Arles

Arles is a town in the Provence in the southeast of France. Remote, uneventful, but definitely no waste of time, Arles is absolutely steeped in Provençal culture, and features a collection of Roman archaeological sites. Arles is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Understand

The museums are small, but have some interested artifacts. Unfortunately there are no Van Goghs to be found in the city, despite the fact that his residence in Arles was his most productive. Chico Bouchiki, co-founder of the Gypsy Kings, as well as the rest of the band, is from Arles. Take a lazy stroll along the Rhône, dip into a café and continue strolling.

Romanesque Church of St. Trophime (former Cathedral of Arles)

• 1 Office de Tourisme d'Arles, Boulevard des Lices, ☏ +33 4 90184120, ot-arles@arlestourisme.com. Apr-Sep: M-Sa 09:00-18:45; Oct: M-Sa 09:00-17:45, Su 10:00-13:00; Rest of the year: M-Sa 09:00-16:45, Su 10:00-13:00. (updated Jun 2015)

Get in

By train

• 1 Gare d'Arles (train station), Avenue Paulin Talabot. (updated Oct 2023)

By bus

There are several bus lines from towns all over the Bouches-du-Rhône. You can always buy your passage from the conductor.

• 2 Gare Routière (bus station). (updated Jun 2015)

By car

Take the Autoroute from Salon or yet another from Marseille, but give preference to the smaller routes and Alpilles towns like Fontvieille, Paradou, les baux, etc.

Get around

Arles is for the most part small enough to enjoy by foot, if you aren't lazy. Otherwise, rely on taxis and buses.

By bicycle

Rent bicycles or a motor wheel for day trips in the alpilles around Arles.

• 3 Taco & Co (right in front of the railway station). A few old bicycle, but cheap. The also have luggage storage (€5 / 24 hr). €10 full day, €7 half-day. (updated Apr 2019)

• 4 1 Véloc. New bicycles and more choices. €13 per day. (updated Apr 2019)

• 5 The H company, 1 Bis Rue Emile Fassin. Tu-Su, 10:00-12:30 14:00-19:00. Visit Arles on gyropodes. From €17. (updated Apr 2019)

See

les Arènes d'Arles

• Arles Patrimoine, patrimoine@ville-arles.fr. Most of the important sites of Arles can be visited on a combined ticket, which includes the ampthitheatre, the antique theatre, the cryptoporticos, the cloister, and many more. €15 for 4 sites and the Réattu museum valid for one month, €19 for all sites and museums for six months. (updated Oct 2023)

Historical centre

• 1 Arènes d'Arles (Roman ampthitheatre). It was built in the first or second century BC. It houses Corridas at Easter and the Rice Festa in September. Throughout the summer there are various courses camarguaises (bloodless bullfighting). €9, reduced €7, free for under 18s. (updated Oct 2023)
• 2 Théatre Antique d'Arles (Classical theatre). W-M 10:00-18:00. It was built at the end of the 1st century BC. €5 (free every first Sunday of the month and for children up to 18). (updated Jun 2015)
• 3 Cryptoportiques (Cryptoporticos) (Place de la Republic and Place du Forum). Now completely underground, the cryptoporticos, a semi-subterranean gallery, was a sort of a base for the Roman Forum in Arles. It was built at the end of 1st century BC. The current structure has a horseshoe form. The entrance is inside the Hôtel de Ville d'Arles. (updated Jun 2015)
• 4 Thermes de Constantin. The remains of the Roman baths. (updated Apr 2019)
• 5 Cathédrale Saint-Trophime (Church of Saint Trophime). A church in Romanesque style built in 12th century. Besides the church there is a quite remarkable cloister. (updated Apr 2019)
• 6 Cloister Saint-Trophime. A former monastery with a beautiful courtyard. €5.50. (updated Apr 2019)
• 7 Espace Van Gogh (Médiathèque & Bibliothèque Municipale), Place Docteur Félix Rey, ☏ +33 4 90 49 39 39. A former hospital with a courtyard where Van Gogh was kept under medical treatment. Free. (updated Jun 2015)

Out of historical centre

• 8 Alycamps. An ancient burial site and early Christian cemetery. Its allée of trees was painted by Van Gogh. Eglise Saint Honorat is at the SE end of the allée. (updated Jun 2015)
• 9 Pont de Langlois (Pont Van Gogh) (quite a bit out of the city centre). It was the subject of several paintings by Vincent van Gogh. (updated Apr 2019)

Museums

• 10 Musée de l'Arles et de la Provence antiques (Musée de l'Arles antique), Presqu'île-du-cirque-romain BP 205, ☏ +33 4 13 31 51 03, info.mdaa@cg13.fr. An archaeological museum of Arles. At the NE side of the museum there are some very scarce remains of the Roman circus. (updated Jun 2015)
• 11 Musée Réattu (Fine Arts museum), 10, rue du Grand Prieuré, ☏ +33 4 90 49 37 58. Nov-Feb: Tu-Su 10:00-17:00; Mar-Oct: Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. A surprisingly large museum in the home of 19th-century artist Joseph Réattu, featuring his paintings, sketches and a painting by Pablo Picasso, photography, and some modern art. €8, 65 and over €5. (updated Oct 2023)
• 12 Museon Arlaten, 29-31 rue de la République, ☏ +33 4 13 31 51 99, museon.arlaten@cg13.fr. Tu-Su 19:00-18:00. A modern ethnographic museum of Provence that incorporates an elegant Jesuit chapel. Full price €8; concessions: €5 (aged 18-25, persons aged over 65, carer accompanying a disability card). (updated Oct 2023)
• 13 Luma Arles. An artistic and cultural complex, especially interesting due to the building architecture, designed by Frank Gehry. (updated Jul 2021)

Beyond the city

Each of the following or some combined can be visited on a day tour by bicycle from Arles.

• 14 Abbaye de Montmajour (a few kilometres northeast of Arles). A national monument and former Benedictine monastry founded in 948. €6. (updated Apr 2019)
• 15 Les Moulins d'Alphonse Daudet, Fontvieille (10 km northeast of Arles). Four picturesque windmills of which two are excellently preserved. €2 to get inside the actual Moulin de Daudet. (updated Apr 2019)
• 16 Camargue (just 20-30 km south of Arles). One of Europe's largest river deltas and wetlands, a great place to spot flamingos and French cowboys. (updated Apr 2019)

• 17 Réserve Naturelle des Marais du Vigueirat (30 km southeast of Arles). A 1,200 ha nature reserve and one of the most popular sites inside the Camargue. With over 2,000 types of flora and fauna, including flamingos, herons, toros, horses, and much more. (updated Apr 2019)

Do

The Market and definitely think about researching for expositions and other events of the sort.

Buy

• Markets and brocantes.
• Check out the Saturday market for sure.

Eat

Saucisson d'Arles (traditionally made with a bit of donkey meat), marinated olives from the market, Languedoc cheeses from the market, etc. Other dishes: Gardianne de Boeuf, Daubes, Fougasse d'Arles (with duck confit inside)

For restos, check out the menus on side street restaurants.

• 1 La Bohême, 6 Rue Balze, ☏ +33 4 90 18 58 92. (updated Jun 2015)
• 2 La Mule Blanche, 9 Rue du Président Wilson, ☏ +33 4 90 93 98 54. (updated Jun 2015)
• 3 Querida, 37 rue des Arenes, ☏ +33 4 90 98 37 81. lunch from noon; dinner from 19:00; closed Tu & W. 

Drink

• Pastis, the local wines are good with food. Take advantage of the proximity of Nîmes for wines.
• There's the touristy Café Van Gogh, painted to look like his Night Café painting and located at the site of his original painting.
• Check out some of the other cafés in place du Forum, Rue Wilson, etc...

Sleep

If you plan on camping in this area, keep in mind that Arles is surrounded by rivers, streams, and marshes which all have mosquitoes. Another favored alternative is sleeping in the streets. Place de la Libération offers a hospitable sidewalk with a boulder, dedicated to two American WWII pilots shot down over Arles, under shelter of which you may sleep.

Budget

• 1 Auberge de Jeunesse (Youth Hostel), 20, avenue du Maréchal Foch (walking distance of the train station), ☏ +33 4 90 96 18 25, arles@hifrance.org. (updated Jul 2017)

Mid-range

• Résidence Club Le Domaine de l'Estajan, Mas De Veran, ☏ +33 4 90 18 49 49. The residence is made up of several small buildings, no higher than one floor, spread around the Maeva Camargue estate: Les Roselières, Les Oliviers, Les Amandiers, Les Piboules, etc. A large number of leisure activities (riding, tennis, golf, etc.) and relaxation facilities (balneotherapy centre) are available. (updated Jul 2017)

There are a few hotels apparently built within parts of former abbeys, such as Hôtel du Cloître by Saint Trophime. Also, there are tons of hôtels de tourisme.

Connect

As of July 2023, Arles and its approach roads have 5G from all French carriers.

Go next

Arles is centrally located. The town straddles Provence and the Languedoc. Profit from its positioning and enjoy the great nature that surrounds: the Camargue and beaches to the south, the Alpilles to the east, etc. The Way of St James pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella came from Italy through Arles, where the pilgrims joined the Arles Way.

• Aix-en-Provence — the city of Cézanne and the Montagne Sainte-Victoire
• Avignon — inhabited since the stone age, Avignon was home to popes in the 14th century
• Saint-Rémy-de-Provence — a little village, very charming in the summer
• Saint-Martin-de-Crau — foremost visited for its nature, with the only arid steppe in Europe
• Tarascon — founded by the Romans in Caesar's time and haunted by a dragon, this town has a well-preserved medieval castle and other old architecture