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A modern temple of pampering has been built on the site of an ancient Roman spa in a charming French town.

Warm water pours over your legs while oil-coated hands gently knead your back and shoulders. Aaah, this has to be the definition of bliss!

I thought I was already relaxed. We’d been on holiday for two weeks and had spent the past three days combining gentle sightseeing with afternoons lazing by the pool at Hotel Aquabella in Aix-en-Provence. My muscles had sighed, my spine lengthened and my mind emptied.

I was feeling good - delicious French food, seductive Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence wines and daily walks taking in tourist haunts can do that. But while indulging in a Zen massage with water spray at the Sextius Thermal Baths, I discovered a whole new level of relaxation.

As my mind drifted, I couldn’t help wondering about the Roman noblemen, women and soldiers who had also entered this tranquil state all those centuries ago on this very site.

Aix-en-Provence was founded in 123 BC as a Roman spa, Aquae Sextiae. To the right of the entrance of the modern spa, glass walls encase the vestiges of the original thermal pool. It’s believed Romans such as Titus Livy and Pliny the Elder knew of these waters, renowned for improving circulation. More recently, notables such as Pablo Picasso and Winston Churchill are said to have bathed here.

Today the spring is housed in a modern complex and clients range from locals looking for relief from aches and pains to international spa tourists seeking some serious pampering.

The hydrotherapy installations use mineralised spring water, naturally heated to 36°C. The menu of treatments includes hydro-massage and effervescent baths, jet showers, aqua training in the two indoor pools and thermal mud cures. Other treatments include hot stone massage, facials, and hand and feet care. Prices start at €28 ($48) for entry to the pools, while day packages providing four different treatments start at €109 ($186).

The spa is connected to the four-star Hotel Aquabella and guests and spa patrons share the expansive outdoor swimming pool built alongside a remnant of the medieval city wall. Hotel guests also have access to the spa’s fitness and relaxation centre equipped with sauna, jacuzzi and cardio fitness equipment.

But even if you’re staying at the hotel, all bookings for treatments are made via the reception desk at the baths, where at least one of the young women on duty will speak English.

You’ll be asked to bring your bathing costume and, once you enter this modern temple of pale ochre walls and stone and terracotta mosaics, you’ll be given a robe, plastic slides for your feet and a bag for your belongings, plus directions to the locker room.

When you’ve changed, you’ll be guided to a cavernous hall where you collect your towel and shower cap and wait on a sun lounge, facing the two mineral pools where classes in aqua exercise and aqua training are conducted.

The hall also houses two rows of pyramid-roofed treatment rooms. After a short wait, I am escorted to one for my Zen massage.

Soothing water flows from four shower heads while the masseuse works her magic. Water collects on the table until you’re half-submerged, adding to the soporific effect, which is undisturbed by conversation. That’s the advantage of being massaged by someone who doesn’t speak your language - silence reigns!

The massage lasted 40 minutes, cost €68 ($116) and was definitely worth it. The water seemed to deepen the relaxation achieved by the massage, leaving me with that delicious feeling where you find it difficult to engage your brain once you’re off the table.

After your massage, you can relax in the jacuzzi, take a dip in the outdoor swimming pool or enjoy a snack on the shady terrace of the hotel’s L’Orangerie restaurant.

The hotel has 110 rooms decorated in a modern Provencal style. The outdoor pool makes it an excellent destination for parents who want to combine fun for youngsters with time out for themselves.

As befits an old Roman spa town, Aix boasts 40 fountains. The largest is on Cours Mirabeau, a wide avenue shaded by plane trees and lined with cafes, restaurants and market stalls. The fountain stands proudly in the centre of a roundabout, its three statues depicting justice, agriculture and fine arts. Built in 1860, it marked the entry to the town, but is now its central landmark and is only about a 10-minute walk from the hotel.

On one side of the fountain, you’ll find the old town with its narrow, cobblestone streets, while across the road is a modern apartment complex with a wide pedestrian mall leading up to the uncompromisingly 21st century Grand Theatre de Provence. You can take the winding circular path to the top of this stunning building for a view across the terracotta roof tops to the hills beyond.

Aix-en-Provence is a city of 140,000 that claims to have thrived as a result of water and art. One of its sons is post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne, born in Aix in 1839 and dying there in 1906, aged 67. His studio has been turned into a museum and you can stand where the great man once painted and wander through his wild garden that hums with cicadas and surprises with sculptures.

Back in the old town, saunter through the farmers’ market on Place Richelme and inspect local specialities, such as truffles and lavender honey, as well the usual cheeses, fruit and vegetables. For clothing, go to the stalls along Cours Mirabeau, or check out the flower market in front of the town hall on the main market days of Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Market day or not, Aix is wonderful for shopping. Throughout the narrow streets, there are chain stores next door to boutiques for high-end labels, and it seems every third alley opens into a little square lined with restaurants and cafes.

Cours Mirabeau is billed as the major restaurant area and the famous bistro Les Deux Garçons is well worth a visit. Cezanne is said to have been a regular, although these days it’s rumoured to be a hangout for the local mafia. Sit outdoors and enjoy an espresso while you watch locals and tourists stroll by and, before you leave, inspect the elegant interior with its high ceilings and gilded mirrors.

For dinner, however, you’ll find better value for money in restaurants tucked around squares such as Place des Précheurs or, even nearer to Hotel Aquabella, Place des Cardeurs. In keeping with the healthy lifestyle theme of the Spa, we found it hard to move away from Panier a Salades, where the chef worked miracles with salads and omelettes, while tempting us with an evilly delicious crème caramel. But that’s the thing about Aix-en-Provence. You can’t really go wrong with food. Even the most humble of cafes cares about the freshness of its produce. And you can always retreat to the Spa’s fitness centre and sweat off those kilojoules or take an aqua exercise class for a decent workout.


Getting There

The nearest airport is Marseille-Provence International Airport, about a 30-minute, €50 ($85) cab fare away. You can also reach Aix-en-Provence by train via Marseille.

For details on Hotel Aquabella, email info@aquabella.fr or visit www.aquabella.fr.

Sextius Thermal Baths is at 55 Cours Sextius, Aix-en-Provence.
For details, email thermes.sextius@wanadoo.fr or visit www.thermes-sextius.com.

(Photos courtesy of Steve Myhill)

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I had the pleasure of staying here when travelling through Europe with my husband. It was three days of heaven and a great break from the continual travelling we were doing at the time.

Article reviewed by Jenny