Jouques Provençal village — Jouques, a Provençal village in the Pays d’Aix

Getaway in the Pays d’Aix

Jouques, a Provençal village in the Pays d’Aix

Text and photographs by Vincent Flachaire

North of Aix-en-Provence, Jouques keeps the atmosphere of a country village, with sloping lanes, fountains, wooded hills and paths leading towards the Concors massif.

A Provençal village between Sainte-Victoire and the Durance

Set in the northern Pays d’Aix, Jouques occupies a discreet position between the Durance valley, the Concors massif and the roads leading towards Sainte-Victoire. The village is close enough to Aix-en-Provence for a half-day excursion, yet it already feels like an entry into a more inland Provence.

The old village climbs the hillside, with narrow lanes, passages, tightly grouped houses and fountains. Below, the Riaou follows this geography of water before joining the Durance a few kilometres away. To the east of Jouques, the Mirabeau Bridge crosses the river in the Canteperdrix gorge and opens the road towards the Luberon.

Notre-Dame-de-la-Roque above the village

Above the houses, a stone path leads to the Romanesque chapel of Notre-Dame-de-la-Roque. This area marks the first medieval core of Jouques, before the village gradually moved downhill towards the springs and fountains along Boulevard de la République.

This relationship with water gives the place particular depth. Jouques was also the starting point of the Traconnade aqueduct, which supplied Aix-en-Provence in Roman times. Its remains can be seen in the neighbouring village of Meyrargues. This history of water echoes the Roquefavour Aqueduct, another major hydraulic work in the Pays d’Aix.

Notre-Dame-de-la-Roque in Jouques — Notre-Dame-de-la-Roque recalls the former hilltop village of Jouques

Hills, olive trees and paths through the Concors

Around Jouques, the landscape becomes more rural: olive groves, vineyards, stony plateaus, pine woods and paths leading towards the Concors massif. The Bèdes plateau, to the north, opens onto a quieter Provence, while routes towards Vauvenargues gradually lead back towards Sainte-Victoire.

This is what makes Jouques interesting during a stay around Aix: the village extends the discovery of the historic centre into a slower, more rural rhythm, where water, relief, villages and Provençal countryside are closely linked.

Extend your stay

Guest houses around Aix-en-Provence to extend the getaway

These properties listed on the Portal are within 25 km as the crow flies of the location featured in this getaway. Visit their websites to plan your stay.