Aujourd’hui: La semaine et le week-end à Aix (Mon Oct 27–Sun Nov 2) — Fresh arrivals, secret corners

on

Welcome to your curated Monday mega-roundup! This week brings gentle autumn sun, Toussaint (Nov 1) reflections, last golden-leaf hikes on Sainte-Victoire, and the very first rumblings of truffle season planning. Expect a lighter events calendar than summer but plenty of good stuff: daily markets, guided Cézanne sites, Marseille gigs, and off-the-beaten-path rambles to aqueducts and dams. Quick headline: dry-ish start, showers mid-week, brighter for the weekend; transport running normally with a couple of local bus works noted. aixenbus.fr


Highs ~18–22 °C, coolest nights mid-week; a damp Thursday, otherwise mix of sun/cloud, weekend looks mild. Pack a light layer and something rain-friendly for Thursday.

This week at a glance (Mon 27 Oct → Sun 2 Nov)

  • Photo, all week — Phot’Aix opens across town (galleries + street parcours). Free to browse many sites; great for slow, language-friendly strolls. Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Tourisme

  • Public holiday: Sat 1 Nov (Toussaint)—many shops/museums on holiday hours; buses/trains often run on holiday/Saturday timetables. Always verify opening times.

  • Mid-week & weekend — MuCEM’s new “Don Quichotte” exhibition (J4) + Cosquer Méditerranée (the underwater cave replica) next door—do both in one Marseille bay loop. Mucem

  • AMMA — Wellness & Alternative Therapies Fair (Wed–Fri, 29–31 Oct) — Arena du Pays d’Aix
    Talks, demos, and stands around massage, yoga, natural health, etc. Evening shuttles added on event nights. Bus: L14 “Arena du Pays d’Aix.”

  • Halloween at the Tourist Office: Candy & Kid Workshops (Fri, 31 Oct, 09:00–17:45) — Office de Tourisme, Rotonde
    Costumed kids get sweets; on-site coloring/mini-activities. Walkable from Cours Mirabeau; all city buses to “Rotonde.”

  • “Halloween aux Allées” Street Party (Fri, 31 Oct, 10:30–18:30) — Les Allées (city centre)
    Family-friendly decorations, games, and spooky fun all day in the heart of Aix. Walkable; nearby stops “Rotonde” / “Bellegarde.”

  • Guided Tour — “Aix en Effroi! Histoire d’Aix-orcismes” (Fri, 31 Oct, 17:00) — departs Tourist Office
    An after-hours Halloween history walk (FR). Recommended 16+. Reserve via Tourist Office.

  • Guided Tour — “Petits meurtres à Aix” (Wed, 29 Oct, 16:30) — departs Tourist Office
    Crime-and-clues themed city ramble (FR). Reserve via Tourist Office.

  • Guided Tour — “Cimetière Saint-Pierre, le Père-Lachaise aixois” (Thu, 30 Oct, 14:30)
    Local history through notable graves and stories (FR). Bus: several lines toward “Saint-Pierre.” Booking required.

  • Marseille — The Walking Bass Festival (Thu–Sat, 30 Oct–1 Nov) — Parc Chanot
    A bass-forward electronic/club weekender; easy hop from Aix by TER + Metro M2 “Rond-Point du Prado.”

  • Marseille — Current Citywide Listings (daily)
    The official calendar features exhibitions (“Infiniment bleu” at Château Borély), sports, and neighborhood fests—filter by dates Oct 27–Nov 2. From Aix: TER to St-Charles.

  • Allauch (near Marseille) — “Marcel et Monsieur Pagnol” exhibition (through Sun, 2 Nov) — Pôle Culturel
    Last week to catch this homage to Pagnol; prizegiving Sun 2 Nov, 11:00. Access: TER to Marseille + RTM bus to Allauch.

  • Toussaint (Sat, 1 Nov) — Services & Cemetery Blessings (various parishes)
    If you mark the day, check parish pages for local mass and cemetery schedules; many run special times this weekend.

For first-timers (touristy & terrific)

1) Cézanne 2025 at Musée Granet ended October 12

2) Fondation Vasarely (optical art wow)

  • Why go: Monumental op-art in a honeycomb of hexagons—great when you need shade + culture.

  • Hours: Typically 10:00–18:00; autumn operations show Wed–Sun 10:30–17:30—check before you go. (Fondation Vasarely)

  • Getting there: Bus Ligne 25 or a quick taxi from centre; or Diabline + short walk if you’re feeling spry. (Use La Métropole Mobilité trip planner.) (La Métropole Mobilité)

3) Classic Aix markets (every day somewhere!)

  • Don’t miss: Daily food market on Place Richelme, big Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday spreads on Cours Mirabeau and Place des Prêcheurs/Place de Verdun. Go early, bring a tote, practice your “Bonjour!” (SeeProvence.com)


Uniquement “off the beaten path” (for return visitors)

Phot’Aix (citywide) — Small, human-scale photography shows tucked into galleries and public spaces; pairs beautifully with a notebook and an hour of café-table vocab. Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Tourisme

6MIC (La Constance) — Axlovers’ music hub. This week brings Synapson (electro-pop live set, Oct 22–23). Patio for pre-show apéro, easy parking, and city buses/taxis from centre.

Don Quichotte at MuCEM — Clever, playful, and very Marseille—pair with sunset on the J4 footbridges to Fort St-Jean. Mucem


Nightlife & concerts

  • 6MIC – Synapson (Wed–Thu): danceable, polished, very “date-night in sneakers.” Book ahead.

  • Grand Théâtre de Provence – R. Capuçon & OPRL (Thu): if you only do one seated, suit-up show this week, it’s this one. Les Théâtres

Theatre & classical

  • GTP (Thu 23, 20:00) — Camille Pépin, Mozart, Wagner, Strauss; Renaud Capuçon directs/plays with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège. From Aix centre: 8–12 min walk from Rotonde. Les Théâtres

Museums & exhibitions (great pairings)

  • MuCEM: Don Quichotte (new, through Mar 30, 2026). Pair with the sea views + footbridges. Mucem

  • Cosquer Méditerranée (last entries ~90 min before close; families love it). grotte-cosquer.com

Day trip idea (public transport friendly)

Côte Bleue train — Board at Marseille St-Charles; hop off at Niolon or Carry-le-Rouet for an easy coastal path and lunch. Schedules vary; check TER Sud. Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Tourisme

Free/cheap this week

Weather outlook (Aix-en-Provence)


Heads-up: Highs ~18–22 °C, coolest nights mid-week; a damp Thursday, otherwise mix of sun/cloud, weekend looks mild. Pack a light layer and something rain-friendly for Thursday.

One neat day plan for everyone

  • Morning (newcomers): Richelme market breakfast → Granet blockbuster → mazarin quarter stroll. (SeeProvence.com)

  • Afternoon (mobility-friendly): Taxi/ride to Vasarely (benches inside). (Fondation Vasarely)

  • Return-visitor alt: Bus 140 to Bimont for a mellow loop + bus back for apéro. (Moovit)

  • Evening: Cours Mirabeau terrace people-watching. (Bring a layer; nights cool quickly this week.) (AccuWeather)

Practical picks

  • Aix City Pass: Museum entries + some guided tours; remember to validate on buses. Reserve popular slots. (Aix en Provence - Office de Tourisme)

  • Market manners: Ask before touching produce, and yes—“Un joli morceau, s’il vous plaît” works wonders.

Travel alerts & how to get around

  • Marseille Provence Airport (MRS): Check live departures/arrivals before leaving; schedules can shift. (Marseille Provence Airport)

  • Airport (MRS) shuttle:

    • St-Charles ⇄ MRS buses run every 10 minutes 07:00–20:00 (every 20 min early/late). Allow 25–50 min depending on traffic. Marseille Provence Airport

  • SNCF / TER Sud: Marseille ⇄ Aix: weekday interruptions ~09:30–15:30 through Dec 19 for works (Arc viaduct/Plan de Campagne halt). Use early/late trains or buses mid-day. Use the real-time disruption page for your TER/TGV; Côte Bleue line sometimes sees short-notice adjustments. (SNCF Connect)

  • La Métropole Mobilité (leCar regionals): Live notices appear on the planner; e.g.LeCar L50 runs frequently;  lecaraixmarseille.com

  • Aix area buses (La Métropole Mobilité / Aix en Bus): Live traffic/perturbations here; note ongoing timetable adjustments (e.g., recent changes and specific stop bypasses). (plan.lametropolemobilite.fr)

  • ZOU! regional info hub: If you’re roaming farther (Var/06/Monaco), skim the ZOU! traffic updates before you go. itineraires-zou.maregionsud.fr

Your turn — on papote à Aix 🗣️

What are you doing this week? Drop a tip, a photo, or a “help, which bus?” below!

  • A1: Order at the market: “Bonjour, je voudrais 500 g de tomates, s’il vous plaît.”

  • A2: Ask for directions: “Excusez-moi, où se trouve l’arrêt pour la ligne 140 vers Vauvenargues ?”

  • B1: Share a mini-review in French of a museum you visited (3–4 sentences).

  • B2: Compare Cézanne’s studio vs. Vasarely in a short paragraph—what surprised you?

  • Advanced: Post a micro-itinerary (150–200 words) for a Côte Bleue day trip with one historical note.

P.S. If you spot an error, tell me gently—I’ll blame the Mistral and fix it fast.

Location: Aix-en-Provence, France

Comments

Post a Comment