Экс-ле-Бен: Жемчужина Савойи на берегу Лака-дю-Бурже

Aix les Bains (/US/,/eɪ//k//s// //l//eɪ// /'/b//æ̃//, /,/ɛ//k//s// // /, ɛks le bɛ̃; ; Aquae Gratianae), locally simply Aix, is a commune in the southeastern French department of Savoie. Situated on the shore of the largest natural lake of glacial origin in France, the Lac du Bourget, this resort is a major spa town; it has the largest freshwater marina in France. It is the second largest city in the Savoie department in terms of population, with a population of 31,100 as of 2020. It is part of the Chambéry functional urban area. It is also an industrial city, with a few large companies such as General Electric, the headquarters of the Léon Grosse companies, ABB Cellier, Aixam, as well as a high quality leather goods factory. In addition to thermal baths and tourism, Aix les Bains is known for its national Musilac festival. It has four flowers and two golden flowers at the Concours des villes et villages fleuris, as well as the City of Art and History label.

Aix Les Bains is located in the southeast of France, east of Lyon. The town is located in a corridor between the mountain of Mont Revard, the first natural rampart of the Massif des Bauges to the east and the Lac du Bourget, the largest natural lake of France to the west. Thus, the city extends mostly on a north–south axis. Its extension is such that its agglomeration merges gradually with that of Chambéry. The area of the commune is , which is large for the department. The town is traditionally divided into two, the lower town that occupies the banks of the lake to the west and the upper town, where the town centre is located, overlooking the Lac du Bourget. The town was first built on the heights in order to avoid the many floods of the lake until it was regulated by the dam of the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR) between the Rhône and the natural spillway of lake, the Canal de Savières. The average altitude of the city is about while the lower part of it is only around , at the level of the lake. of the Lac du Bourget watershed is occupied by the spa town of Aix, which borders on the shore. The lake is primarily fed to the south by the waters of the Leysse, and to the east, by those of the Tillet (river) and the , both from the Aix territory. Native fish can be admired in the aquarium of Aix. The shore, which is occupied by Aix and Tresserve, is highly urbanized and developed along the northeastern part with the road and the railway track. Many restaurants and nightclubs are located there (mostly on the southeastern side). A nautical complex was built on its shore, this includes a swimming pool and a beach which has an Art Deco style main entrance dating from 1936. After which is a vast esplanade, allowing walkers to stroll and special events to settle temporarily on this site. It offers a panoramic view of the lake and the Dent du Chat, where birds such as mute swans, mallards, grey herons, black headed gulls and common moorhens can be found. The esplanade is bounded to the north and to the south by the Grand port and the Petit port respectively, thus constituting the Aix port which is the largest fresh water port in the country with 1,500 mooring rings, having privileged places for boating on the lake, with boats having a summer or annual allocation. The festival of yachting takes place each year. This event has old boats coming from all horizons, a professional market, demonstrations and shows. The slopes above the lake that culminate in the Tour de l'Angle Est, which overlooks the town and lake at a height of The western shore of the lake is narrower as the mountains along its edge are closer to the lakeshore, although lower than those on the eastern side. The lake drains out of its northern end into the River Rhône about to the north.

The municipality of Aix les Bains is bordered by nine communes. To the north, the municipality adjoins the territory of Brison Saint Innocent. To the northeast, Aix is bordered by the commune of Grésy sur Aix. Then, to the east, in the continuity of the Aix heights, the commune of Pugny Chatenod is followed by the commune of Mouxy towards the southeast. Further to the southeast, Aix shares the boundaries of its territory with the neighbouring commune of Drumettaz Clarafond. It follows south to the communes of Viviers du Lac and Tresserve. Finally, in the west, there are two communes bordering Aix, across the lake. These are Bourdeau, La Chapelle du Mont du Chat. One of the specific limits of the municipal territory of the commune of Aix les Bains, on its western side, is the existence of the boundary imposed by the Lac du Bourget. This limit of the territory is shared with five other municipalities, these being Bourdeau, Brison Saint Innocent, La Chapelle du Mont du Chat, Tresserve and Viviers du Lac.

Aix les Bains, like Chambéry, has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), with strong continental influences due to its position: far inland and near several mountain ranges, like the Jura mountains, Bauges and Bornes Massif.

Aix Les Bains is located on the major transport axis between Chambéry and Annecy. The northern branch of the A41 motorway passes to the east of the town, allowing direct access to Annecy and then later, by the continuity of the A40, into the city of Geneva. Two junctions (13 and 14) serve the commune, one to the south, the other to the north. On the secondary network, the Route nationale 491 road crosses Aix and joins Viviers du Lac and Chambéry to the south. To the west, the Route nationale 201 road heads towards the south west and the Lac du Bourget towards the commune of Le Bourget du Lac and, through the centre, the D991 road. Aix les Bains is also accessible by train. It was one of the earliest European municipalities to host a rail network in its territory when it was administered by the Dukes of Savoie. Today, the city is connected to Chambéry and Annecy and Culoz. The Turin–Lyon high speed railway will, in the coming years, bring together the cities of Paris, Lyon, Turin and Milan. Aix les Bains station has been a multimodal transport hub since 2007. Located to the west of the town centre on Boulevard de President Wilson, Aix les Bains Le Revard railway station is served by the TGV, which puts the town within three hours of Paris. Aix is situated north of Chambéry, by rail. Chambéry Savoie Airport, formerly Aix les Bains/Chambéry, is located at the south of the town of Aix les Bains, in the commune of Voglans, a few metres from the south shore of the Lac du Bourget. It serves many countries including the UK (Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh), Denmark (Copenhagen, Billund), Sweden (Gothenburg) and, internally, Paris Orly from 2013. There are many winter flights due to the proximity of the winter sports resorts. Three low cost carrier airlines offer regular flights. In 2002, the airport recorded a record attendance with 3,600 aircraft movements year round, dealing with more than 10,000 passengers per weekend, mainly in winter. In the town centre, the car is the most common mode of transport in Aix les Bains, despite the efforts made by the Association Roue Libre for the development of urban cycling. Traffic at peak hours is particularly difficult, especially in the summer with the influx of tourists. The portion of the D1201 road along the lake, in the direction of Chambéry, is particularly sensitive to this increase in road traffic. The same problem happens with the Rue de Genève, the Boulevard President Wilson and the Rue de Chambéry. To the north, it is similarly so on the way out of the town in the direction of Albens and Annecy on the Boulevard Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny. However, traffic has tended to improve with urban development promoting the emergence of roundabouts at the expense of the traffic light, allowing a better flow of traffic. In addition, in the town centre, two car parks can accommodate vehicles, although the number of parking spaces remains low in the town centre for shopping. For travellers preferring public transport, two main bus routes and sixteen additional routes serve the metropolitan area. Two routes are also available to access the side of Mont Revard and the Chapel of the Mont du Chat. Ondea (trade name of the network operated by the company Keolis) was tasked by the Communauté d'agglomération du Lac du Bourget to manage transit services. It employs 55 people. During the summer, the town is served for short trips by a small train travelling on the roads. It runs between the esplanade of the lake, the beach and town centre.

The life of Aix les Bains is located largely on its heights where its downtown, the economic heart, and its thermal baths (the National Baths of Chevalley and the Baths of Marlioz) are located. Indeed, the history of the town has made it a spa town. Aix was organized around this activity, which was initiated by the Romans. The lower part of the town, located on the shores of the lake, was abandoned because of the risk of flooding. The land was cultivated and there were fish farms. The economic activity is mainly on the upper part, and the urban morphology has adapted. It had to take into account living space for services (racecourse, casino, thermal baths, deluxe hotels, station, hospital and golf, for instance) and the surrounding geography. Aix les Bains includes grand boulevards which are the Robert Barrier Boulevard, Boulevard Lepic, Russia Boulevard/President Wilson Boulevard, the Boulevard of Dr. Jean Charcot/Boulevard Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt Boulevard. These boulevards are wide and open unlike the streets of downtown, which are narrower, and the other axes, which can be more constrained because of the proximity of the Massif des Bauges and its winding climbs, meeting the more anarchic requirements of the moment without taking the urban fabric into overall account. The town includes various neighborhoods such as Chantemerle, Boncelin, around the railway station, the Sierroz, la liberté, the lakeside, Marlioz, Lepic, Franklin Roosevelt and many others. With urban expansion and population growth Aix les Bains constantly extends, similarly to the neighbouring communes. Little by little, one speaks beyond a city of Aix les Bains as such, but the Aix area encompassing an urban plan, with the nearby communes such as Tresserve, Grésy sur Aix, Mouxy, Méry, Drumettaz Clarafond, Sonnaz, as well as other communes. This phenomenon also applies to Chambéry, which is located south of Aix les Bains and is considered as the Chambéry area. The urban morphology of these two local watersheds tends to draw them inexorably closer together. In order to reconcile the urban development of the Aix and Chambéry areas, the joint association of the has been implemented. The mission is to follow the pattern of territorial coherence (SCOT) of the Combe de Savoie, Chambéry and the Lac du Bourget.

Aix les Bains had 20,317 homes in 2017, of which 15,491 (76.2%) were main residences. 18% of the main residences were built before 1945, and 30% were built after 1990. Homes with four rooms account for 46% of the overall housing stock, with three roomed homes at 27.4%, and two rooms at 17.5%. Small housing accounts for about one tenth of Aix housing (studios: 9.1%). These accommodations are well staffed and equipped, particularly because of the geographic location at the heart of the Alps, since 93.9% have central heating and 58.5% have a garage or a parking space. With the fact that the town is urbanized almost in its entirety, it becomes increasingly more difficult to build larger houses to accommodate families who don't live in the city. The edge of the lake and the hills are beginning to be saturated where there is a sprawl from the surrounding communities. It is worth noting the presence of much accommodation within former large luxury hotels, ruins from the Belle Époque, now gone.

Several projects of the municipality are underway in the downtown area, on the western shore of the lake as well as mainly to the south. This is to establish new areas of commercial activity to attract new business to the Aix economic area. The establishment of new residential areas is also scheduled. In collaboration with the municipalities of Méry and Drumettaz Clarafond, through concerted urban development, the town of Aix les Bains contributes to the emergence of an activity called the Savoie Hexapôle area and also enables the development of a commercial area serving all of the southern sector of the Aix area. The ZAC des Bords du Lac, under construction, will extend over about at the location of, among others, the former municipal campground of This very controversial project is yet to be launched by the Deputy Mayor Dominique Dord's municipal team. This new district, developed by the Society for the Development of the Savoy was named Aix–du Lac. A wide promenade was built, between Barrier and Garibaldi Boulevards, named Allée promenade des bords de lac. By rearranging the small harbor, the city wants to take advantage of the situation by decontaminating the River Tillet, which is heavily polluted with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Barrier Boulevard, previously connected to the Petit Port Avenue, will no longer be so in the future, as the municipality decided to postpone the flow of traffic on the Garibaldi Boulevard, The name Aquae is found in the deed of the gift of the royal land of Aix (de Acquis or "acquired") by King Rudolph III of Burgundy to his wife Ermengarde, in 1011. Some texts from the Middle Ages mention of Aquae grationapolis. This suffix simply stating that Aix was part of the diocese of Grenoble. The first known mention of Aix les Bains appears in the archives from September 1792, in a letter from a French soldier recuperating at Aix waters. It is this name which then appears in all official documents, including the deliberations of the municipal council. In the early 19th century, some literary texts made use of the appellation: Aix en Savoie. However, this name has never been used in administrative documents. Since 1954, the railway station of Aix les Bains, at the request of the council, has been called Aix les Bains le Revard.

The history of Aix les Bains is directly related to the Lac du Bourget and especially to its hot springs which made it a spa among the most renowned in the world. The historical analysis of the town must be closer to the history of the Savoy, if we are to better understand its evolution and its cultural influences. Below are periods and historical highlights of the commune of Aix les Bains.

Historians agree that Aix was born from its sources of water to Ancient Rome, on the remains of a Celtic habitat. The first occupation of the site has been dated by Alain Canal to the first century BCE, however there is nothing to suggest these remains were a fixed habitat. We are left with the remains in public institutions and it would be difficult to draw a sketch of ancient Aquae. The administrative situation of the place is known by epigraphy, which teaches us that Aix was, in the 1st century AD, a vicus, with a board of decemlecti (a council of ten members), and was administratively part of Vienne. Some citizens lived there with, apparently, quite important resources to offer to the gods, a sacred wood, a vine or to build a funeral arch for the case of the Campanii family. During their excavations, archaeologists have discovered a large thermal complex, in close proximity to its sources. On a lower terrace, to the west, was the Arch of Campanus, probably built in the 1st century, and more downstream, a second terrace carried the temple said to be dedicated to Diana, which had replaced a more ancient circular edifice by the 2nd century, which was probably contemporary with the Arch of Campanus. Remains of a necropolis have been cleared north of the temple. The Parc des Thermes, and various other locations scattered in the town, contain numerous and very varied remains, such as remains of the necropolis and pottery, etc. However, there is no centrepiece which would have led to extensive archaeological excavations. Otherwise, we know nothing of the Gallo Romans of the Aquae vicus, in scope or in the provision of the habitat. Where did the "Romans" live? Where were their farms, the villages of their staff; What were the activities of the vicus? The mystery is still present. The only clues come from the archaeological map of the remains by archaeological services of the DRAC, and for archaeologist Alain Canal to conclude, "Paradoxically, if Aix has delivered many documents illustrating the age of the site and the quality of the monumental town planning from the beginning of the Roman Empire, we have no precise knowledge about the order of this town." As a synthesis, the history of the period can be reduced to the occupation of the town centre site from the 1st century BCE, followed by a gradual development of the area between the 1st and 2nd centuries. Occupation seems to be made from the progressive construction of the thermal complex, around which radiated monumental buildings presented on a system of terraces, which had evolved several times during the Roman period. If hot springs were originally the reason for choosing the location, other factors, such as the quality of the site, may have been decisive.

The already poor knowledge of Aix history from Roman times is further obscured due to the lack of sources regarding the end of the Roman Empire and the early Middle Ages. We are left to conjecture by studying the destruction from the barbarian invasions that have left traces of fires on Gallo Roman villas of the area, such as at Arbin. The fact remains that the Roman Baths of Aix fell to ruins from the fifth century and traces of urban development are lost. Aix les Bains is again mentioned in sources from the 9th century, in 867, and in 1011 through charters. In the latter, King Rudolph III of Burgundy donated the villa of Aix, called a royal seat, with its settlers and its slaves to his wife Ermengarde who, in turn, pass them to the bishopric of Grenoble. This Charter tells us that Aix is a small town with a church and agricultural areas. Bishop Hugues of Grenoble then donated it to the monastery of Saint Martin de Miserere, at the beginning of the 12th century. The church erected a new priory under the name of Sainte Marie. At the end of the 12th century, the cartulary of Saint Hugues reveals the existence of two other parishes, Saint Simond with its church and that of Saint Hippolyte (in the current area of Mouxy) also with a small priory. Urban geography begins to clarify: One can imagine the small town, contained in its walls, which nobody knew when was built. The central point of the town is the priory, near the ancient Roman temple. This centre could also have been the administrative centre since at least the 13th century. Aix was a seigneurie subservient to the de Seyssel family, who had a château which, even if we do not place with certainty, was probably the location of the actual château. Two hamlets are attested, Saint Hippolyte, in the immediate vicinity of the town but outside the ramparts, with a small priory at the centre and at its side, now under the Villa Chevalley, a strong House, the maison forte de Saint Pol [strong House of Saint Pol], dependent upon the de Savoie family At that time, there were about 1095 inhabitants of Aix, 46% living in the village; Saint Simond had 125 inhabitants, Puer had 91 people, Chaudhary had 87 people and Lal had 86 people, with the rest of the hamlets, about a dozen, sharing the rest. (Marlioz having escaped from the sources). This geography of the habitat seems frozen until the end of the 19th century. In Aix, the nearby Abbey of Hautecombe owned a large area at the heights of Saint Simond. At the beginning of the 16th century, the ancient church suffered a devastating fire. The Aix people requested the help of Claude de Seyssel in order to rebuild. He was a seigneurial family member of the town, and was raised to the episcopal dignity. He was the Bishop of Albi, and an especially special advisor to the King of France Louis XII. He is also the author of a number of treaties. With support from De Seyssel the people were able to build a collegiate church, with a chapter of twelve canons, commissioned by a dean, whose appointment was returned to the count. A church was built on the nearby square of the cemetery, which included a choir of flamboyant Gothic style. If the choir belonged to the collegiate church, the nave belonged to the parishioners and presented a more plain appearance. Besides, the poorly constructed roof collapsed in 1644. Among the side chapels, one was reserved for the De Seyssels of Aix, in which is buried their dead. The collegiate church, fully a parish church after the Revolution, was demolished in 1909, after the construction of the new church. This church was known to house a relic of the true cross, which had been worshipped from a distance. It is also at the end of the Middle Ages that the stately Château of Aix was rebuilt. The ceiling of the Great Hall of the ground floor is dated to 1400. The magnificent staircase of honour was built around 1590.

On 9 April 1739, a huge fire broke out in the town centre and destroyed 80 homes, nearly half of the town. Reconstruction was made with appeal for subsidies from the king, who imposed an alignment plan whose implementation was entrusted to the engineer Garella. This plan went further than a simple plan of reconstruction since it provided a true alignment of streets, and imposed some rules of urbanism as, for example, the construction of houses of two floors and a ground floor; it also prohibited thatched roofs. However, it was very limited in its scope since it concerned only the burned area or the main street (Rue Albert I), the central square (Place Carnot) and Rue des Bains. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Aix people and the medical world had begun to become aware of the value of the hot springs of Aix, through the writings of the dauphinois physician Jean Baptiste Cabias, who was followed in this area by other renowned doctors. Indeed, since ancient times the exploitation of sources of hot water had never been completely forgotten. Bathing took place in Aix in the Middle Ages and until the end of the 18th century, in the only existing Roman pool, outdoors, or at home where the spa water was brought by hand. The King of France Henry IV highly appreciated his Aix bath, according to Jean Baptiste Cabias. In 1737, to protect the hot springwater seepage from the stream running through the city, a major project was scheduled by the General Commissariat. This changed the urban distribution of the town centre, since it was necessary to dig a new bed for the Moulins stream, outside the walls. They also had to rebuild the four mills of the Marquis of Aix, until then in the town centre, along the new channel (currently Montée des moulins, Hill of Mills). It is the Duke of Chablais, son of King Victor Amadeus III, to whom Aix owes its renaissance because it was he who, after having tasted the benefit of sources and found it to be poorly housed, suggested the construction of a thermal establishment to the king. By royal appointment on 11 June 1776, King Victor Amadeus III commissioned Robiland to draw up plans for a bathing establishment. It was built from 1779 to 1783, under the direction of the engineer, Capellini. This date also marks the beginning of the demolition of the old town centre, as a result of this imposing construction, people began to clear the surrounding houses to create the place. This first thermal establishment became an important factor of development. Throughout this period and until the Revolution, the town hosted a roughly stable number of approximately 600 patients each year, the majority of them French. Consecutively, the population increased, reaching 1700 inhabitants in 1793. In 1783, to enhance the lives of the patients, the council of the municipality built a landscaped public promenade: le Gigot currently known as Square Alfred Boucher. It was then lined with chestnut trees and was drawn by architect Louis Lampro. Aside from private gardens, this is the first act of urban green space, which gave a boost to the development of the town at this side of the walls, along the road to Geneva. In 1792 the French revolutionary troops, under the command of Montesquiou, were in Savoy. The civilian use of the spa then stalled. The baths were requisitioned by the armies of the Republic, which sent the wounded soldiers for convalescence. However, it was also an opportunity to publicise Aix to the greatest number. Aix became Aix les Bains. With the Revolution accomplished, the privileges of the local nobility were abolished, and this especially helped the town from paying the Lord Marquess of Aix the large sum of money which it owed him for the redemption of seigneurial rights (the town had no charter of franchise). Furthermore, freedom of established trade gave new impetus to the creation of an economy based on the exploitation of the springs as soon as peace was regained. Then we see the development of boarding houses, hotels, cabarets and restaurants. On the other hand, the Revolution left its marks on church property, such as the abandonment of the collegiate church, destruction of the bell tower and the church furniture. It was at the lakeside where one could find new development. The small Puer harbour breakwater, built under the Ancien Régime in 1720 became a real port. First frequented by boats refuelling the troops of the army of the Alps, equipped with a military store, it is gradually built for export goods and, in particular, from the trinkets of workshops installed at the edge of the Lake. It became known as the Port of Puer. The development of this neighbourhood involved improvement of the avenue du lac [avenue of the lake] and all this activity attracted the first buildings along this busy avenue, outside of the centre and of the existing villages.

The negotiations for the independence of Morocco were held in Aix les Bains. At the conference of September 1955, the President of the French Council, in the person of Edgar Faure, publicly summed up the compromise proposed in Morocco, in the expression "Independence within interdependence". Until then, Moroccan territory was legally a French protectorate and Sultan Mohammed V was in forced exile. The negotiations were held in the presence of numerous personalities and French and Moroccan organizations. At the talks, Moroccan side tabled the Democratic Independence Party (PDI) as well as the Istiqlal Party, represented by Mehdi Ben Barka, Omar Benabdeljalil, Abdelhadi Boutaleb, Abderrahim Bouabid and also M'hamed Boucetta. On the French side, the delegation consisted of Edgar Faure, , Robert Schuman and other members of the government. In addition to these were invited guests, from all walks, capable of giving advice on the status of Morocco and independence. Faithful allies of the protectorate and the Moroccan traditional chiefs were also invited. Thus, they could also negotiate in the presence of the parties concerned. They were given precedence, if possible, to the disappointment of the Istiqlal Party. Although these negotiations held in Aix les Bains played an important role in the march towards the independence of Morocco, the fact remains that France had previously taken care to largely prepare for this transition. Indeed, the French State was convinced of the need to allow independence to this North African territory. However, with many economic interests at stake and many business relationships, notably the pashas and qaids, pushed France to take care not to rush this transition and initiate this change, smoothly. The destiny of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco was drawn during this conference at Aix les Bains. Officially, negotiations made it possible to reach an agreement to give birth to an independent state. Morocco was finally proclaimed independent during the declaration of La Celle Saint Cloud on 6 November 1955. In 2005, there was the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the negotiation of the agreements of the independence of Morocco. For this occasion, a fountain with a pool was made in Moroccan zellige. Maalems craftsmen came specially from their spiritual home to complete this work in the parc de verdure of Aix les Bains. The project was supported by the regional council of tourism of the city of Fez (Fez CRT) and the tourist office.

Since the departmental elections in 2015, Aix les Bains is divided into two cantons, both involving other communes. These are the Canton of Aix les Bains 1 and the Canton of Aix les Bains 2. The legislative constituency on which the Aix people depend is the First constituency of the Savoy. It is bounded by the redistricting law No. 86 1197 of 24 November 1986, and includes the following administrative divisions: The cantons of Aix les Bains 1, Aix les Bains 2, La Motte Servolex and part of Le Pont de Beauvoisin. Aix les Bains hosts several administrations and public services on its territory, such as a post office, a police headquarters, municipal police, national police, a gendarmerie, a national employment agency (renamed Pôle Emploi), a tax office, municipal kennel, homeowner associations, a Centre communal d'action sociale, a centre of social security, and a railway station. The is also based in Aix les Bains. The town hall of Aix les Bains has implemented three secondary offices for the town. There is the office, the Marlioz office and finally the la Liberté office. These are a relay for the main services of the town. One can perform many administrative procedures but also requests for support and information. These offices are competent at giving, among other things, guidance for employment matters, an accompaniment to inhabitants' projects (mainly from the Association Law of 1901 fabric), health, law, housing, culture, education and recreation. These decentralized local structures allow the dissemination of information on municipal projects as well as the future projects where the inhabitants can, if necessary, have the opportunity to be able to express their opinion.

The town of Aix les Bains has several judicial courts: which will be soon merged with that of Chambéry following the reform of the judicial map initiated on 27 June 2007, an industrial tribunal and a House of Justice and the Law Council. With regard to other judicial proceedings, the Aix area depends on the city of Chambéry. Following judicial cutting, Aix les Bains is dependent of the Cour d'appel de Chambéry, the Tribunal de grande instance (France) of Chambéry, of the juvenile court, the Commercial Court of Chambéry, the Social Security Affairs Tribunal of the Savoy and the Chamber of Attorneys the Court of Appeal of Chambéry.

On the Lac du Bourget, with several thousand people in addition to tens of thousands of tourists, the water quality had gradually deteriorated from the 1950s to 1970 in a major phenomenon of eutrophication, since the lake at the time was the natural outlet of all sewer pipes, with in particular, Chambéry and Aix les Bains. Many motor vehicles of the time were also highly polluting, spitting their fumes which partially dissolved in the waters and spilt oil which was also found in the lake. They made a lot of noise and noise generated was damaging to birds and small mammals. A remediation action has been engaged since the mid 1970s, in order to reduce the eutrophication of the lake, the aim being to arrive at the same results as for Lake Annecy. Services of water treatment stations have been established in Savoy and in particular to Aix les Bains. Rivers such as the Tillet (river) and the have thus been remediated, improving upon the quality of the waters of the lake and the regeneration of aquatic species. Aix les Bains has a public aquarium for the conservation of local species such as trout, Arctic char and carp. This establishment mainly specialises in freshwater fish. The allows not only to help the local wildlife conservation but also for prevention work and educational visits. The city also offers trails marked and arranged allowing hikers to travel in the direction of Mont Revard. These courses are used by athletes, walkers and cyclists. These paths are regularly maintained, eliminating the spread of detritus in green spaces. The municipality also has a municipal park, the Here there are also many trails. The desire was to create a forest here without pomp, where nature evolves freely. Many events are held at Aix les Bains. The convention centre, the or even the Victoria Cinema contribute to the special conferences, such as for broadcasts of documentaries, films and ecology. Between 27 and 29 September 2005 the first national water meeting was organized. The municipality wanted to, through organised days, increase the exchange of information and experiences for greater synergy in the field of preservation and protection of water. It also created and published the Charter of Environmental Quality and Accessibility at construction sites. This charter aims to reduce and limit pollution caused by urban sites such as noise pollution, waste products and water and soil pollution.

As of 2020, 33.7% of the population of Aix les Bains is over sixty, The average household size was 1.85. 49.1% of the households contained one person, 23.9% were couples without children, 16.5% were couples with children and 8.8% were single parent households. Common public kindergartens include: in the centre of Aix les Bains, Franklin Roosevelt, la Liberté Aix les Bains, Lafin Aix les Bains, the Sierroz, Marlioz Aix les Bains and Saint Simond. Also, the Boncelin public primary school. Public elementary schools which are present include le Choudy, du Centre, Franklin Roosevelt, la Liberté, Lafin, Le , Marlioz and Saint Simond. In the private sector, but under contract, there is the Gazouillis kindergarten and the primary schools of Lamartine and St. Joseph. The town has three public collèges for lower secondary education, which are Garibaldi, Jean Jacques Perret and Marlioz. There are three private colleges under contract namely Lamartine Catholic college, the la Ribambelle college and the Talmudic college. Aix les Bains has only one public lycée general, technological and professional which is the Lycée Marlioz, which also offers many post secondary education qualifications (vocational baccalaureate, BTS notary or trade). In the private sector, non contract is an established private technology ITCC school and two private schools under contract, namely the Talmudic lycée general and the Tomer Deborah lycée general. There is also the presence of a lycée professionnel under private contract, the la Savoisienne lycée professionnel. The town also hosts other training institutions. Examples include the teaching academic section LPO Marlioz, Section d'enseignement général et professionnel adapté CLG Marlioz, the Municipal Conservatory of Music and, since 2006, the Peyreffite Graduate School.

Aix les Bains is a very active city in the field of sport. There are about eighty two associations in direct connection with sport. More than fifty different sports can be practiced in the commune. Among others this includes waterskiing, motor sports, taekwondo, tennis, archery, sailing, volleyball, water polo, and handball. Further sports include judo, karate, swimming with the swimming club, boating, paragliding, petanque, scuba, rugby union, athletics, rowing with the Nautical and rowing agreement of Aix les Bains, basketball with the club Aix Maurienne Savoie Basket and boxing. Fencing, football, golf with the Golf d'Aix les Bains of 18 holes on an area of , strewn with natural obstacles and crossed by a river, the Tillet, gymnastics and many other sports are also practiced. Horse racing takes places at the Hippodrome d'Aix les Bains racecourse and the Société des courses of Aix les Bains [Racing Society of Aix les Bains]. The Marlioz racetrack has hosted public events for more than a century. The Marlioz track, ranked '1st category gallop' and '2nd category trot', has large grandstands, a panoramic lounge and an open air restaurant. Cycling includes two races which are organized in the town by the Amical Cycle Aixois [the Aix les Bains cycling club], with an Easter prize and a night prize. Aix les Bains is one of the cities having been included more often, 18 times, in the Critérium du Dauphiné. The Tour de France has also had stage finishes in Aix les Bains on numerous occasions. Since World War II, amongst other appearances in the race, the town has had a stage finish in the event in 1948, 1951, 1954, 1958, 1965, 1972, 1974, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 2001. The municipality operates several sports services such as the municipal sports school, the municipal office of sports, this sports office should not be confused with the previous service, and finally the centre nautique municipal, the beach and pool of Aix les Bains. Between 1949 and 1961, the town was very present in motorsports, thanks to the Aix les Bains Circuit du Lac [Lake race track]. The circuit was situated by the Lac du Bourget. With a length of , it was around the place where the crossroads of the lake now is. It was the only automobile circuit of Savoy. Events for Formula 2, Formula Junior and Grand Prix motorcycle racing were held. It attracted local drivers and spectators but also people from Switzerland, Italy and England. The geographical situation lent itself readily to the practice of cycling. On 30 March 2013, the Group B final of the European Championships took place. Rugby U18 was held at Aix les Bains between the Netherlands and Croatia. The Dutch team won with 51 points against 3 and took the title.

The press is represented mainly by the large regional dailies and, in particular, Le Dauphiné libéré. More locally, there is quite a rich press, with La Vie nouvelle, La Savoie (hebdomadaire), L'Essor savoyard, Le Messager (France), La Voix des Allobroges, Le Faucigny and many others. In addition to the national radio stations, the town is covered by many local stations including France Bleu Pays de Savoie, ODS radio, HotRadio and Hellebore. TV8 Mont Blanc local television broadcasts across the Pays de Savoie. A regular show is La place du village, which highlights local life in the Aix area. This is also the case in the local information of the same television channel, as well as on France 3 in the local and regional edition.

Essentially a spa town until the mid 20th century, Aix les Bains has gradually transformed its local economy and is no longer dependent on the thermal baths which are less frequently used than before. Like the cities of Vichy, Évian and other spas, Aix les Bains has diversified the economy and invested a lot on tourism potential and health. In 2000, the commune had a network of 34 stations classified by the label of France station nautique. It also obtained the label of Station Touristique at the end of October 2013.

The companies and institutions total at 1 January 2006 was 2,624. Aix les Bains had reached a number of 198 new businesses for the year 2004. It lay at 216th position in the national ranking. There are mainly thirteen types of institutions. Agricultural and food industry institutions represent 3.3% of the total number of companies with a number of 58. Consumer goods industries represent 1.7% with twenty nine institutions, car industries are two companies at about 0.1% of the companies. Capital goods industries have a share of 1.5% with twenty seven companies. The intermediate goods industry includes twenty companies or 1.1 per cent, energy amounts to 0.1% with its two companies. Construction has 135 companies representing 7.7%, trade represents no less than 28.4% of the total number of companies with four hundred and ninety six institutions. Transportation includes forty three institutions or 2.5 per cent, real estate activities totalled sixty seventeen companies or 4.4 per cent. Services to the companies represent 12.4% with two hundred and sixteen institutions. Services to individuals include two hundred eighty two companies at around 20.6% and, finally, with respect to the last type of school education, health and Action sociale there are 282 companies or 16.1% of the total number of establishments. The four main businesses Aixam production, which is an entity independent of Aixam, with a turnover of 47 million Euros and ABB Process Automation with 50 million Euros of turnover (2003 figure). The Aix area includes many other companies. Among other things, also present in Aix les Bains, are the Savoie Yaourt (Savoy yoghurt) business, the which is a mineral water producer, the Cavaillé company in the wine field, the company Areva as well as the manufacture of high quality leather goods, the Bauer Compressor Company, and the company Clipsol which is very in vogue thanks to its production of solar heating. Moreover, in recent years the hospitality sector has tended to develop. Hospitality giant Accor is particularly present in the area of Aix, in order to benefit from the growth of health markets and hydrotherapy.

Aix les Bains has nearly 500 shops. These are, for the largest number, present in the town centre. Merchants benefit from the attractiveness of the geographical situation of the commune with the proximity of the lake and the Massif des Bauges, but also thanks to the casino. However, its aging image as well as competition from neighbouring communes tend to undermine the Aix shops. Indeed, the peripheral communes such as Tresserve, Grésy sur Aix, Albens or even Le Bourget du Lac attract ever slightly more local clientele. On the other hand, the Chambéry area is facing competition from the area of activity of Les Landiers, where most of the big names are, such as Darty, la Halle aux vêtements, Feu vert, but also the large Carrefour hypermarket. This presence has forced the town of Chambéry to revitalize its own town centre. Aix les Bains shops have, in this general situation, struggled to survive and attract potential customers. However, the Aix les Bains municipality became aware of this state of affairs. A Fisac in 1600, who washed in the unique Roman swimming pool still accessible at the time, called the Royal Bath. In 1783, through the subsidies of King Victor Amadeus III, a first modern thermal hotel was built. These thermal baths, several times enlarged (1818 to 1856–1860), naturally became the national baths during the incorporation of Savoy into France in 1860. New buildings completed the complex in 1897, and especially in 1934. In 1996, a new state institution, the Thermes Chevalley were inaugurated, relying on several new deep catchment sources. The underground travel of the waters, from the opposite shore of the lake (more than thirty years at deep), explains its temperature of 46°. Many sources provide calcium, sulphated, silica rich waters which are very slightly radioactive at 45° or cold, and finally with bicarbonates. They, according to their origin and their temperature, are used either for showers or baths, in a swimming pool, or to drink. These warm waters are especially indicated for degenerative rheumatism such as lumbar or cervical arthritis, osteoarthritis, sciatica, acute lumbago, recurrent arthritis of the hands, knee osteoarthritis, and for inflammatory rheumatism and spontylarthrite rheumatism. The use of sources is also beneficial for the algodystrophy, tendonitis, and phlebological problems (chronic venous insufficiency, suites and sequelae of thrombosis, lymphatic insufficiency, Raynaud's disease), on the other hand, these waters are contraindicated for the varicose ulcer, stroke or recent cardiac events. mud application, underwater showers, and rehabilitation in a swimming pool. By their calming of the nervous system, the waters can cause euphoric relaxation. The national baths of Aix les Bains consist of two buildings located on two very distinct sites. Thus the Thermes Pellegrini and the Thermes Chevalley Spa facilities are located on the height. There is also the Marlioz Spa. This is located in a park of It uses water from springs discovered around 1850. A first private institution was built in 1860, then entirely rebuilt in 1980. This spa is particularly suitable for the release of the respiratory system and heals diseases of the mouth. Treated ENT diseases are otitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, the pharyngitis, tonsillitis, the laryngitis, surgical preparations and post surgical in ENT. Also treated are pathologies in pneumology, tracheitis, bronchitis, bronchial dilation and finally asthma. Thanks to its thermal baths, in 1986, the town had around 52,000 hydrotherapy visitors and 1992, more than 44,550 hydrotherapy visitors. for the year 2005. This number represents about 7% of all spa guests in France and 60% of the Savoy hydrotherapy visitors. Between the year 2004 and 2005, a significant decrease of 3% in the rate of attendance was found. Since 2007, the direction of the National Baths of Aix les Bains conducted a deliberate policy to revitalize attendance and privatise the facility. This privatisation should be effective in the course of the year 2009.

Aix les Bains is an integral part of the Savoy. A tourist resort, the culture is mixed between its food and its communal history. Its heritage is an anthology of influences from many historical invasions. It owes much to its status as a spa town which in the Belle Epoque allowed it to boom and offered it a rich and varied heritage capital. Therefore, it is classified as a City of Art and History.

With its rich past and its recent evolution, the commune of Aix les Bains has an important and varied heritage. The commune has seventeen monuments listed as monument historique and over 900 listed within the Inventaire général du patrimoine culturel. In addition, it has 56 objects listed in the Inventory of Historic Monuments and thirteen listed within the General Inventory of Cultural Heritage. Heritage was also the subject of studies by the Directorate of Culture of the region of Rhône Alpes in its series Les dossiers de l'inventaire (Études sur le patrimoine) [The inventory files (heritage studies)]. It has no less than 1163 buildings which have thus retained some attention.

The Casino Grand Cercle is located in Aix les Bains, and constitutes a major architectural complex in Savoy, in the same way as the casino of Évian. The casino was opened in 1850 by the King Victor Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy. The ceiling of his living room is covered with a mosaic of 3.5 million small cubes of glass mounted on a golden background. At the time, the building included a ballroom at its centre, flanked by two rooms, one for games, the other for reading and correspondence. Thirty years later, the casino had gained momentum and was expanded with two side pavilions. In 1899, the building acquired a 900 seat theatre, equipped with wooden machinery. Recently four works by the painter were placed in the room of traditional games (boules, roulette, blackjack, etc.). The Casino Grand Cercle was ranked at 24th in the classification of French casinos, on the basis of its gross product from the games for the fiscal year of 2004–2005.

The Notre Dame des Eaux ('Our Lady of the Waters') Church, parish of the Assumption, is located in the centre of Aix les Bains. An architectural competition was held to design the religious building and was won by Arthur Bertin. The construction was entrusted to the Bonna company. Work began in 1890 with completion planned for 1892 while, in reality, changes were still made until 1905. The building takes the form of a cross. The general appearance is of Byzantine inspiration. The crossing of the transepts supports a dome. The colour of its green steeple is due to the oxidation of its cover which is made of wood. The tower rises above the courtyard. One can also admire its simple barrel vaults which, for their part, are of rather Romanesque inspiration. The Way of the Cross, currently ranking in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments, comes from Spain, from where it was brought by Gaspard François Forestier, during the campaigns of Napoleon. The tables of the Twelve Apostles, classified since 1976, and preserved in the choir, definitely come from Italy, according to expertise, and would be of 17th century origin. The building dominates the heights of the Aix les Bains town, and it is very present in the daily life of the inhabitants. The square in front of the church is used for public parking during the week, due to its central location in the urban fabric.

The town of Aix les Bains is dotted with numerous historic buildings as well as buildings of character. Of the Gallo Roman era, there is the Arc funéraire romain de Campanus [Roman funerary Arch of Campanus]. This arch was erected by the patrician of Gallia Narbonensis, Lucius Pompeius Campanus, honouring the dead of his family. This monument is a symbol representing the passage to the afterlife. The arch has a height of more than It consists of an archway between two pillars surmounted by an entablature with architrave, all made of cut stones fitted without mortar. The arch includes a frieze, cornice and an attic. The frieze has eight niches to house the busts of some of the characters to which the arch is dedicated. There is also the impressive building of the Thermes antiques [ancient baths]. Around 120 BC, the Romans built these comfortable baths in Roman fashion, such as was the case throughout the Empire. The structure includes several baths from a hot bath (caldarium), and a warm bath (tepidarium), to a cold bath (frigidarium). All of the basins are covered in marble. The rooms were decorated with columns and sculptures. Currently, the Roman ruins are still visible inside the national baths. Also of note is the current Aix les Bains town hall. Originally, it was a mansion belonging to Conrad the Peaceful, then a château of the Marquis of Aix between the 15th and the 17th century. Next to the town hall there is the Gallo Roman temple, known as the Temple de Diane [Temple of Diana] which became the Lapidary Museum. This ancient shrine is one of three temples in France which are fully preserved. Aix tables feature Savoy cheeses such as Abondance, Beaufort, the , Savoy Emmental, Savoy Gruyère, , Reblochon, Abbaye de Tamié, Tomme de Savoie and still many others. However, the presence of the Lac du Bourget, and the rivers such as the Tillet and the Sierroz, offer a variety of freshwater fish, to Aix cooks, which make up good number of local dishes. The local trout, Arctic char and the vendace are pleasing to eat. Also fishing and frying pike delights the taste buds of the inhabitants of Aix les Bains. The surrounding forests and mountains of average altitude, such as Mont Revard, offer popular produce. There are fungi, for instance, and the reputation of Cèpe, boletes of Revard, continues unabated. Several vineyards around the Aix les Bains commune produce wines used in many specialities, such as Savoy fondue, by the use of white wine. Thus, the vineyards of Saint Innocent and of Saint Baldoph are found near Aix les Bains, and the area generally enjoys most of the wines of Savoy.

The town of Aix les Bains has several facilities to promote culture. The presence of the 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 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 located in a former Gallo Roman temple of Diana, now 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 Liste de sociétés savantes de Savoie 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.