Taxi Nice — Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence is one of southern France's most elegant cities, a place of art and culture where every fountain, every mansion and every centuries-old plane tree tells a story spanning millennia. Former capital of the County of Provence, Aix was shaped by the Romans (founded in 123 BC around thermal springs), the kings of Provence, Good King René in the 15th century, then the parliamentarians of the 17th and 18th centuries who built the sumptuous mansions of the Mazarin quarter. The Cours Mirabeau, a broad tree-lined avenue shaded by giant plane trees and bordered by cafés, bookshops and mossy fountains, is one of France's most beautiful boulevards. Paul Cézanne, Aix's most famous son, tirelessly painted the Montagne Sainte-Victoire, the limestone natural monument dominating the city whose silhouette changes colour from morning to evening. Cézanne's Studio, preserved as he left it at his death in 1906, is a pilgrimage for art lovers. The Aix International Opera Festival every July draws music lovers from around the world to the Archbishop's Theatre. The calisson, an almond paste and candied melon confection, is the city's gourmet emblem. The journey from Nice follows the A8 motorway throughout, crossing Provence from the Riviera to the Aix hills in a 200 km voyage through the landscapes that inspired the greatest painters.