Located just 30 kilometres north of Marsellie, Aix-en-Provence couldn't be more different from its big brother down the road if it tried. While Marseille is an industrial metropolis, famous for its port and industry, Aix (pronounced like the letter 'x') is regarded as being one of France's most graceful and cultural cities. "Aix is a city full of art and culture, famous for its architecture, beautiful surrounding countryside made famous by the paintings of Paul Cézanne, and its fabulous lifestyle", explains Patricia Brun of Business Vente Provence. "It's located just a short distance away from Marseille, where there are plenty of employment opportunities available for those who need them, and only 100 kilometres away from the splendour of Saint Tropez."

First settled in 123BC, Aix derived its name from the flowing thermal springs on which the settlement was built, and which still flow today. It was in the fifteenth century that the city first became renowned for the artistic culture for which it is still recognised. Provence, still an independent state at that time, was ruled by the art-loving King René of Naples who brought many of Europe's finest artists to his court to paint the region. Many of the resulting paintings now hang in a number of the city's museums. It was also around this period that development started on arguably Aix's most famous landmark, the Cours Mirabeau. A tree-lined avenue, the Cours Mirabeau is today surrounded by beautiful mansions from the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The avenue splits Aix into roughly two halves – the new town, which extends to the south and west, and the old town, which lies to the north. 

The Cours Mirabeau is also home to the famous Des Deux Garcons café, which was frequented by several of France's most well-known artists, writers and celebrities in the nineenth and twentieth centuries, including Émile Zola, Louis Jouvet and Jean Cocteau. In addition to its reputation as a cultural hub, Aix has also long been a popular student town. It has been home to the university of Aix-Marseille since 1409, and today around 30,000 of the city's 134,000 population are students – both from France and oerseas. Unsurprisingly, all this makes Aix a fairly popular destination with British property seekers – especially those looking for a permanent home. "I think Aix generally suits buyers looking for a permanent move due to the fact that housing is traditionally far more expensive there than in Marseille", says Brun.

According to legal expert Ian Marsom, who lives and works in the city, "The Aix housing market is relatively quiet at the moment following a boom in 2002 when a new TGV line was installed from Paris [it now takes less than three hours to reach the capital]. However, you should still expect to pay around £2,500 per square metre for property close to the centre of Aix, although prices do drop quite noticeably once you are further away. "Expats come to Aix-en-Provence for a number of reasons", continues Marsom. "To retire in the sun, to work – Aix has a number of high-tech companies in the region – while some even come to paint because of the quality of light and for the 300 days of sunshine a year."

Even if you're not that interested in the city's culture and aren't after a permanent home, investors may still find Aix to their liking. "Some people will look to buy small flats which they can rent to students during the school year and to holidaymakers in the summer", says Brun. Also of interest to potential investors will be the news that building work could start on a new nuclear research project in Cadarache just outside Aix later this year. Should this go ahead, thousands of jobs will be created in the Aix-en-Provence area, consequently heightening the need for more accommodation in the city.

So whether you're a culture vulture or not buying now, an eye on rental income to come could lead to a highly profitable future.

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Article published in August 2007