In 1895 Cézanne rented a cabanon (cabin) at the Carrières de Bibemus, east of Aix, where he painted 27 works. Atmospheric one-hour tours of the ochre quarry take visitors on foot through the dramatic burnt-orange rocks that Cézanne captured so vividly on canvas. Tours are mostly in French, though occasional tours are offered in English; book in advance at the tourist office, wear sturdy shoes and avoid wearing white. The ticket price includes a shuttle from the tourist office.
Carrières de Bibemus
Aix-en-Provence
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
2.42 MILES
Aix established one of France's first public museums here, on the site of a former Hospitallers' priory, in 1838. Nearly 200 years of acquisitions …
7.19 MILES
East of Aix rises Cézanne’s favourite haunt, the magnificent silvery ridge of Montagne Ste-Victoire, its dry slopes carpeted in garrigue (scented scrub),…
26.78 MILES
Named after its fiery red and orange landscape (which locals likened to Colorado), this former ochre quarry is one of the best places to appreciate the…
21.6 MILES
The calanques (coves) of the coast surrounding Marseille became France's 10th national park in 2012, preserving their astonishing beauty and harbouring an…
Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde
18.27 MILES
Occupying Marseille’s highest point, La Garde (154m), this opulent 19th-century Romano-Byzantine basilica is Marseille's most-visited icon. Built on the…
21.87 MILES
In the scrubby hills about 6km south of Bonnieux, a twisty back road slopes up to this wonderful cedar forest, whose spreading boughs provide welcome…
17.35 MILES
'The Basket' is Marseille's oldest quarter – site of the original Greek settlement and nicknamed for its steep streets and buildings. Its close, village…
Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée
17.65 MILES
The icon of modern Marseille, this stunning museum explores the history, culture and civilisation of the Mediterranean region through anthropological…
Nearby Aix-en-Provence attractions
1.49 MILES
This tiny, 9-hectare winery manages to cultivate 25 different grape varieties, many ancient and rare, producing highly respected, AOC-protected whites,…
1.88 MILES
Wine has been grown here for longer than history records, and this vineyard still produces 80% of the wine bearing the Palette AOC. Vines surrounding the…
2.42 MILES
This 13th-century Gothic church in Aix’s Quartier Mazarin, built as a fortified place of worship by the Knights Hospitaller, was the first of its kind in…
2.42 MILES
Aix established one of France's first public museums here, on the site of a former Hospitallers' priory, in 1838. Nearly 200 years of acquisitions …
2.46 MILES
Across from the Palace of Justice, this 17th-century church only received its monumental facade in the 19th century, and has an imposing obelisk out the…
2.49 MILES
This elegantly vaulted baroque chapel was originally part of a 17th-century monastery.
2.51 MILES
In the centre of cours Mirabeau is this lovely sculpted fountain from 1823, depicting the 15th-century king holding muscat grapes (which he reputedly…
2.56 MILES
Dating to 1667, this small fountain, the first along the Cours Mirabeau, is fed by 18ºC spring water that encourages the diversity of greenery with which…