the past so as not to repeat it.

Practical information

• Location: 2750 Route de la Cride, 13610 Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade.
• Price: about €9.5 for adults and €7.5 for students, over 65s, students and unemployed. Veterans and children under 9 are free.
• Opening hours: daily from 10am to 7pm.

Since 1932, the Vieil Aix Museum or Old Aix is the museum of the history of the city. Originally founded by Marie d'Estienne de Saint-Jean, this museum highlights the traditions and the past of Aix-en-Provence, focusing on the artistic and literary past of the city. This site gathers mainly pieces of furniture: both domestic furniture and household objects.

There are iconic figures that have represented the city in the Vieil Aix Museum, as well as architectural models and models, such as the one made by G. B. Gaulli of the baptistery of the church of St. Peter in Rome, or works of art by famous artists such as Berthélémy d'Eyck. In addition to this, it is a site that has many temporary exhibitions, where historical moments of the city are highlighted, as well as themes related to the past and works of art and collections are grouped together.

In any case, bear in mind that this is a very classical museum and that it is quite compact, so it can be visited in a short time. I highly recommend it if you are interested in the history of the area and artistic objects representing the past.

Practical information

• Location: 2750 Route de la Cride, 13610 Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade.
• Price: about €9.5 for adults and €7.5 for students, over 65s, students and unemployed. Veterans and children under 9 are free.
• Opening hours: Open Wednesday to Monday, closed only on Tuesdays. From April to October it is open between 10am and 12.30pm and then between 1.30pm and 6pm. Between October and April, opening hours are between 10am and 12:30pm and finally between 1:30pm and 5pm.