Historical visit/Treasure Hunt of Aix en Provence

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.

1. 1

   Fontaine de La Rotonde

   10 min

   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.

2. 2

   Hotel de Caumont - Art Centre

   5 min

   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.

3. 3

   Eglise Saint-Jean-de-Malte

   15 min

   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.

4. 4

   Fontaine des Quatre-Dauphins

   10 min

   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.

5. 5

   Cathedrale St. Sauveur

   15 min

   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.

• 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

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.