A stunning Pays d'Aix photo opportunity framed by Montagne Ste-Victoire, this 13th-century château is the final resting place of Pablo Picasso. Owned and augmented by a succession of notables, from the Archbishops of Aix to King René and finally the Picassos (who still own it), it's a dramatically sited fastness, partially screened by conifers. Unfortunately, it's not accessible to the public.
Château de Vauvenargues
Pays d’Aix
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
7.84 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 …
2.36 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),…
25.73 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…
24.16 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
22 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…
23.51 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…
21.19 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
21.55 MILES
The icon of modern Marseille, this stunning museum explores the history, culture and civilisation of the Mediterranean region through anthropological…
Nearby Pays d’Aix attractions
2.36 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),…
5.42 MILES
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…
5.55 MILES
This tiny, 9-hectare winery manages to cultivate 25 different grape varieties, many ancient and rare, producing highly respected, AOC-protected whites,…
6.35 MILES
Famed for its rosé, Château de la Gaude is graced by a delightful formal garden and listed 18th-century château.
6.5 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…
7.83 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…
7.84 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 …
7.84 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…