Map: Arles Hotels & Restaurants
Arles (pronounced “arl”) is an amiable slice of Provence, with evocative Roman ruins, an eclectic assortment of museums, made-for-ice-cream pedestrian zones, and squares that play hide-and-seek with visitors.
Back in Roman times, the city earned the imperial nod by helping Julius Caesar defeat his archrival Pompey at Marseille, and grew into an important port. Site of the first bridge over the Rhône River, Arles was a key stop on the Roman road from Italy to Spain, the Via Domitia. After reigning as the seat of an important archbishop and as a trading center for centuries, the city became a sleepy afterthought of little importance in the 1700s. Vincent van Gogh settled here in the late 1800s, but left only a chunk of his ear. American bombers destroyed much of Arles in World War II as the townsfolk hid out in its underground Roman galleries.
Today Arles, while touristic, feels like a backwater. A city in search of an economy, workaday Arles feels unpolished and even a little dirty compared to nearby Avignon and Nîmes. But to me, that’s part of its charm. Locals display a genuine joie de vivre that’s hard to sense in Arles’ larger, more cosmopolitan neighbors.
For a helpful overview to your Arles sightseeing, start at the Ancient History Museum (at the edge of town, closed Tue; described under “Sights in Arles”). Drivers should try to do this museum on their way into Arles—then head to the city-center sights, linked by my Arles City Walk. For cost-efficient sightseeing, get one of the city’s sightseeing passes, which cover the ancient monuments and the Ancient History Museum.
Arles faces the Mediterranean, turning its back on Paris. And although the town is built along the Rhône, it largely ignores the river. Landmarks hide in Arles’ medieval tangle of narrow, winding streets. Hotels have good, free city maps, and helpful street-corner signs point you toward sights and hotels.
The TI is on the ring road Boulevard des Lices, at Esplanade Charles de Gaulle (daily 9:00-18:45; Oct-March Mon-Sat 9:00-16:45, Sun 10:00-13:00; tel. 04 90 18 41 20, www.arlestourisme.com). Ask about walking tours and “bullgames” in Arles and nearby towns (Provence’s more humane version of bullfights—see “Experiences in Arles,” later). The TI sells worthwhile city sightseeing passes (see “Helpful Hints,” later).
By Train or Bus: The train station is on the river, a 10-minute walk from the town center. There are two good options for baggage storage (see “Helpful Hints,” later). The main bus station is on big Boulevard Georges Clemenceau, but some buses stop at the train station.
To reach the town center or Ancient History Museum from the train station without walking, wait for the free Navia shuttle at the glass shelter facing away from the station (cross the street and veer left, 2/hour Mon-Sat 7:00-19:00, none Sun). The bus makes a counterclockwise loop around Arles, stopping near most of my recommended hotels (see “Arles” map for stops). Taxis usually wait in front of the station (if there’s not a taxi waiting, call 04 90 96 52 76 or the posted telephone numbers, or ask the info desk staff to call for you). Though the rides are short, allow €12 to any of my recommended hotels.
By Car: I’d avoid driving in old Arles. Enter on foot after stowing your car (at least temporarily) at Arles’ only parking garage, Parking des Lices, near the TI on Boulevard des Lices (about €2/hour, €18/24 hours). All of my recommended hotels are within a 10-minute walk of this garage. Most hotels have parking deals for a nearby lot (ask before you arrive).
Lots and curbside parking spots in Arles center are metered 9:00-19:00 every day May-Sept (some limited to 2.5 hours). You’ll find metered lots along the city wall at Place Lamartine (except Tue night, when it is restricted). To find these, first follow signs to Centre-Ville, then Gare SNCF (train station) until you come to the roundabout with a Monoprix department store to the right. The hotels I list are no more than a 15-minute walk from here.
Sightseeing Tips: Arles has a smart ticket-and-hours plan for its sightseeing. Ancient monuments, such as the Roman Arena and Classical Theater, share the same hours (daily 9:00-19:00, April and Oct until 18:00, Nov-March 10:00-17:00).
A €9 entry fee gets you access to all of Arles’ monuments (but not its museums). The good-value Pass Liberté (€12) covers any four monuments and one museum of your choice (I recommend the Ancient History Museum). The Pass Avantage (€16) covers all monuments and museums and is worthwhile if you plan to visit two or more museums. Both passes offer a discount at the Fondation Van Gogh. Buy your pass at the TI or any included sight.
While only the Ancient History Museum, Roman Arena, and Arlaten Folk Museum are important to enter, a pass makes the city fun to explore, as you can pop into nearly everything, even for just a couple of minutes.
Van Gogh Trail: The TI has placed various “Van Gogh easels” around town marking points where Vincent set up his easel and painted. Many (but not all) are incorporated into my “Arles City Walk.”
Market Days: The big markets are on Wednesdays and Saturdays (see the Shopping chapter for more on French markets).
Crowds: An international photo event jams hotels the second weekend of July. The let-’er-rip, twice-yearly Féria draws crowds over Easter and in mid-September (described under “Experiences in Arles,” later).
Baggage Storage and Bike Rental: Taco & Co stores luggage and rents bikes; it’s located by the bus stop across from the train station (€5/bag, bike rental €7/half-day, €10/day, Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00, closed Sun, tel. 04 82 75 73 45, www.tacoandco.fr). The recommended Hôtel Régence will store your bags (€3/bag, daily 7:30-22:00, closed in winter, 5 Rue Marius Jouveau). They also rent bikes (€7/half-day, €15/day, one-way rentals within Provence possible, same hours as baggage storage). From Arles you can ride to Les Baux (25 miles round-trip)—but it’s a darn steep climb. Those in great shape can consider biking into the Camargue (level 30-40-mile round-trip, forget it on windy days).
Laundry: A launderette is at 41 Rue du 4 Septembre. Another is near the bus station at 34 Boulevard Georges Clemenceau. Both are open long hours daily.
Car Rental: Europcar and Hertz are downtown (Europcar is at 61 Avenue de Stalingrad, tel. 04 90 93 23 24; Hertz is closer to Place Voltaire at 10 Boulevard Emile Combes, tel. 04 90 96 75 23).
Local Guides: Charming Agnes Barrier knows Arles and nearby sights intimately. Her tours cover Van Gogh and Roman history (€145/3 hours, mobile 06 11 23 03 73, agnes.barrier@hotmail.fr). Alice Vallat offers scheduled visits of Arles’ key sights that leave from the TI, usually at 16:00 several days a week (€25/person for 1.5-hour group tour, €145 for 3-hour private tour, mobile 06 74 01 22 54, www.guidearles.com, alice.vallat13@gmail.com). Ask about her city tours that add wine tasting.
Public Pools: Arles has three pools (indoor and outdoor). Ask at the TI or your hotel for hours and locations.
In this flat city, everything’s within walking distance. Only the Ancient History Museum is far enough out to consider a shuttle or taxi ride. The riverside promenade provides a scenic and direct stroll to the Ancient History Museum (as well as to the train station).
The free Navia shuttle circles the town, stopping at the train station and along Rue du 4 Septembre, then along the river. It’s useful for access to my recommended hotels and the Ancient History Museum (see “Arles” map for stop locations, 2/hour, Mon-Sat 7:00-19:00, none Sun).
2 Starry Night over the Rhône Easel
4 Old Town
8 L’Entrée du Jardin Public Easel
9 Classical Theater (Théâtre Antique)
10 Republic Square (Place de la République)
11 Cryptoporticos (Cryptoportiques)
18 Forum Square (Place du Forum) and Café Terrace at Night Easel
(See “Arles” map.)
The joy of Arles is how its compact core mixes ancient sights, Van Gogh memories, and a raw and real contemporary scene that is easily covered on foot. All dimensions of the city come together in this self-guided walk.
Length of This Walk: If you enter the sights described (which I recommend, even if briefly), this walk will take most of a day. If the walk seems long, you could split it up and do the latter half in the evening.
Tours: To trace the route of this walk, see the “Arles” map, earlier. 
Download my free Arles City Walk audio tour (available in 2019), and you can put this book away and join me for a delightful, historic stroll through Arles.
Sightseeing Tips: Most sights on this walk are covered by the city’s sightseeing passes—sold at the TI and included sights (see “Helpful Hints,” earlier). I’ve also listed the full prices for sights, if you’re not using a sightseeing pass. To better understand the ancient sites along this route, visit the Ancient History Museum before taking this walk (see “Sights in Arles,” later).
The life and artistic times of Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh form a big part of Arles’ draw, and the city does a fine job of highlighting its Van Gogh connection with its Van Gogh Trail: Throughout town, about a dozen steel-and-concrete panels, or “easels,” provide then-and-now comparisons, depicting the artist’s paintings alongside the current view of that painting’s subject.
In the dead of winter in 1888, 35-year-old Van Gogh left big-city Paris for Provence, hoping to jump-start his floundering career and social life. He was as inspired as he was lonely. Coming from the gray skies and flat lands of the north, Vincent was bowled over by everything Provençal—the sun, bright colors, rugged landscape, and raw people. For the next two years he painted furiously, cranking out a masterpiece every few days.
Of the 200-plus paintings that Van Gogh made in the south, none permanently resides in the city that so moved him. (But there is always at least one here on loan, displayed at the Fondation Van Gogh gallery, which we’ll visit on this stroll). But walking the same streets he knew and seeing the places he painted, you can understand how Arles inspired him.
SELF-GUIDED WALK• Start at the north gate of the city, just outside the medieval wall on Place Lamartine (100 yards in front of the medieval gate, with the big Monoprix store across the street to the right, beyond the roundabout). A four-foot-tall easel shows Van Gogh’s painting.
Vincent arrived in Arles on February 20, 1888, to a foot of snow. He rented a small house here on the north side of Place Lamartine. The house was destroyed in 1944 by an errant bridge-seeking bomb, but the four-story building behind it still stands (find it in the painting). The house (which stood where the street runs today) had four rooms, including a small studio and the cramped trapezoid-shaped bedroom made famous in his paintings. It was painted yellow inside and out, and Vincent named it...“The Yellow House.” In the distance, the painting shows the same bridges you see today, as well as a steam train—which was a rather recent invention in France, allowing people like Vincent to travel greater distances and be jarred by new experiences. (Today’s TGV system continues that trend.)
Arles, so cold in the winter, was buttoned up tight when Vincent arrived, so he was forced to work inside, where he painted still lifes and self-portraits—anything to flex his artistic spirit. In late March, spring finally arrived. In those days, a short walk from Place Lamartine led to open fields. Donning his straw hat, Vincent set up his easel outdoors and painted quickly, capturing what he saw and felt—the blossoming fruit trees, gnarled olive trees, peasants sowing and reaping, jagged peaks, and windblown fields, all lit by a brilliant sun that drove him to use ever-brighter paints.
• Walk to the river.
As you walk, you’ll pass: on the right, an eight-foot tall stone monument in honor of two WWII American pilots killed in action during the liberation of Arles (erected in 2002 as a post-9/11 sign of solidarity with Americans); a post celebrating Arles’ nine sister cities (left); and a big concrete high school and tour bus parking lot (right).
At the river, find the easel in the wall where ramps lead down. The Roman bridge stood here (look for a few stones directly across), and just upstream are the remains of a modern bridge bombed by the Allies in World War II. This is the busier-than-ever cruise port, which brings crowds into the city throughout the season. River cruise ships tie up at the big rust brown pilings. The popularity of river cruising has provided a huge economic lift to the city of Arles. Looking downstream, notice the embankment (designed to tame floods).
• Now, turn your attention to the...
One night, Vincent set up his easel along the river and painted the stars boiling above the city skyline. Vincent looked to the night sky for the divine and was the first to paint outside after dark, adapting his straw hat to hold candles (which must have blown the minds of locals back then). As his paintings progressed, the stars became larger and more animated (like Vincent himself). The lone couple in the painting pops up again and again in his work. Experts say that Vincent was desperate for a close relationship...someone to stroll the riverbank with under a star-filled sky. (Note: This painting is not the Starry Night you’re probably thinking of—that one was painted later, in St-Rémy.)
To his sister Wilhelmina, Vincent wrote, “At present I absolutely want to paint a starry sky. It often seems to me that night is still more richly colored than the day; having hues of the most intense violets, blues, and greens. If only you pay attention to it, you will see that certain stars are lemon-yellow, others pink or a green, blue, and forget-me-not brilliance.” Standing here in the evening, it’s fun to match his painting with the contemporary scene.
• With your back to the river, angle right through the scruffy park of plane trees (a kind of sycamore), where the old boys occasionally gather for pétanque. Observe the action. If you’re inclined (and charming), you may be invited to give it a try. Continue into town through the park and between the stumpy 14th-century stone towers where the city gates once stood. Walk a block up Rue de la Cavalerie to the decorative (if dry) fountain with the colorful old mosaic.
Van Gogh first walked into town down this street in 1888. When he saw this fountain, it was just a year old. Its mosaic celebrates the high culture of Provence (she’s the winged woman who obviously loves music and reading). But this neighborhood was Arles’ 19th-century red light district, and the far-from-home Dutchman spent many lonely nights in its bars and brothels. Though it’s no longer the rough area it was in Van Gogh’s day, this street still has a certain edgy local color with humble shops, bars, and bakeries.
• Stay left and keep walking to Place Voltaire, a center of this working-class neighborhood (the local Communist Party headquarters is across the square on the left). Arles is famously red; its communist mayor is in his third term and quite popular. Stop at the top end of the square under the plane tree in front of Brasserie le Pitchounet.
Take a slow 360-degree spin tour to just enjoy the rough elegance of the architecture. Pretend you’re a one-eared painter looking for a place to set up your easel. You’ve left the bombed-out part of town and entered the old town, with buildings predating World War II. The stony white arches of the ancient Roman Arena ahead mark your destination. As you hike up Rue Voltaire, notice the shutters, which contribute to Arles’ character. The old town is strictly protected: These traditional shutters come in a variety of styles but cannot be changed.
• Keep straight up Rue Voltaire, climb to the Roman Arena, and find the Arena easel at the top of the stairs, to the right.
All summer long, fueled by sun and alcohol, Vincent painted the town. He loved the bullfights in the arena and sketched the colorful surge of the crowds, spending more time studying the people than watching the bullfights (notice how the bull is barely visible). Vincent had little interest in Arles’ antiquity—it was people and nature that fascinated him.
• At this point you can take a break from your town walk and visit the Roman Arena or read about it as you circle clockwise to the left.
This well-preserved arena is worth ▲▲ and is still in use today. Nearly 2,000 years ago, gladiators fought wild animals to the delight of 20,000 screaming fans. Now local daredevils still fight wild animals here—“bullgame” posters around the arena advertise upcoming spectacles (see “Experiences in Arles,” later). Don’t miss the tower climb for fantastic views over Arles, the arena, and the Rhône River.
Cost and Hours: €9 combo-ticket with Classical Theater; daily 9:00-19:00, April and Oct until 18:00, Nov-March 10:00-17:00, Rond-point des Arènes, tel. 04 90 49 36 86, www.arenes-arles.com.
Visiting the Arena: After passing the ticket kiosk, find the helpful English display under the second arch, where you can read about the arena’s history and renovation. Then climb up and take a seat in the theater.
Thirty-four rows of stone bleachers extended all the way to the top of those vacant arches that circle the arena. All arches were numbered to help distracted fans find their seats. The many passageways you’ll see (called vomitoires) allowed for rapid dispersal after the games—fights would break out among frenzied fans if they couldn’t leave quickly.
The arena takes its name from the central floor where the action took place—“arena” derives from the Latin word for sand, which was spread across the floor to absorb the blood. Wild animals were caged in passages and storage areas underneath the floor and hoisted up on an elevator to make surprise appearances. (While Rome could afford exotic beasts, places like Arles made do with snarling local fauna...bulls, bears, and lots of boars.) The standard fight was as real as professional wrestling is today—mostly just crowd-pleasing.
The arena is a fine example of Roman engineering...and propaganda. In the spirit of “give them bread and circuses,” games were free—sponsored by city bigwigs. The idea was to create a populace that was thoroughly Roman—enjoying the same activities, entertainment, and thoughts (something like how US television contributes to the psyche of the American masses).
After Rome fell and stability was replaced by Dark Ages chaos, this huge structure was put to good use: Throughout medieval times and until the early 1800s, the stadium became a fortified town with towers added, arches bricked up, and 200 humble homes crammed within its circular defenses. Parts of three of the medieval towers survive.
Inside the arena, circumnavigate along its upper level and savor the receding views of arches and fine stonework. To climb one of the medieval towers and enjoy magnificent views over Arles and the arena, find the To the Tower sign near the ticket booth and exit.
• Exit at street level and turn right, a quarter of the way around, turn left (where the metal fence ends and you hit the little street). Go up the cute stepped lane (Rue Renan). Take three steps and turn around to study the arena. (You can lean on the bollard, put there by yours truly for your sightseeing convenience.)
The big stones are Roman; the little medieval stones—more like rubble—filling the two upper-level archways are a reminder of the arena’s time as a fortified town in the Middle Ages. You can even see rooflines and beam holes where the Roman structure provided a solid foundation to lean on.
• Hike up the pretty, stepped lane through the parking lot, keeping to the left of the stark and stony church to the highest point in Arles. Take in the countryside view.
This view pretty much matches what Vincent van Gogh, an avid walker, would have seen. Imagine him hauling his easel into those fields under intense sun, leaning against a ferocious wind, struggling to keep his hat on. He trekked into the pastoral countryside many times during his stay in Arles, just to paint the farm workers. Vincent venerated but didn’t deify peasants. Wanting to accurately show their lives and their struggles, he reproached Renoir and Monet for glorifying common people in their works.
Vincent carried his easel as far as the medieval Abbey of Montmajour, that bulky structure on the hill in the distance. The St. Paul Hospital, where he was eventually treated in St-Rémy, is on the other side of the Alpilles mountains (which look more like hills to me), several miles beyond Montmajour.
• Cross in front of the church to return to the arena, and continue circling it clockwise. At the high point (where the arena was rebuilt after WWII bombing), turn left and walk out Rue de Porte de Laure. (You’ll pass the ancient Classical Theater on your right, which we’ll visit later.) If you’re ready for a break, the recommended Hôtel Le Calendal has a handy self-service bar with drinks, great little sandwiches, and a welcoming garden out back. After a couple of charming blocks, go right, down the curved staircase into the park. At the bottom of the stairs continue toward the busy street. Take the second right (through the gate and into the park) and find the...
Vincent spent many a sunny day painting in the leafy Jardin d’Eté. In another letter to his sister, Vincent wrote, “I don’t know whether you can understand that one may make a poem by arranging colors...In a similar manner, the bizarre lines, purposely selected and multiplied, meandering all through the picture may not present a literal image of the garden, but they may present it to our minds as if in a dream.”
• Hike through the park and uphill toward the three-story surviving tower of the ancient Classical Theater. On the right in the grass is a monument that reads “to 1.5 million Armenian victims of the 1915 Genocide.” (French law makes it a crime to deny the Ottoman Empire’s genocide of Armenians, causing tension with today’s Turkey.) At the ancient tower, follow the white metal fence to the left, enjoying peeks at “le jardin” of stone—a collection of ancient carved bits of a once-grand Roman theater. Go up four steps and around to the right to the corner of the fence for a fine view of the...
This first-century BC Roman theater once seated 10,000...just like the theater in nearby Orange. But unlike Orange, here in Arles there was no hillside to provide structural support. Instead, this elegant, three-level structure had 27 buttress arches radiating out behind the seats.
Cost and Hours: €9 combo-ticket with Roman Arena, same hours as Arena.
Visiting the Theater: Start with the 10-minute video, which provides background information that makes it easier to imagine the scattered stones back in place (crouch in front to make out the small English subtitles).
Then walk into the theater and pull up a stone seat in a center aisle. (For more context, read the description of Orange’s Roman theater on here while you rest.) Imagine that for 500 years, ancient Romans gathered here for entertainment. The original structure was much higher, with 33 rows of seats covering three levels to accommodate demand. During the Middle Ages, the old theater became a convenient town quarry—much of St. Trophime Church was built from theater rubble. Precious little of the original theater survives—though it still is used for events, with seating for 2,000 spectators.
Two lonely Corinthian columns are all that remain of a three-story stage wall that once featured more than 100 columns and statues painted in vibrant colors (a model in the Ancient History Museum shows the complete theater). Principal actors entered through the central arch, over which a grandiose statue of Caesar Augustus stood (it’s now on display at the Ancient History Museum). Bit players entered through side arches. The orchestra section is defined by a semicircular pattern in the stone in front of you. Stepping up onto the left side of the stage, look down to the slender channel that allowed the brilliant-red curtain to disappear below, like magic. The stage, which was built of wood, was about 160 feet across and 20 feet deep. The actors’ changing rooms are backstage, down the steps.
• From the theater, walk downhill on Rue de la Calade. As you stroll, enjoy the fine facades of 17th and 18th century mansions. Take the first left into a big square.
This square used to be called “Place Royale”...until the French Revolution. The obelisk was the former centerpiece of Arles’ Roman Circus (outside of town). The lions at its base are the symbol of the city, whose slogan is (roughly) “the gentle lion.” Observe the age-old scene: tourists, peasants, shoppers, pilgrims, children, and street musicians. The City Hall (Hôtel de Ville) has a stately facade, built in the same generation as Versailles. Where there’s a City Hall, there’s always a free WC (if you win the Revolution, you can pee for free at the mayor’s home). Notice the flags: The yellow-and-red of Provence is the same as the yellow-and-red of Catalunya, its linguistic cousin in Spain.
• Today’s City Hall sits upon an ancient city center. Inside, admire the engineering of the ceiling and find the entrance to an ancient cryptoportico (foundation).
This dark, drippy underworld of Roman arches was constructed to support the upper half of Forum Square (necessary for a big, level square in a town built on a slope). Two thousand years ago, most of this gallery of arches was at or above street level; modern Arles has buried about 20 feet of its history over the millennia. Through the tiny windows high up you would have seen the sandals of Romans on their way to the forum. Other than dark arches and broken bits of forum littering the dirt floor, there’s not much down here beyond ancient memories (€4.50, same hours as Arena).
• The highlight of Place de la République is...
Named after a third-century bishop of Arles, this church, worth ▲▲, sports the finest Romanesque main entrance I’ve seen anywhere. The Romanesque and Gothic interior—with tapestries, relics, and a rare painting from the French Revolution when this was a “Temple of Reason”—is worth a visit.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:30, Oct-March until 17:00.
Exterior: Like a Roman triumphal arch, the church facade trumpets the promise of Judgment Day. The tympanum (the semicircular area above the door) is filled with Christian symbolism. Christ sits in majesty, surrounded by symbols of the four evangelists: Matthew (the winged man), Mark (the winged lion), Luke (the ox), and John (the eagle). The 12 apostles are lined up below Jesus. It’s Judgment Day...some are saved and others aren’t. Notice the condemned (on the right)—a chain gang doing a sad bunny-hop over the fires of hell. For them, the tune trumpeted by the three angels above Christ is not a happy one. Below the chain gang, St. Stephen is being stoned to death, with his soul leaving through his mouth and instantly being welcomed by angels. Study the exquisite detail. In an illiterate world, long before the vivid images of our Technicolor time, this was colorfully painted, like a neon billboard over the town square. It’s full of meaning, and a medieval pilgrim understood it all.
Interior: Just inside the door on the right, a yellow chart locates the interior highlights and helps explain the carvings you just saw on the tympanum. The tall 12th-century Romanesque nave is decorated by a set of tapestries (typical in the Middle Ages) showing scenes from the life of Mary (17th century, from the French town of Aubusson). Walk down the nave. About halfway to the altar, find and enter the side chapel on the right.
The Chapel of Baptism has a statue of St. John Paul II under the window (with a relic of his blood adjacent). Facing the window, look to the right wall where you’ll see a faded painting of a triangle with a sunburst from 1789. The French Revolution secularized the country and made churches “Temples of Reason.” This painting is the only example I’ve seen of church decor from this age.
Amble counterclockwise around the ambulatory toward the Gothic apse. Choose which chapel you need or want: If you have the plague or cholera, visit the second chapel. It’s devoted to St. Roch—notice the testimonial plaques of gratitude on the wall. Some spaces are still available...if you hurry.
Two-thirds of the way around, find the relic chapel behind the ornate wrought iron gate, with its fine golden boxes that hold long-venerated bones of obscure saints. These relics generated lots of money for the church from pilgrims through the ages. Pop in a coin to share some light. The next chapel houses the skull of St. Anthony of the Desert.
Nearing the exit, look for two black columns and an early-Christian sarcophagus from Roman Arles (dated about AD 300). You’ll see Christians wearing togas and praying like evangelicals do today—hands raised. The heads were likely lopped off during the French Revolution.
This church is a stop on the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. For 800 years pilgrims on their way to Santiago have paused here...and they still do today. Notice the modern-day pilgrimages advertised on the far right near the church’s entry.
• To reach the adjacent peaceful cloister, leave the church, turn left, then left again through a courtyard.
Worth seeing if you have an Arles sightseeing pass (otherwise €5.50, same hours as Arena), the cloisters’ many small columns were scavenged from the ancient Roman theater and used to create an oasis of peace in Arles’ center. Enjoy the delicate, sculpted capitals, the rounded Romanesque arches (12th century), and the pointed Gothic ones (14th century). The pretty vaulted hall exhibits 17th-century tapestries showing scenes from the First Crusade to the Holy Land. There’s an instructive video and a chance to walk outside along an angled rooftop designed to catch rainwater: Notice the slanted gutter that channeled the water into a cistern and the heavy roof slabs covering the tapestry hall below.
• From Place de la République, exit on the far corner (opposite the church and kitty-corner from where you entered) to stroll a delightful pedestrian street.
Rue da la République is Arles’ primary shopping street. Walk downhill, enjoying the scene and popping into shops that catch your interest.
Near the start is Maison Soulier Bakery. Inside you’ll be tempted by fougasse (bread studded with herbs, olives, and bacon bits), sablés Provençal (cookies made with honey and almonds), tarte lavande (a sweet almond lavender tart), and big crispy meringues (the egg-white-and-sugar answer to cotton candy—a cheap favorite of local kids). They also have sandwiches and salads if you feel like a picnic on the square. A few doors down is Restaurant L’Atelier (around the corner, with two prized Michelin stars), L’Occitane en Provence (local perfumes), Puyricard Chocolate (with enticing €1 treats and calisson, a sweet almond delight), as well as local design and antique shops. The fragile spiral columns on the left (just before the tourist-pleasing Lavender Boutique on the corner) show what 400 years of weather can do to decorative stonework. The big Arlaten Folk Museum is up on the right.
• Take the first left onto Rue Président Wilson. (Wilson was so honored by the French for his noble efforts to create the League of Nations—a proto-UN—after World War I.) Just after the butcher shop (Chez Mère Grand, with local pork-and-bull sausages hanging above a counter filled with precooked dishes to take home and heat up), turn right to find the Hôtel Dieu, a hospital made famous by one of its patients: Vincent van Gogh.
In December 1888, shortly after his famous ear-cutting incident (see Café Terrace at Night easel, described later), Vincent was admitted into the local hospital—today’s Espace Van Gogh cultural center. The Espace—with its exhibit space, classrooms, and library—is free (there’s a handy WC inside). It surrounds a flowery courtyard (open to the public) that the artist loved and painted when he was being treated for blood loss, hallucinations, and severe depression that left him bedridden for a month. The citizens of Arles circulated a petition demanding that the mad Dutchman be kept under medical supervision. Félix Rey, Vincent’s kind doctor, worked out a compromise: The artist could leave during the day so that he could continue painting, but he had to sleep at the hospital at night. Look through the postcards sold in the courtyard to enjoy a tour of Arles through the eyes of Vincent. Find a painting of Vincent’s ward—that’s right here—showing nuns attending to patients in a gray hall (Ward of Arles Hospital).
• Return to Rue de la République. Take a left and continue two blocks downhill. Take the second right up Rue Tour de Fabre and follow signs to Fondation Van Gogh. After a few steps, you’ll pass La Main Qui Pense (The Hand That Thinks) pottery shop and workshop, where Cécile Cayrol is busy creating and teaching. A couple blocks farther down, turn right onto Rue du Docteur Fanton. On your immediate right is the...
This art foundation, worth ▲, delivers a refreshing stop for modern-art lovers and Van Gogh fans, with two temporary exhibits per year in which contemporary artists pay homage to Vincent with thought-provoking interpretations of his works. You’ll also see at least one original work by Van Gogh (painted during his time in the region). The gift shop has a variety of souvenirs, prints, and postcards.
Cost and Hours: €9, discount with sightseeing passes; daily 11:00-19:00, July-Aug from 10:00, Oct-March until 17:45, closed Mon off-season—check website for current hours and what’s on; audioguide-€3, 35 Rue du Docteur Fanton, tel. 04 90 49 94 04, www.fondation-vincentvangogh-arles.org.
• Continue on Rue du Docteur Fanton.
A string of recommended restaurants is on the left. On the right is the Crèche Municipale. Open workdays, this is a free government-funded daycare where parents can drop off their infants up to two years old. The notion: No worker should face financial hardship in order to receive quality childcare. At the next corner is the recommended Soleileïs, Arles’ top ice cream shop.
After the ice cream shop, turn right and step into Bar El Paseo at 4 Rue des Thermes. This little restaurant is run by the Leal family, famous for its “dynasty” of bullfighters and proud of its bullfighting lore. They’ve lovingly wallpapered the place with photos and bullfighting memorabilia. The main museum-like room is full of bull—including the mounted heads of three big ones who died in the local arena and a big black-and-white photo of Arles’ arena packed to capacity. You’re welcome to look around...and even more welcome to buy a glass of Spanish Rioja wine or sangria.
• A few steps farther is...
Named for the Roman forum that once stood here, Forum Square, worth ▲, was the political and religious center of Roman Arles. Still lively, this café-crammed square is a local watering hole and popular for a pastis (anise-based aperitif). The bistros on the square can put together a passable salad or plat du jour—and when you sprinkle on the ambience, that’s €14 well spent.
At the corner of Grand Hôtel Nord-Pinus, a plaque shows how the Romans built a foundation of galleries to make the main square level in order to compensate for Arles’ slope down to the river. The two columns are all that survive from the upper story of the entry to the forum.
The statue on the square is of Frédéric Mistral (1830-1914). This popular poet, who wrote in the local dialect rather than in French, was a champion of Provençal culture. After receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1904, Mistral used his prize money to preserve and display the folk identity of Provence. He founded a regional folk museum (the Arlaten Folk Museum) at a time when France was rapidly centralizing and regions like Provence were losing their unique identities. (The local mistral wind—literally “master”—has nothing to do with his name.)
• Facing the brightly painted yellow café, find your final Van Gogh easel—Café Terrace at Night.
In October 1888, lonely Vincent—who dreamed of making Arles a magnet for fellow artists—persuaded his friend Paul Gauguin to come. He decorated Gauguin’s room with several humble canvases of sunflowers (now some of the world’s priciest paintings), knowing that Gauguin had admired a similar painting he’d done in Paris. Their plan was for Gauguin to be the “dean” of a new art school in Arles, and Vincent its instructor-in-chief. At first, the two got along well. They spent days side by side, rendering the same subjects in their two distinct styles. At night they hit the bars and brothels. Van Gogh’s well-known Café Terrace at Night captures the glow of an absinthe buzz at Café la Nuit on Place du Forum.
After two months together, the two artists clashed over art and personality differences (Vincent was a slob around the house, whereas Gauguin was meticulous). The night of December 23, they were drinking absinthe at the café when Vincent suddenly went ballistic. He threw his glass at Gauguin. Gauguin left. Walking through Place Victor Hugo, Gauguin heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Vincent coming at him, brandishing a razor. Gauguin quickly fled town. The local paper reported what happened next: “At 11:30 p.m., Vincent van Gogh, painter from Holland, appeared at the brothel at no. 1, asked for Rachel, and gave her his cut-off earlobe, saying, ‘Treasure this precious object.’ Then he vanished.” He woke up the next morning at home with his head wrapped in a bloody towel and his earlobe missing. Was Vincent emulating a successful matador, whose prize is cutting off the bull’s ear?
The bright-yellow café—called Café la Nuit—was the subject of one of Vincent van Gogh’s most famous works in Arles. Although his painting showed the café in a brilliant yellow from the glow of gas lamps, the facade was bare limestone, just like the other cafés on this square. The café is now a tourist trap that its current owners painted to match Van Gogh’s version...and to cash in on the Vincent-crazed hordes who pay too much to eat or drink here.
In spring 1889, the bipolar genius (a modern diagnosis) checked himself into the St. Paul Monastery and Hospital in St-Rémy-de-Provence (see here). He spent a year there, thriving in the care of nurturing doctors and nuns. Painting was part of his therapy, so they gave him a studio to work in, and he produced more than 100 paintings. Alcohol-free and institutionalized, he did some of his wildest work. With thick, swirling brushstrokes and surreal colors, he made his placid surroundings throb with restless energy. Today, at the hospital in St-Rémy, you can see a replica of his room and his studio, plus several scenes he painted in situ like these in Arles—the courtyard, the plane trees, the view out the upstairs window of nearby fields, and the rugged Alpilles mountains.
Eventually, Vincent’s torment became unbearable. In the spring of 1890, he left Provence to be cared for by a sympathetic doctor in Auvers-sur-Oise, just north of Paris. On July 27, he wandered into a field and shot himself. He died two days later.
• With this walk, you have seen the best of Arles. The colorful Roquette District, the Arlaten Folk Museum, and the Réattu Museum are each a short walk away (all described next). But I’d rather enjoy a drink on the Place du Forum and savor the joy of experiencing the essence of Provence.
Many of Arles’ city-center sights (such as the Roman Arena and St. Trophime church) are covered on my self-guided walk. Here are a few more worthwhile things to see on your visit.
▲▲ Arlaten Folk Museum (Museon Arlaten)
This is the leading museum in Provence for traditional culture and folklore. After a long closure for renovation, it may be reopen by the time you visit. When it does, it is expected to resume its place as one of the top attractions in Arles.
Cost and Hours: Reopening in 2019—check ahead for price and open days. Tel. 04 13 31 51 99, www.museonarlaten.fr.
To escape the tourist beat in Arles, take a detour into Arles’ little-visited western fringe. Find Rue des Porcelets near the Trinquetaille Bridge and stroll several blocks into pleasing Place Paul Doumer, where you’ll find a lively assortment of cafés, bakeries, and bistros catering to locals (see “Eating in Arles,” later, for my suggestions). Continue along Rue de la Roquette and turn right on charming Rue Croix Rouge to reach the river. Those walking to or from the Ancient History Museum can use this appealing stroll as a shortcut.
Housed in the former Grand Priory of the Knights of Malta, this modern-art collection, while always changing, is a stimulating and well-lit mix of new and old. Picasso loved Arles and came here regularly for the bullfights. At the end of his life in 1973, he gave the city a series of his paintings, some of which are always on display here. The permanent collection usually includes a series of works by homegrown Neoclassical artist Jacques Réattu.
Cost and Hours: €8; Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Nov-Feb until 17:00, closed Mon year-round; 10 Rue du Grand Prieuré, tel. 04 90 49 37 58, www.museereattu.arles.fr.
These partly intact Roman baths were built in the early fourth century when Emperor Constantine declared Arles an imperial residence. Roman cities such as Arles had several public baths like this, fed by aqueducts and used as much for exercising, networking, and chatting with friends as for bathing (like today’s athletic clubs). These baths were located near the Rhône River for easy water disposal. You can get a pretty good look at the baths through the fence. If you enter you’ll walk elevated metal corridors at the original floor level. Imagine the elaborate engineering: the hypocaust system for heating the floor and big tubs with various temperatures—hot, tepid, and cold—next to a sauna and steam room heated by slave-stoked, wood-burning ovens.
Cost and Hours: €4, daily 9:00-19:00, April and Oct until 18:00, Nov-March 10:00-17:00.
This museum, just west of central Arles along the river, provides valuable background on Arles’ Roman history: Visit it first, before delving into the rest of the city’s sights (drivers should stop on the way into town).
Located on the site of the Roman chariot racecourse (the arc of which defines today’s parking lot), this air-conditioned, all-on-one-floor museum is full of models and original sculptures that re-create the Roman city, making workaday life and culture easier to imagine. While the museum’s posted descriptions of most of its treasures are only in French, the audioguide does a fine job describing the exhibits in English. For a deeper understanding of Provence’s ancient roots, read “The Romans in Provence” on here.
Cost and Hours: €8, free first Sun of the month, Wed-Mon 10:00-18:00, closed Tue, audioguide-€2, Presqu’île du Cirque Romain, tel. 04 13 31 51 03.
Getting There: Drivers will see signs for the museum at the city’s western end. To reach the museum from the city center sans car, take the free Navia shuttle (see “Getting Around Arles,” earlier). The museum is about a 20-minute walk from the city center: Turn left at the river and take the riverside path under two bridges to the big, modern blue building (or better, stroll through Arles’ enjoyable La Roquette neighborhood, described earlier). As you approach the museum, you’ll pass the verdant Hortus Garden—designed to recall the Roman circus and chariot racecourse that were located here. A taxi ride costs about €12 (museum can call a taxi for your return).
Visiting the Museum: The permanent collection is housed in a large hall flooded with natural light. Highlights include models of the ancient city and its major landmarks, a 2,000-year-old Roman boat, statues, mosaics, and sarcophagi. Here’s what you’ll see:
A wall map of the region during the Roman era greets visitors and shows the geographic importance of Arles: Three important Roman trade routes—vias Domitia, Grippa, and Aurelia—all converged on or near Arles.
After a small exhibit on pre-Roman Arles you’ll come to fascinating models of the Roman city and the impressive Roman structures in (and near) Arles. These breathe life into the buildings, showing how they looked 2,000 years ago.
Start with the model of Roman Arles and ponder the city’s splendor when Arles’ population was almost double that of today. Look at the space Romans devoted to their arena and huge racecourse—a reminder that a passion for sports is not unique to modern civilizations (the museum you’re in is at the far end of the racecourse). The model also illustrates how little Arles’ core has changed over two millennia, with its houses still clustered around the city center, and warehouses still located on the opposite side of the river. Find the forum—it’s still the center of town, although only two columns survive (the smaller section of the forum is where today’s Place du Forum is built). The next model shows the grandeur of the forum in greater detail.
Ancient Rome has often been compared to America...without cars or electricity, but with slaves. Rome’s wealth made a lifestyle possible that was the envy of the known world. Let’s look at a typical well-to-do Arles citizen and his family in the era of Roman rule over the course of a day.
In the morning, Nebulus reviews the finances of the country farm with his caretaker/accountant/slave. He’s interrupted by a “client,” one of many poorer people dependent upon him for favors. The client, a shoemaker, wants permission from the government to open a new shop. He asks Nebulus to cut through the red tape. Nebulus promises to consult a lawyer friend in the basilica, or legal building.
Hungry, Nebulus stops at Burger Emp to grab a typical fast-food lunch. Most city dwellers don’t cook in their cramped, wooden apartments because of the fire hazard. After a siesta, he walks to the baths for a workout and a little business networking. He discusses plans for donating money to build a new aqueduct for the city.
The children, Raucous and Ubiquitous, say good-bye to the pet dog and head off to school in the Forum. Nothing funny happens on the way. At school, it’s down to business. They learn the basic three Rs. When they get older, they’ll study literature, Greek, and public speaking. (The saving grace of this dreary education is that they don’t have to take Latin.)
Work done, Nebulus heads for the stadium. The public is crazy about the chariot races. There are 12 per day, 240 days a year. Four teams dominate the competition (Reds, Whites, Blues, and Greens), and Nebulus has always been a die-hard Blue.
Back home, Nebulus’ wife, Vapid, tends to the household affairs. She pauses in the bedroom to offer a prayer to her personal goddess for good weather for tonight. Meanwhile, the servants clean the house and send clothing to the laundry. A typical outfit is a simple woolen tunic: two pieces of cloth, front and back, sewn together at the sides. But tonight they’ll dress up for a dinner party. She’ll wear silk, with a wreath of flowers, and Nebulus will wear his best toga, a 20-foot-long white cloth. It’s heavy and hard to put on, but it’s all the rage. Nebulus dons his phallic-shaped necklace, which serves as an amulet against the evil eye and as a symbol of good luck in health, business, and bed.
At the dinner party, Vapid marvels over the chef’s creation: ham soaked with honey, pasted in flour and baked. The guests toast each other with clay goblets bearing inscriptions like “Fill me up,” and “Love me, baby!” Reclining on a couch, waited on by slaves, Nebulus orders a bowl of larks’ tongues and a roast pig stuffed with live birds, then washes it down with wine. He calls for a feather, vomits, and starts all over. He catches the eye of a dark-skinned slave dancer from Egypt, and he takes her to the bedroom just down the hall...
...Or so went the stories. In fact, the legendary Roman orgy was just that—legendary. Romans advocated moderation and fidelity. Stuffiness and business sense were the rule. The family unit was considered sacred. If anything, the decadence of Roman life was confined to the upper classes in the later years of the empire.
At the museum’s center stands the original statue of Julius Caesar, which once graced Arles’ ancient theater’s magnificent stage wall. To the left of Julius, find a model of Arles’ theater and its wall, as well as models of the ancient town’s other major buildings. Find the arena with its movable cover to shelter spectators from sun or rain, the floating wooden bridge over the widest, slowest part of the river—giving Arles a strategic advantage, and the hydraulic mill of Barbegal with its 16 waterwheels cascading water down a hillside.
Step down into the hall to Julius’s right and find the large model of the chariot racecourse. Part of the original racecourse was just outside the windows, and although long gone, it likely resembled Rome’s Circus Maximus. The rest of this hall is dedicated to the museum’s newest and most exciting exhibit: a Gallo-Roman vessel and much of its cargo (English translations on panels). This almost-100-foot-long Roman barge was hauled out of the Rhône in 2010, along with some 280 amphorae and 3,000 ceramic artifacts. It was typical of flat-bottomed barges used to shuttle goods between Arles and ports along the Mediterranean (vessels were manually towed upriver). This one hauled limestone slabs and big rocks—no wonder it sank. A worthwhile 20-minute video about the barge’s recovery (with English subtitles) plays continuously in a tiny theater at the end of the hall.
Elsewhere in the museum, you’ll see displays of pottery, jewelry, metal, and glass artifacts. You’ll also see well-crafted mosaic floors that illustrate how Roman Arles was a city of art and culture. The many statues are all original, except for the greatest—the Venus of Arles, which Louis XIV took a liking to and had moved to Versailles. It’s now in the Louvre—and, as locals say, “When it’s in Paris...bye-bye.”
The final section is dedicated to expertly carved pagan and early-Christian sarcophagi (from the second to fifth century AD). These would have lined the Via Aurelia outside the town wall. In the early days of the Church, Jesus was often portrayed beardless and as the good shepherd, with a lamb over his shoulder.
The buzz in Arles is the 180-foot-tall Gehry-designed aluminum tower rising in a rundown neighborhood southeast of the center. The once thriving railyard quarter, which never recovered after WWII bombings, will enjoy this futuristic facelift. The tower is part of the new LUMA Arles and will provide a space for independent artists and special expositions. The project promises to revitalize this zone with galleries and apartments (opens in 2019, 45 Chemin des Minimes, tel. 04 90 47 76 17, www.luma-arles.org).
On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, Arles’ ring road erupts into an open-air festival of fish, flowers, produce...and everything Provençal. The main event is on Saturday, with vendors jamming the ring road from Boulevard Emile Combes to the east, along Boulevard des Lices near the TI (the heart of the market), and continuing down Boulevard Georges Clemenceau to the west. Wednesday’s market runs only along Boulevard Emile Combes, between Place Lamartine and Avenue Victor Hugo; the segment nearest Place Lamartine is all about food, and the upper half features clothing, tablecloths, purses, and so on. On the first Wednesday of the month, a flea market doubles the size of the usual Wednesday market along Boulevard des Lices near the TI. Both markets are open until about 12:30. Dive in: Buy some flowers for your hotelier, try the olives, sample some wine, swat a pickpocket, and work on your Arabic.
Part of the market has a North African feel, thanks to the many Algerians and Moroccans who live in Arles. As with immigrants in any rich country, they came to do the lowly city jobs that locals didn’t want, and now they mostly do the region’s labor-intensive agricultural jobs (picking olives, harvesting fruit, and working in local greenhouses).
Provençal “bullgames” are held in Arles and in neighboring towns. Those in Arles occupy the same seats that fans have used for nearly 2,000 years, and deliver the city’s most memorable experience—the courses camarguaises in the ancient arena. The nonviolent bullgames are more sporting than bloody bullfights (though traditional Spanish-style bullfights still take place on occasion). The bulls of Arles (who, locals insist, “die of old age”) are promoted in posters even more boldly than their human foes. In the bullgame, a ribbon (cocarde) is laced between the bull’s horns. The razeteur, dressed in white and carrying a special hook, has 15 minutes to snare the ribbon. Local businessmen encourage a razeteur by shouting out how much money they’ll pay for the cocarde. If the bull pulls a good stunt, the band plays the famous “Toreador” song from Carmen. The following day, newspapers report on the games, including how many Carmens the bull earned.
Three classes of bullgames—determined by the experience of the razeteurs—are advertised in posters: The Course de Protection is for rookies. The Trophée de l’Avenir comes with more experience. And the Trophée des As features top professionals. During Easter (Féria de Pâques) and the fall rice-harvest festival (Féria du Riz), the arena hosts traditional Spanish bullfights (look for corrida) with outfits, swords, spikes, and the whole gory shebang. (Nearby villages stage courses camarguaises in small wooden bullrings nearly every weekend; TIs have the latest schedule.)
Bullgame tickets usually run €11-20; bullfights are pricier (€36-100). Schedules for bullgames vary (usually July-Aug on Wed and Fri)—ask at the TI or check www.arenes-arles.com.
The local “bouling alleys” are by the Alyscamps necropolis (a block outside the ring road and sometimes by the river on Place Lamartine). Watch the old boys congregate for a game of pétanque after their afternoon naps (see here for more on this popular local pastime).
For 150 years, Arles has thrown citywide parties to celebrate the arrival of spring and fall. During the four days that each event lasts, more than 500,000 people pile into Arles for bullfights, street concerts, piles of paella, and parties (Feria de Pâques is Fri-Mon of Easter weekend, and Feria du Riz is Fri-Mon on the second weekend of Sept). The Easter event kicks off the bullfighting season, while the September event celebrates the land and traditions of Arles. Only during these fairs are bulls killed in the bullfights and only during these events does Arles feel overrun.
Hotels are a great value here—most are air-conditioned, though few have elevators. The Calendal, Musée, and Régence hotels offer exceptional value.
$$ Hôtel le Calendal*** is a service-with-a-smile place ideally located between the Roman Arena and Classical Theater. The hotel opens to the street with airy lounges and a lovely palm-shaded courtyard, providing an enjoyable refuge. You’ll find snacks and drinks in the café/sandwich bar (daily 8:00-20:00). The soothing rooms show a modern flair with creations from local artists (and explanations of their art). Rooms come in all shapes and sizes (some with balcony, family rooms, air-con, free spa for adults, ask about parking deals, just above arena at 5 Rue Porte de Laure, tel. 04 90 96 11 89, www.lecalendal.com, contact@lecalendal.com). They also run the nearby budget Hostel Arles City Center, described later.
$ Hôtel du Musée** is a quiet, affordable manor-home hideaway tucked deep in Arles (if driving, call the hotel from the street—they’ll open the barrier so you can drive in to drop off your bags). This delightful place comes with 29 tasteful rooms, a flowery courtyard, and comfortable lounges. Lighthearted Claude and English-speaking Laurence are good hosts (family rooms, no elevator, pay parking garage, follow Réattu Museum signs to 11 Rue du Grand Prieuré, tel. 04 90 93 88 88, www.hoteldumusee.com, contact@hoteldumusee.com).
$ Hôtel de la Muette** is an intimate, good-value hotel located in a quiet corner of Arles, run by hard-working owners Brigitte and Alain. Its sharp rooms and bathrooms come with tiled floors and stone walls (RS%, family rooms, no elevator, pay private garage, 15 Rue des Suisses, tel. 04 90 96 15 39, www.hotel-muette.com, hotel.muette@wanadoo.fr).
$ Hôtel Régence** is a top budget deal with a riverfront location, comfortable, Provençal rooms, and easy parking. Of all the hotels I list, this one is the closest to the train station—a 10-minute walk (family rooms, choose river-view or quieter courtyard rooms, no elevator; from Place Lamartine, turn right after passing between towers to reach 5 Rue Marius Jouveau; tel. 04 90 96 39 85, www.hotel-regence.com, contact@hotel-regence.com). Gentle Valérie and Eric speak English.
$ Hôtel Acacias*** sits just off Place Lamartine and inside the old city walls. It’s a modern hotel with small, clean, and comfortable rooms (family rooms, air-con, pay parking garage, 2 Rue de la Cavalerie, tel. 04 90 96 37 88, https://hotel-arles.brithotel.fr, arles@brithotel.fr).
¢ Hostel Arles City Center offers good four-bed dorm rooms, a shared kitchen, and homey living area. It’s a great value for backpackers and those on a shoestring. Check in next door at the recommended Hôtel le Calendal (air-con, just above the Roman Arena at 26 Place Pomme, mobile 06 99 71 11 89, www.arles-pelerins.fr).
Many drivers, particularly those with families, prefer staying outside Arles in the peaceful countryside, with easy access to the area’s sights.
$$ Mas Petit Fourchon is a grand farmhouse with spacious rooms on a sprawling property a few minutes from Arles. There’s acres of room to roam and a big, heated pool (includes breakfast, some rooms with air-con, 1070 Chemin de Nadal in the Fourchon suburb; take exit 6 from N-113 toward l’hôpital, turn right just after the hospital and follow signs; tel. 04 90 96 16 35, www.petitfourchon.com, info@petitfourchon.com).
$ Domaine de Laforest, a few minutes’ drive below Fontvieille, near the aqueduct of Barbegal, is a 320-acre spread engulfed by vineyards, rice fields, and swaying trees. The sweet owners (Sylvie and mama Mariette) rent eight well-equipped and comfortable two-bedroom apartments with great weekly rates (may be rentable for fewer days, air-con, washing machines, pool, big lawn, swings, 1000 Route de l’Aqueduc Romain—see map on here, mobile 06 23 73 44 59, www.domaine-laforest.com, contact@domaine-laforest.com).
You can dine well in Arles on a modest budget (most of my listings have menus for under €25). Sunday is a quiet night for restaurants, though eateries on Place du Forum are open. For a portable snack, try Maison Soulier Bakery (see my “Arles City Walk,” earlier), and for groceries, use the big Monoprix supermarket/department store on Place Lamartine (Mon-Sat 8:30-19:30, closed Sun).
(See “Arles Hotels & Restaurants” map.)
$ Café Factory République is a youthful, creative, and fun-loving place run by jovial Gilles. He’s fun to talk with and serves sandwiches, hearty salads, and a wide variety of drinks. While not really a dinner place, he takes orders until 18:00 (Mon-Sat 8:00-19:00, closed Sun, 35 Rue de la République, tel. 04 90 54 52 23, skinniest WC in France).
$ Le Comptoir du Calendal, in the recommended Hôtel le Calendal, serves light, seasonal fare either curbside overlooking the arena, in its lovely courtyard, or inside the café—order at the counter (delicious and cheap little sandwiches and salads, daily 8:00-20:00, guest computer available, 5 Rue Porte de Laure, tel. 04 90 96 11 89).
(See “Arles Hotels & Restaurants” map.)
One of France’s most recognized chefs, Jean-Luc Rabanel, runs two very different places 50 yards from Place de la République. They sit side by side at 7 Rue des Carmes. $$$$ L’Atelier is a top end place with two Michelin stars (contemporary tasting menus only—around €125, closed Mon-Tue, tel. 04 90 91 07 69). And next door is $$$ A Côté, a place with all the quality, none of the pretense, and meals at a fraction of the price. It offers a smart wine bar/bistro ambience and fine cuisine. This is a wonderful opportunity to sample the famous chef’s talents with the €32 three-course menu (limited selection of wines by the glass, closed Mon-Tue, tel. 04 90 47 61 13).
$$ Le Criquet, possibly the best value in Arles, is a sweet little place two blocks above the arena, serving well-presented and delicious Provençal classics with joy at good prices. Sisters Lili and Charlotte serve while mama and papa run the kitchen. Their mouth-watering €25 bourride is the house specialty: a creamy fish soup thickened with aioli and lots of garlic and stuffed with mussels, clams, calamari, and more—but every dish is tasty here. They have a lovely dining room and a petite terrace (closed Sun and Wed, 21 Rue Porte de Laure, tel. 04 90 96 80 51).
(See “Arles Hotels & Restaurants” map.)
The most charming square in town is also the most touristy. While you feel sure Van Gogh sipped his pastis here, these days he’d avoid it. Still, if you want to enjoy forgettable food with unforgettable atmosphere under a starry starry night, Place du Forum is a winner.
For dinner: Circle the square to compare the ambience and crowds. You don’t need a reservation here, so keep your options open. Your best bets for a good $$ meal are probably Le Tambourin at the top of the square (good dinner salads and more) and Mon Bar Brasserie at the bottom (most local crowd, decent value plates). La Taverne du Forum always seems the liveliest with the least lively food. Le Comptoir d’Italie serves your basic Italian grub, pizzas, and salads. Apostrophe Café has a younger vibe, more modern food, and smoothies. Le Café La Nuit may have the best street appeal, but it’s a tourist trap designed to hook those with Vincent fantasies.
Before-Dinner Drink or Dessert: You can eat at a better restaurant elsewhere and enjoy the ambience of Place du Forum for an aperitif or dessert. Any bar can serve you a pastis—one of the most local rituals you can enjoy in Arles. This anise-based aperitif is served straight with ice, along with a carafe of water—dilute to taste. And the ice cream shop on the square has a handful of tables, giving you a front-row seat to the Provençal ambience.
(See “Arles Hotels & Restaurants” map.)
$ Cuisine de Comptoir offers light and cheap dinners of tartine—a cross between pizza and bruschetta, served with soup or salad for €11—and offers a fun array of pizza-style tartine toppings. This Provençal answer to a pizzeria—run by Vincent—has indoor seating only (closed Sun, off lower end of square at 10 Rue de la Liberté, tel. 04 90 96 86 28).
(See “Arles Hotels & Restaurants” map.)
This pedestrian-friendly street—with a pleasing lineup of restaurants, all with good outside and inside dining—is a fine place to comparison-shop for dinner (reservations are smart on busy evenings). And, for your dessert pleasure, a good ice cream place is just across the street.
$$$ Le Galoubet is a popular local spot, blending a warm interior, traditional French cuisine, and gregarious service, thanks to owner Frank. It’s the most expensive and least flexible place on the street, serving menus only. If it’s cold, a roaring fire keeps you toasty (closed Sun-Mon, great fries and desserts, at #18, tel. 04 90 93 18 11).
$$ Les Filles du 16 is a warm, affordable place to enjoy a good Provençal two- or three-course dinner. The choices, while tasty, are limited, so check the selection before sitting down (closed Sat-Sun, at #16, tel. 04 90 93 77 36).
$$ Le Plaza la Paillotte buzzes with happy diners enjoying delicious, well-presented Provençal cuisine. Attentive owners Stéphane and Graziela (he cooks, she serves) welcome diners with a comfortable terrace and a smart interior (open daily, at #28, tel. 04 90 96 33 15).
Ice Cream: At Soleileïs, Marijtje scoops up fine ice cream made with organic milk, fresh fruit, all-natural ingredients, and creative flavors that fit the season. There’s also a shelf of English books for exchange (daily 14:00-18:30, closed in winter, at #9).
(See “Arles Hotels & Restaurants” map.)
For a less-touristy-feeling dining experience, wander into the La Roquette neighborhood (described earlier, under “Sights in Arles”). The neighborhood is more youthful with a foodie energy. Place Paul Doumer is the center of the action—a delightful square crowded with tables from a ring of fun eateries under shady plane trees.
$ Pizza 22 fires up the best pizza in Arles with inviting tables on Place Paul Doumer (closed Tue, 22 Place Paul Doumer, tel. 04 86 63 65 60).
$ Oscar is an intriguing place with a young chef, an open kitchen, and a dining room that feels like a retro-chic art gallery/diner hybrid. The silverware sits in a jar on your table next to the napkin dispenser, while revolving photo exhibits decorate the walls. They offer eight or so seasonal plates designed to be eaten family style (about €12 each, three will fill two people). They also serve good wines by the glass (closed Wed, 20 Rue des Porcelets, tel. 04 90 99 53 12).
$$ Le Gibolin, while less convivial, is an intimate place with a warm interior where you’ll eat surrounded by wine bottles and locals. There is no à la carte, just two- or three-course menus (closed Sun-Mon, 13 Rue des Porcelets, tel. 04 88 65 43 14).
Note that Intercité trains in and out of Arles require a reservation. These include connections with Nice to the east and Bordeaux to the west (including intermediary stops). Ask at the station.
Compare train and bus schedules: For some nearby destinations the bus may be the better choice, and it’s usually cheaper.
From Arles by Train to: Paris (hourly, 4 hours, transfer in Avignon or Nîmes; or take the SNCF bus to Avignon TGV Station and train from there), Avignon Centre-Ville (hourly, 20 minutes), Nîmes (hourly, 30 minutes), Orange (4/day direct, 30 minutes, more with transfer in Avignon), Aix-en-Provence Centre-Ville (hourly, 2 hours, transfer in Marseille, train may separate midway—be sure your section is going to Aix-en-Provence), Marseille (hourly, 1 hour), Cassis (7/day, 2 hours), Carcassonne (4/day direct, 2.5 hours, more with transfer in Narbonne, direct trains may require reservations), Beaune (hourly, 5 hours, transfer in Lyon), Nice (hourly, 4 hours, most require transfer in Marseille), Barcelona (3/day, 4.5 hours, transfer in Nîmes), Italy (3/day, transfer in Marseille and Nice; from Arles, it’s 5 hours to Ventimiglia on the border, 8 hours to Milan, 9 hours to Cinque Terre, 11 hours to Florence, and 13 hours to Venice or Rome).
Arles’ main bus station is located on Boulevard Georges Clemenceau, a few blocks from the TI. Most buses to regional destinations depart from here, and most bus trips cost under €2. Get schedules at the TI or from the bus company (closed Sun, tel. 08 10 00 08 18, www.lepilote.com).
From Arles Train Station to Avignon TGV Station: The direct SNCF bus is your best option (€8, 8/day, 1 hour, included with rail pass). Though less convenient, you can also take the train from Arles to Avignon’s Centre-Ville Station, then catch the shuttle train to the TGV station (see here).
From Arles by Bus to Les Baux and St-Rémy: Cartreize bus #57 connects Arles to St-Rémy-de-Provence via Les Baux (6/day, daily July-Aug, Sat-Sun only in early May-June and Sept, none in off-season; departs from the train station, not the bus station; 35 minutes to Les Baux, 50 minutes to St-Rémy, then runs to Avignon). Bus #54 also goes to St-Rémy but not via Les Baux (5/day Mon-Fri, 3/day Sat, none on Sun, 1 hour).
By Bus to Other Destinations: Nîmes (8/day Mon-Fri, 2/day Sat-Sun, 1 hour), Aix-en-Provence (faster than trains, 6/day Mon-Fri, 4/day Sat-Sun, 1.5 hours), Fontvieille (6/day Mon-Sat, 2/day Sun, 20 minutes), Camargue/Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer (bus #20, 6/day Mon-Sat, 3/day Sun, departs from both the bus and train station, 1 hour).