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Arles - Gateway to the Camargue

Roman buildings, street cafés and Van Gogh's paintings come to life - that's Arles

Our series on Provence completes today with a look at Arles. This gateway to the Camargue is perfectly placed on the autoroute between Provence and Languedoc Roussillon.

The Romans made their presence felt here as elsewhere with a beautiful amphitheatre. Climbing its tower brings a panoramic view of the town and the river Rhone.

1 Arena amphitheatre in Arles France

The arena is still used for concerts and spectacles, especially bullfights starring the local black Camarguais bulls.

While some of these are Spanish-style “corridas” where the bull meets and untimely end, Arles is famous for the “Course Camarguaise”.

In this, the bulls understandably chase irritating humans around the arena but live to fight another day. The first Monday in July sees the biggest of these spectacles, the “Cocarde d'Or”.

On May Day, Arles hosts the Fete des Gardiens when the cowboys from the Camargue parade through the town before a display of their horse-riding skills in the arena.

Roman Amphitheatre in Arles France

A hundred metres or so from here are the ruins of a Roman theatre, the “Théatre Antique” which dates from the 1st century BC. Each classical site offers its own one-off admission or a day pass covering all the sites in Arles.

Cathedral Saint Trophime Arles FranceUNESCO has recognised this abundance of Roman history by declaring Arles' classical buildings as a World Heritage Site.

Provence seems blessed in also having Avignon, Nîmes and the Pont du Gard in its UNESCO collection.

I wonder if young Romans in Arles were torn between watching a small-time gladiator scrap at the local fleapit or borrowing Pater's chariot for a weekend over in Nîmes to catch one of the big name acts.




Photo: The Cathedral Saint Trophime in the Place de la République




Van Gogh Cafe Terrace at Night in Arles FranceDutch painter Van Gogh did much his best-known work in and around Arles.

Many of the scenes are still recognisable today in the surrounding countryside and the older centre of town have changed little with its narrow winding streets leading up to the amphitheatre.

Go to the Place du Forum and you'll find the Café Van Gogh. The name's changed but the scene still resembles the famous “Café Terrace at Night”.

The centre of Arles abounds in cafés and restaurants so don't worry if the painting come to life is proving popular.

Photo: Vincent Van Gogh - Café Terrace at Night



One of France's premier schools of photography is here and during July and August, the town hosts a major international festival, “Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie.”

Street cafe in Arles France

This used to be an important port because of its position on the river Rhone which leads to the heart of France. Along with the Nile, Danube and the Ebro, the Rhone is one of the main sources of fresh water into the Mediterranean.

Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans - their ships heading upstream would discover Arles as the first settlement on the river. Perhaps there was a bar or two with those strangely available ladies so beloved of sailors.

The river Rhone at Arles France

The river remains a major thoroughfare today and a stroll along its banks offers a vantage point over the strings of barges why ply between northern France and the ports around Marseilles. This is also the moment to take a boat trip on bateau-mouche.


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