Arles
Roman And Romanesque Town On The RhôNe Where Van Gogh Painted Some 300 Works; Arles, Roman And Romanesque Monuments, UNESCO World Heritage Site Inscribed 1981 · Arles, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
Arles is a small, sun-baked town on the Rhône at the head of the Camargue delta, and one of the richest Roman sites in France. Its two-tiered Roman arena still stands in the middle of the old town and is still used for spectacles, including bullfights and the local courses camarguaises, in which raseteurs try to snatch ribbons from a bull's horns without the animal being killed. Near it are the remains of the antique theatre, the underground galleries of the cryptoporticus, the Constantine baths and the Alyscamps, an avenue of stone tombs. The Romanesque portal and cloister of Saint-Trophime are among the finest in Provence. Van Gogh lived here in 1888 and 1889 and painted a great many works, although none of them hangs in the town; panels on easels mark the spots he painted. Today Arles also has a strong photography and contemporary art scene, with the summer Rencontres de la photographie and the metal-clad LUMA tower by Frank Gehry. It is a lived-in, slightly rough-edged town rather than a polished showpiece.
Arènes and the old town, Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, Arles, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
The old town streets, squares and riverside quays are open at all hours. The Roman monuments, the arena, the antique theatre, the cryptoporticus, the Constantine baths, the Alyscamps and the Saint-Trophime cloister, open every day for most of the year, with longer hours from spring to early autumn, shorter hours in winter and, at some sites, a closure over lunch in the low season; last entry is usually some time before closing, so confirm the current timetable. The arena and the theatre close to visitors, or open only in part, on days when they are set up for a spectacle, a concert or a bullfight, notably at Easter, in early September and on many summer evenings, so check the events calendar before building a day around them. A combined monument pass is sold at the sites and the tourist office; confirm what it currently includes. The Musée départemental Arles antique and the Fondation Vincent van Gogh usually close one day a week, often Monday, and close between exhibitions. The Saturday morning market on the boulevards packs up around lunchtime. During the Rencontres de la photographie in July, hotels fill early.