Thermal springs: balneological resort
The first thermae with sulphurous water appeared here in Roman times. Aix in the name of the city means «water» in Latin.
In the historical center there is an ancient arch (Arc De Campanus) 9*7 m in size. It was built by the Romans around the end of the first century. It is believed that this arch served as an entrance to the thermae.
Not far from the arch are the ruins of the temple of the goddess Diana. Its remains are built into the Mairie d’Aix-les-Bains (City Hall) — in the Middle Ages this was the site of a defensive wall.
In 1783, the first thermal center was built in Aix-les-Bains and the town quickly gained fame as a balneological resort. Hugo, Dumas, Balzac, Maupassant and Rachmaninoff came to visit the local waters. Almost every summer Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Empress Sisi vacationed here.
Thermal complexes
Today, Aix-les-Bains is considered one of the best and most democratic thermal springs resorts in France.
The waters of the springs are saturated with sulphides, sulphur, calcium and minerals. People come here to treat infectious and respiratory diseases, allergies and rheumatism, chronic fatigue syndrome.
The largest balneological resort in the city is Les Thermes Nationaux (or Thermes Chevalley), where rheumatic diseases are treated. They are located on the site of ancient Italian thermae — several ancient sculptures have been preserved near the entrance.
The Thermes de Marlioz thermal center specializes in respiratory diseases. The complex includes a hotel and a sanatorium. There are warm pools with water up to 40°C, and open-air pools in summer.
- You can find out the range of services on the website of the health centers. One visit costs on average 15 €.
- A package of services for the day — from 66 €, this includes various baths, massages, grooming treatments, access to sauna, hammam, solarium.
- You can come in and try the warm and cold water from the fountains in the thermae for free.
Russian trace
In the XIX century, the resort was favored by the Russian aristocracy, and Emperor Alexander II vacationed at the local waters. To commemorate the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov in 1913, the boulevard near the railway station was named Boulevard de Russie. In the center of the city stands the Russian Villa (Villa Russie), where dinner parties of the Russian nobility were held.
- The villa is now a hotel of the same name. Overnight stays in the historic mansion start from 100 €.
Parc floral des Thermes
The Parc floral des Thermes is adjacent to the old thermae. The park has quiet alleys under old trees, and the plants are accompanied by explanatory signs with botanical data. Bright flowerbeds are laid out in creative flowerbeds in the form of chaise lounges or domino bones. The center of attraction in the park is a large fountain.
- Open-air concerts are held daily in summer. Entrance is free. The schedule is here.
Church of Our Lady (Eglise Notre-Dame d’Aix-le-Bain)
The Eglise Notre-Dame d’Aix-le-Bain was under construction for about 15 years and was completed in 1905. The cathedral has the shape of a cross and rises 55 meters above the city. The green spire was originally wooden, but has oxidized over time. The cathedral houses a 17th century Italian icon depicting the 12 apostles.
- Entrance to the cathedral is free.
- Open daily from 09:00 to 19:00. Masses are held every day at 18:00.
Musée Faure
The museum is housed in the Genoese-style Villa des Chimères. The museum displays the art collection of local Dr. Jean Fauré, who donated it to the city in 1949. There are paintings by Boudin, Puy, Cézanne, Pissarro, Degas, and the second largest collection of Rodin sculptures. One of the halls of the museum is dedicated to the writer Alphonse de Lamartine. His famous poem, The Lake, is about his unhappy love story in Aix-les-Bains.
- The museum is open from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm, and from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Tuesday is a day off.
- Entrance ticket — 5 €. The first Sunday of the month is free of charge.
Casino (Le Casino Grand Cercle)
King Victor-Emmanuel II of Savoy built a luxurious casino (Le Casino Grand Cercle) in 1850 to attract aristocratic families to the resort. At the end of the XIX century the building was decorated with exquisite stained glass windows and mosaics. Sarah Bernhardt and Edith Piaf, Georges Sand and Anne de Stael, Saint Sans and Sergei Rachmaninoff performed and vacationed here.
During World War I, the casino building housed a hospital for the wounded.
The casino is open from 09:00 in the morning until 03:00—04:00 at night.
The casino has a brasserie. On weekdays you can eat a business lunch here from 14,90 €.
- In the evening, €5 worth of casino chips are given away for ordering a set dinner (from €29.90).
- The cafe is open daily from 12:00 to 14:00. In the evening from 19:00 to 23:00.
In 1899, a small theater was opened in the casino. Concerts and plays are held here almost daily. Tickets from 14 €.
Lac du Bourget and the Esplanade du Lac
The lake was formed during the Ice Age, over 19,000 years ago. It is the largest, deepest and cleanest in all of France.
The lake is steeped in legends. They say that in its deep waters lives a monster more dangerous than Loch Ness. A local fisherman was having bad luck and swore that he would let the first fish he caught go just to catch something. He caught a silver fish on the hook, but he didn’t let it go, then he caught a gold one and kept it too. And then the fisherman caught a kitten. The kitten suddenly turned into a huge monster and ate the fisherman and half the village. Eventually it was caught and killed. His tooth was pulled out and he was placed on top of a mountain so that other monsters wouldn’t get hurt. You can see this mountain opposite the town beach — it is called La Dent du Chat (The Tooth of the Cat).
Alexander Dumas Sr. climbed this mountain and later wrote travel notes — «The Waters of Aix».
The promenade overlooking the turquoise lake is sheltered from the weather by an avenue of tall and spreading plane trees.
The beaches are located at the beginning and end of the promenade. You should focus on the Petit Port of Aix-les-Bains and the Grand Port of Aix-les-Bains. Beaches here with small pebbles, free of charge. There are no umbrella and sun lounger rentals.
The Gelato Petit Port Glacier ice cream parlor is located near the small port . It serves large portions of delicious ice cream in creamshells, decorated with waffles and drizzled with syrup or whipped cream. The terrace overlooks the Cat’s Tooth mountain.
- 1 ice cream scoop — 5 €.
- The cafe is open from 10:00 to 19:00.
Lake cruises
Upstream of the lake is Hautecombe Abbey — it was built by Cisterian monks in 1139. At the beginning of the XIX century it was reconstructed. For many years it was the tomb of the princes of the Savoy dynasty. In the abbey there is the crypt of the last king of Italy Umberto II — he died in 1983.
The excursion on a motorboat together with a visit to the abbey takes about 2.5 hours. Audio guides are available in 6 languages, except Russian.
- The Abbey is closed on Mondays.
- The cost of the cruise is 16,50 €.
A longer cruise is along the canal that connects the lake to the Rhone River and the village of Chanaz. Here a medieval oil mill has been preserved. During the cruise, you will be told and shown how it all worked.
- The cruise is 3 hours long, plus time to visit the Lavours copper smelter or the mill at Chanaz.
- Adult ticket — 25,50 €. Discounts for children and students.
Journée entre Amis.
Every second Saturday in June, the Journée entre Amis (Day of Friends) takes place on the lake’s esplanade, where fans of French artist Gregory Lemarchal gather from all over the world.
The singer died of cystic fibrosis in 2007 before he could hold his first friends' day. In his memory, his family founded the association Association Grégory Lemarchal to fight the disease and organizes a friends' day every year.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease in which almost all organs are affected due to excessive mucus production — and the lungs function at about a quarter of their capacity. With supportive therapy and proper treatment, patients can live a long, full life.
During the day on the esplanade, songs by Gregory Lemarchal and French artists are played, you can buy souvenirs with the symbols of the association, look at the work of fans, listen to the speeches of representatives of the Foundation, join the association to fight cystic fibrosis and register as an organ donor, talk to his parents, make acquaintances from all over the world.
- Admission to the esplanade during the day is free.
- In 2020, the June 13 holiday has been canceled and moved to 2021. You can follow the news in the official group.
Savoyard cuisine: what to try
Savoie produces good white wines such as Roussette de Savoie and Jacquère. There is also an unimaginably delicious pink wine with grapefruit — look for rose pamplemousse in the stores .
- Grab a bottle of Genepi alpine herb liqueur as a souvenir for a lasting memory.
Try the local Savoyard cheeses — beaufort, Mont-Cenis mold cheese, reblochon.
I recommend having lunch at Cafe Le Campa. It is located in the center and has a terrace. It is delicious, the portions are large and the prices are average.
- The full dinner menu is €26.80.
- Study the menu.
Be sure to order tartiflette, a potato casserole with lard, onions and cheese, or the local bognettes. Mussels(moules) are very good here — in cheese or tomato sauce.
Transportation in Aix-les-Bains
The city is divided into two parts — the historical center and the lake. It takes about half an hour to walk from the center to the embankment at a leisurely pace.
The tourist bus line 1 runs between these neighborhoods. It goes all the way through the center and to the end of the promenade.
Travel is free with a Carte d’hôte tourist card. It can be obtained at the tourist office (Office de Tourisme Aix les Bains Riviera des Alpes). Themain officeis open from 09:00 to 18:00, break from 12:00 to 14:00.
How to get to Aix-les-Bains
Most tourists fly into Geneva (Switzerland), very close to the French border. It is the closest airport to the resort and there are direct flights from Moscow.
Trains go directly to Aix-les-Bains from Geneva airport.
- The duration of the trip is about 1.5 hours. Trains run on average once an hour, with a stop at the Genève-Cornavin train station.
- Tickets from 15 €.
You can drive to Geneva station, walk around the city and then drive to Aix-les-Bains.
You can get to the center of Geneva for free. To get there, pick up your free train ticket at the terminal in the baggage claim area. The ticket is valid for 80 minutes and entitles you to travel to the Genève-Cornavin train station.
At Geneva train station, take the train or the Flixbus. The buses run all year round, departing every hour and traveling for an hour. In summer, Flixbus buses also leave directly from the airport.
- Ticket is €7.99.
If you fly to Paris, you can get to the resort by train — the railway station is located on the first floor of Charles de Gaulle airport, trains also leave from Gare de Lyon.
- The drive is about five hours, with a connection in Lyon.
- Tickets are from 80 €.
