In the beautiful, sun-soaked city of Aix en Provence, you’ll find it hard not to stumble upon the main boulevard, the Cours Mirabeau. This tree-lined main street is the hub for the historic cafes and 16th century townhouses, and at the end of the road you will find the enormous, mesmerizing Rotonde fountain. Often featured on post cards and posters, this massive fountain is one of the most popular and enduring images of Aix. There’s a reason Aix is called “the city of fountains.” There are 33 fountains in the historic city center alone. The Romans first came here in 123 BC because of the desirable natural hot springs flowing below the city (apparently the minerals in the luke warm water are very good for your skin!). The Romans created many baths and they coined their new city Aquae Sextiae. This name later morphed from Latin to the French “Aix” that we known it as today.