Pays d’Aix region

In the heart of the Mediterranean arch and in a metropolitan area.

The history of the Pays d'Aix

Over the last two decades, the Pays d’Aix has been marked by 5 decisive steps in its evolution.

December 1993

The 6 main municipalities of the Pays d’Aix decided to merge within the       Community of Communes of the Pays d’Aix (CCPA) in order to act in a coherent manner regarding employment and quality of life: Aix-en-Provence, Bouc Bel Air, Coudoux, Saint-Cannat, Venelles, Vitrolles.

December 1993

January 2001

The CCPA became an Agglomeration Community and now brings together a coherent set of 34 municipalities in 130,000 hectares and 355,000 inhabitants.

January 2001

January 2014

The Agglomeration Community of Pays d’Aix now has 36 municipalities with the integration of Gardanne and Gréasque, an increase to 144,000 hectares and 400,000 inhabitants.

January 2014

January 2016

The Pays d’Aix Community joins the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis. Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, a public institution for intercommunal cooperation (EPCI), comprising of 92 municipalities and 1. 8 million inhabitants, i. e. 93% of the population of the Bouches-du-Rhône and 37% of the PACA regions.

January 2016

June 2022

The 6 EPCIs are transformed into a single metropolis: Aix-Marseille-Provence. It becomes the largest French metropolis in terms of size.

June 2022

Excellent location and connections

At the heart of the Mediterranean arch,  in a metropolitan area, and at the crossroads of the major motorways connecting Southern Europe, the Pays d’Aix benefits from a privileged location for trade.

Industrial and tertiary companies benefit from an extensive transport and communications network.

 

Marseille Provence International Airport (MRS) and Aix-en-Provence TGV train station guarantee the ease and responsiveness of travel typical of major European cities. Only 15 minutes from the main sites, they allow you to reach, in a few hours, the economic capitals of France (Paris, Lyon. . . ) as well as international (Geneva, London, Brussels, Munich. . . ). For maritime transport, the Pays d’Aix benefits from the proximity of the Grand Port Maritime of Marseille. This is France’s 1st port and the 3rd port in the Mediterranean (in terms of goods tonnage), located less than 30 minutes away.