Arles, a coastal city on the Rhône and the Camargue

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In the Bouches-du-Rhône department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, lies the town of Arles. It is surrounded by the towns of Montpellier, Nîmes, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. To the south of Arles lies the Camargue nature reserve, directly on the Mediterranean Sea. Many like to visit Arles during their holiday in France seen as the city has so much to offer. A weekly market is held in Arles which is very well-known. It is the largest market in all of Provence and is over 1 kilometre long. Arles is also home to many remains from the Roman era such as the arena, the theater, the sacrophages of the Alyscamps, the underground passages of the Cryptoportici and the Baths of Constantine. Several of these monuments are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city also has a large number of museums which show that Arles is a city of art and culture. Vincent van Gogh lived here for a while and painted a lot. Arles also has plenty of pleasant restaurants and terraces, shops and boutiques. Arles is also, of course, the base to the large nature reserves in the area.

Largest weekly market in Provence

Arles is known for many things, one of the most famous being the market that is held every week. If you want to feel the authentic French atmosphere, visit this market. This market is one of the most beautiful and largest in Provence. The market with around 300 stalls is held every Wednesday on the Boulevard Émile-Combes between the Place Lamartine and the Carrefour de la Croisière. On Saturdays, the market is 2.5 km long and the stalls line the Boulevard de Lices, Georges-Clemenceau and Émile-Combes. For the French, the market is above all a social aspect, a place of encounter. First, they drink a cup of coffee front of the Tourist Office, then they walk through the market. There is a section with fruit and vegetables, cheese, local delicacies, flowers and herbs. Every stall will offer you a taster. Local products such as sausages, shellfish, honey, bread, olives, rice from the Camargue, oils and wines are also sold at the market. Among the many tourists, the French are easy to distinguish: they feel, smell and taste all the products before making a choice. They also spend their time talking to acquaintances who are also visiting stall. The market also has stalls selling the famous Provencal soaps, summer clothes, shoes and souvenirs. There are also stalls selling household items such as towels, tablecloths, pans, knives, bedding, and even mattresses.

Shopping streets in Arles

The main shopping streets in Arles are

Rue Porte-de-Laure
Boulevard des Lices

These streets are located in the center and are largely filled with shops, interspersed with terraces and restaurants. There are large fashion chains, well-known brands and small boutiques that make it fun for everyone to shop here. For lovers of brocante and vintage, there is a flea market on the Boulevard de Lices on the first and third Wednesday of the month. If this is the type of thing you like, be sure to visit the market.

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Visit Arles during your holidays

The city with the largest territory in France is not Paris but Arles with an area of 760km2. This is mainly because three large nature reserves belong to the city: the Camargue with flamingos and wild horses, the Alpilles and the Crau. Arles is a city of great diversity. In addition to the many remains from Roman times, there is a futuristic museum: Luma Arles. The city is also known for its photography. Every year the "Rencontres de la Photographie" takes place, an international exhibition in which the work of 200 artists is shown in various places in the city. The two most famous squares in Arles are Place du Forum, where you can sit down and relax on a terrace and Place de la République with the historic town hall, the bell tower in Renaissance style, the St. Trophime church with the cloister from the 12th century, the Ste. Anne church from the 17th century and the Obelisk in the middle. Large parts of the historic centre of Arles are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Arles also organises various festivals and events.

Things to do in Arles

Baths of Constantine – Roman baths on the banks of the Rhône. One of the best preserved bathhouses in France after the thermal baths of Cluny in Paris and Cassinomagus in Charente.
Les Alyscamps – This is a "necropolis", a dead city. It is a cemetery outside the city with beautiful tombs. Alyscamps is the Provençal word for Champs Élysées. At the end of the avenue of sacrophages is the St. Horace Church. This centuries-old cemetery is one of the most beautiful in all of Europe. During the summer, performances about Charlemagne are held here and children are allowed to practice sword fights.

Saint Trophime – This Romanesque church is one of the most beautiful in Provence and is named after the first bishop of Provence. The portal that has been completely restored is impressive. Adjacent to the portal is a monastery that you also need to visit and be sure to walk through the beautifully carved cloister with columns and capitals with all sorts of details.
Theatre of Arles – The Theatre of Arles was located near the Arena. It was built under Augustus in the first century BC. The famous statue of Venus of Arles was found in the theatre but it can now be found in the Louvre in Paris.
Cryptoporticus – Network of underground passages beneath the forum, the central marketplace of a Roman city.

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Vincent van Gogh in Arles

The famous painter Vincent van Gogh lived in Arles for over a year around 1888. This is where he made most of his paintings, in total he painted around 300 paintings here. The bright light in Arles is what inspired Vincent van Gogh. Other painters such as Picasso were also attracted by this. Van Gogh first lived on the Rue de la Cavalerie, later he moved to the Maison Jaune on the Place Lamatarine. There are routes through the city that take you along the places where Van Gogh made his paintings. He is well known for his painting "Café Terrace at Night" of a café on the Place du Forum. This café still exists. Also visit La Fondation van Gogh. This museum is mainly built of glass to showcase the characteristic light in Arles. This art museum houses paintings by Van Gogh and artists who were inspired by him with the aim of keeping the memory of Van Gogh alive.

Arena of Arles

The Arena of Arles is right in the centre of Arles and is clearly visible from all over the city. It was built around the year 90 when Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian ruled. About 10 years after the construction of the Colosseum in Rome. There was room for 24,000 people. For those interested in architecture, it is a remarkable building due to its different types of columns. The lower layer of columns are Doric columns and the upper columns are Corinthian columns. Until the sixth century, the Arena was used for performances and battles. After that, it fell into disrepair. In 1825 the restoration of the complex began. Now it’s used for events and bullfights. However nowadays the bull is not killed, instead the goal is to get the cocarde ( a little bow) between the horns of the bull. During the summer, gladiators give demonstrations and there are workshops about life in the Middle Ages.

Museums in Arles

Museon Arlaten – founded by Nobel laureate Fréderic Mistral about the history and life in Provence in the 19th century;
Le Musée de la Camargue - about the history, flora and fauna of the Camargue;
Le Musée Réattu – in the former palace of the Knights of Malta about art from the 16th century to the present day
Le Fondation Vincent van Gogh – about Vincent van Gogh
Le Musée Départemental Arles Antique – about the history of the region. This is the most important museum in Arles with works of art and archaeological finds from the Roman period. One of the highlights is a bust of Caesar that was unearthed from the Rhône in 2008. There are all kinds of models of Roman buildings, such as the theatre, the thermal baths and the forum.