Photos: Elliott Brown from Birmingham, United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Bjs, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Rolf Kranz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Elliott Brown from Birmingham, United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Bjs, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Rolf Kranz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
From Roman baths to Baroque mansions
Your local guide
Thomas Girard
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Highlights
- Roman stone beneath a modern spa
- A cardinal's country house up close
- Three architectural orders on one facade
- A planned seventeenth century street grid
- Two thousand years covered in ninety minutes
About this tour
This session moves through several centuries in under two hours, from the Roman springs beneath Thermes Sextius to the seventeenth century grandeur of Pavillon de Vendôme and the planned streets of Quartier Mazarin. You see where old stonework survives inside newer buildings and the architectural details stacked onto a cardinal's country house. It traces how Aix kept rebuilding on top of itself without losing the earlier layers.
I open with the springs and work forward in time, stop by stop, checking each date against what is actually written on the stone. Questions come up naturally as we go, since one period often explains the next, and I am glad to slow down on any building someone wants to look at longer. A short reading list follows for anyone who wants to go deeper.
This suits anyone with a general interest in history rather than expert knowledge, since I build the story from what is visible rather than assuming background. It also works well for a second visit to Aix, once the main landmarks are already familiar.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Aix-en-Provence before heading out.
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Thermes Sextius 21 min
The camera looks over the modern spa built directly on the site of the Roman baths that gave Aix its name. I point out where the old stonework is still visible beneath the newer building.
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Pavillon de Vendôme 21 min
Through the gate, you see the ornate front of a seventeenth century country house, built for a cardinal's nephew as a retreat outside the old walls. I explain the three different architectural orders stacked on its facade.
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Quartier Mazarin gate 21 min
The walk ends at one of the stone gateways into Quartier Mazarin, laid out on a single planned grid in the seventeenth century. I point out how the street widths and mansion fronts still follow that original plan.
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Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about Aix-en-Provence: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Calisson d'Aix and Cours Mirabeau, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Paris time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Aix-en-Provence, showing you Thermes Sextius and Pavillon de Vendôme live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I carry my phone through the city while we talk.
Times shown in Paris time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Fri 30 Oct · 8 seats left From 27,00 €
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