ACTIVE
Are you all up for a more sporty day? On this page I will guide you to several ideas for active activities with kids in and around Aix-en-Provence. Of course every kid has his or hers own capability. To be honest, this can divert from day to day, or even from hour to hour depending on... well, MOOD. Despite that, I think that there are some fun options around Aix-en-Provence of active activities that both you and kid will like. What about hiking around the icon of Aix-en-Provence, the Sainte Victoire? Or would you like to climb high into the trees at Indian Forest in Aix? The surroundings of Aix-en-Provence have so much to offer as well, like beautiful forests or the azur colored calanques? Pick one of these active activities with kids and have so much fun exploring!
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Top 5 family friendly ski resorts
Are you and your family lovers of skiing and other snow play? Then this might be an interesting blog for you. As a proud new resident of the Provence, I am impressed with the easy access of the French Alpes. From Aix-en-Provence to the nearest ski station, it only takes us a drive of 2 hours. I will hand you some great options to visit family friendly ski resorts in the Alpes. As our lovestory began on the slopes of Austria, my husband and I consider our kids learning to ski, is just as important as learning to ride a bike! 1. Les Orres It was only at the end…
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Hiking l’Étang de la Bonde
In the wonderful green Luberon there is this beautiful lake, called l’Étang de la Bonde. This lake is situated nearby the village of La Motte d’Aigues. You can make a great hike with kids along the lake. We made the hike with our two kids in the fall, which offered us awing views on a beautiful landscape. The type of vegetation will give you beautiful colors all year long though. The fresh air also prevented our kids from complaining about the heat. In our case, to make a hike with our little ones, we have to create perfect conditions to get them enthusiastic ;-). This hike along l’Étang de la…
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Sentier des Ocres
Maybe you have already heard about Roussillon, one of the ‘Plus beaux villages de France’. Right next to the village is an impressive landscape named the ‘Massif des Ocres’. Here you can make a colorful kid-friendly hike on the Sentier des Ocres. Kids can enter this landscape for free, adults pay €3,-. After your entrance you can choose between two paths, supposedly to take 30 or 50 minutes. We did the long version with our kids of 5 and 7 years old and it was a piece of cake for them. They actually really, really liked it. The landscape is so special, the colors of the hill vary from yellow,…
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Maison Sainte-Victoire
I feel extra happy now that I can share a place that is a kid-friendly restaurant near the Sainte-Victoire. Thanks to friends that idolize this venue, we visited Restaurant Maison Sainte-Victoire this summer. It is a restaurant with a menu of amazing quality and it is situated on a stunning site. About the restaurant At the foot of the famous Aixoise mountain La Sainte-Victoire, in the village of Saint-Antonin-sur-Bayon, lies Maison Sainte-Victoire. It is a building that situates the restaurant as well as a cute little interesting museum. Restaurant Maison Sainte-Victoire has a very impressive cuisine, ooooh and its pastries are breathtaking. Luckily for us parents the setting is very…
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Zoo La Barben
Zoo La Barben is a kid-friendly zoo near Aix-en-Provence, in a beautiful surrounding. If you like zoo’s, you will probably adore this petit but well maintained zoo. A big variety of animals live in Zoo La Barben, so your kid can learn about bears, monkeys, reptiles, tropical birds, you name it. There are more than 130 different species to admire and to find out how interesting they are. It gives you a good chance to teach your kid about the beautiful flora and fauna the world can offer. Although the animals are not in their natural habitat, the zoo has made a good effort in giving the animals a proper…
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CIAM, Aix
Let me tell you about one of the most special places in town. CIAM, Centre International des Arts et Mouvements, is a wonderful acrobatic circus in Aix-en-Provence. This cool place is located just outside of Aix and is an enchanting, cheerful place for both adults and kids. In wintertime my kids had a week of circus ‘stage’. In a real circus tent they learned all kinds of acrobatics from kind teachers. My children never got back from sports this happy! Festival CIAM has so much to offer. It is a very creative spot where lots of fun things are happening. In summertime the festival Jours (et nuits) de Cirque(s) take…
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Aqueduc de Roquefavour
On our way to school we always spot a glance of the impressive Aqueduc de Roquefavour. It is situated in Ventabren, a village near Aix-en-Provence. This aqueduct was build in 1847 as part of the Canal de Marseille to bring water from La Durance to Marseille. The engineers were inspired by the antique and famous Pont du Gard, also a place I tend to write you about. Aqueduc de Roquefavour is still used to supply Marseille with water. My kids and I really wanted to have a closer look, so we found a kid-friendly hike towards Aqueduc de Roquefavour. Once you search online, you could find several trails that include…
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Sports park Venelles
One of the pretty communities of Aix-en-Provence is Venelles. Just outside of the village there is a huge park with all kinds of sports facilities, Parc de Sports Maurice Daugé. The park is located in a forest environment, on top of a hill. I could really recommend to visit this kid-friendly sports park. One of the interesting places here is the swimming pool, Le centre aquatique Sainte-Victoire. It is a large and modern swimming pool, which is already great to go to with kids. But the best thing is outside: a water splashing playground. Can’t wait until summer! Well, and for it to open without any restrictions. To keep things…
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Dinosaur’Istres
Here is one great activity for the whole family! This kid-friendly dinosaur park in Istres is big fun for your kid, is super educational (including for this mum) and is even for free. And open despite sanitary restrictions. Go go go! Dinosaur’Istres is a park on a hill where you can walk a trail from 3km, here you come across all kinds of real size dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Velociraptors. Remember that kitchen scene in the Jurassic Park movie? Iiiihks, well I definitely did remember while seeing some of those species. With every species comes an explanation, though in French. The trail was just perfect for my 4…
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Hiking around the Sainte-Victoire
All around Aix-en-Provence you can see the mountain named Sainte-Victoire. It’s top with a huge cross on it, is an icon for every Aixoise or Aixois. I have come to love this spot so much, that it really feels like coming home when I see it. Popular as it is in the Provence, there are many walks possible, from several places to start. If you would like a few hints of kid-friendly hikes around the Sainte-Victoire, feel free to read this post. It depends on your kids condition (and mood!) how long you’re able to hike. Going to the top is quite a big hike, I consider my kids (6…
