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For years the visitors of Aix made fun out of the MUSEE GRANET, settled in the ancien priory of the Maltese knights  Why? Well, it's the perfect example of what a dusty provincial museum could awake of dull annoyance on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I'm too severe? I exaggerate? Am I supposed to sing the praise of each place I visit? Not my style....But I'll explain. The last time I was there  the paintings were hanging in rows one above the other in very badly lighted galleries and it was like an interesting sport for me to sort the good from the bad material in this art warehouse. Many years ago, I was intrigued by a sad painting that most of the guidebooks called a Rembrandt auto-portrait, but, if it looked like something, it was more an amateurish image on a cookie box. This portrait was the highlight of the museum at that time, but in recent years the label changed into "school of Rembrandt" and lately the better guidebooks don't even mention the painting! But what you can see and is worth to see are paintings of  David, Ingres, Gericault and a painting of "Card Players" from the 17th century painter Le Nain,  a work that inspired Cezanne, because this glory of Aix visited the musee Granet since the painters Academy was at the ground floor. Since the 80's the musee Granet is busy with one of these notorious renovations which are endless.....The last time a friend mine visited the place he told me the galleries with the "Dutch Masters" was closed, so he couldn't see the "Rembrandt" and the 8 Cezannes were also removed, God only knows why. It is a known fact that the inhabitants of Aix never showed any friendliness and admiration for Cezanne during his lifetime, but now of course.....things are different. But to be honest, it must be said that the cellars of the museum , as a result of the first phase of the renovations, have an impressive and attractive collection of Celt-Liguric pieces of the oppidum at Entremont. The way how Aix looked in Roman times is also showed in a very clear way : urns, tomb stones, olive- oil presses, mosaics. 
But there is much more to see walking around in Aix! After this visit to the musee Granet we can take a refreshing walk in the long straight streets, mostly deserted of the quartier Mazarin. They  have a particular charm. Old facades of the 17th and 18th century. 

 A surprise like that is the Place des Quatre Dauphins with its four chestnut trees and gurgling fountain of 1667, the elegant Hotel de Boisgelin in the rue du 4 Septembre, no.11 with an elegant "courtyard" and a garden which is, like the custom is in France, surrounded by a high wall. Go and have a look at the rues Mazarine, Gayrand, Cardinale : not one tourist in sight and the nostalgic traveler will imagine he is a lost in a forgotten Italian village....
Typical for Aix are also its numerous fountains. If I remember well, the tourist office has a special folder with a fountain walk, very charming and relaxing. 
Aix-en-Provence counts  23 fountains which make her reputation of one of the prettiest towns in Provence true. You will discover the ones  on the forum des Cardeurs, la place des Chapeliers, the fontaine Cezanne. The one on the place d'Albertas was built in 1912 on an 18th century square. It presents a round basin, bordered by wrought iron, very elegant. 
The fontaine des Quatre-Dauphins 1667), in the heart of the Mazarin area is located in a superb square, completely in harmony with the fountain. 
You can also go eventually to the musee des Tapisseries, just across from the Cathedrale St-Sauveur, inside of the Archbishop's Palace of the 17th and 18th.  It proudly displays its collection of 17th and 18th century tapestries. Among the treasures, include nine woven panels depicting the adventures of Don Quixote. What is quite unusual, a section of avant-garde in the art of fabrics.

Bibliography: 

"Evocation du Vieil Aix-en-Provence", by Andre Bouyala d'Arnaud (Les Editions de Minuit, Paris 1964),  "Provence, textes inedits" by Andre Suares (Edisud, Aix-en-Provence 1993), "Provence, deuxieme serie" by Henry-Paul Eydoux (Libaririe Academique Perrin, Paris 1980)