page_title: Aix-les-Bains
section_title: Cultural heritage
hierarchical_section_title: Aix-les-Bains / Local culture and heritage / Cultural heritage
caption_attribution_description: English: Théâtre de Verdure, Parc floral des Thermes, Aix les-Bains, France.
context_page_description: Aix-les-Bains, locally simply Aix, is a commune in the department of Savoie, in the southeastern French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
  Situated on the shore of the largest natural lake of glacial origin in France, the Lac du Bourget, this resort is a major French spa town, and has the largest freshwater marina in France. It is the second-largest Savoy town in terms of population, having 28,585 inhabitants at the last census, and is part of its own urban area: The urban area of Aix-les-Bains.
  A leading town of the Belle Époque, of international renown, Aix-les-Bains was a vacation destination for nobility and the wealthy. Although the thermal baths are no longer the main attraction in Aix, the area continues to be draw visitors for water sports and activities. The town has partially compensated for the loss of visitors coming for spa treatments by developing tourism. It hosts up to 200,000 general visitors annually, between tourists and people seeking mineral bath therapy.
  In addition to thermal baths and tourism, Aix-les-Bains is known for its national Musilac festival.
context_section_description: The town of Aix-les-Bains has several facilities to promote culture. The presence of the Casino Grand-Cercle allows the municipality to have a theatre. Commonly known as Théâtre du Casino, it is a masterpiece of the 19th century. It offers a capacity of nine hundred seats and a stage of 20 by 13 metres (66 ft × 43 ft). This Italian theatre has an orchestra pit, an organ and a cinema screen. The casino owner is regularly solicited for the use of this room for film and television shoots, because of its authentic ornamentation. More original still, Aix-les-Bains enjoys an outdoor theatre called the Théâtre de verdure in the city centre, in the park known as the Parc Floral des Thermes. It has a capacity of three thousand seats for outdoor concerts. Tea dances are regularly organized, as well as the Aquascénies event, and also parts of theatres. One of the main halls of the commune is the convention centre of Aix-les-Bains. Exhibitions, congresses, concerts, live comedy, and many other artistic and cultural events are organised here.
  Aix-les-Bains was one of the earliest French cities to have had a cinema. Today it has no less than three cinemas which are the Victoria, the Rex, and the Les Toiles du Lac of Aix-les-Bains. These three institutions are all owned by the same owner. With the creation of the multiplex Les Toiles du Lac offering eight rooms, the Rex with its two rooms is slowly disappearing. The Victoria, with its five rooms, should be retained and is still in operation. It is expected to gradually accommodate original films, arts films and trial releases. In addition, the establishment has the second casino of Aix-les-Bains. Smaller than the Casino Grand-Cercle, the Nouveau Casino, which is its commercial name, has an honorable playground of forty-five slot machines, a boule table, thirteen rollers (dice, roulette, etc.), fifteen video-rollers and seventeen video-poker screens.
  The Musée Lapidaire is available to visit, next to the town hall. This ancient Gallo-Roman temple, called the Temple of Diana, was converted into an archaeological museum. The building contains many statues and antique objects, including items from the Bronze Age. You can see the remnants of settlements from the Lac du Bourget. Another place of heritage and cultural influence, the Lamartine Municipal Library has a large document fonds. The name is a tribute to the poet and writer Alphonse de Lamartine. The premises should soon be changed, closer to the national baths and Roman baths.
  Several learned societies of Savoy are present in the town of Aix-les-Bains. These associations allow enlightened amateurs and specialists to meet around various themes, particularly, regional history or the study of the regional cultural heritage. Present, particularly in the town, are the Société du Patrimoine de Savoie [Society of the Heritage of Savoie] (SPS) founded in Aix-les-Bains in 1995, the Société d'Art et d'Histoire d'Aix-les-Bains et sa Région [Society of Art and history of Aix-les-Bains and its Region], founded in 1993, and the Lakeside Archaeology Centre of Aix-en-Savoie, founded in 1975.
caption: The Theatre de Verdure in the Parc Floral des Thermes
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