Arles, South France [Photo courtesy of https://www.instagram.com/mat_tatiana_mat/]

 

The city of Arles on the banks of the River Rhône in Southern France is famous for its short, but memorable association with the artists Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gaughin. Van Gogh stayed in Arles for only 18 months, yet during this time he produced some of his most famous paintings of landscapes and real life in and around Arles. For more information about van Gogh's period in Arles please visit our article on van Gogh in Arles & Southern France and plan your visit to take in some of the scenes painted by van Gogh in this beautiful city.

But Arles has a much more to offer than just van Gogh. The history of Arles dates back to Roman times and Hannibal's crossing of the Rhone river. In addition to van Gogh and Gaughin, Arles also has a long association with the arts. The famous French writer, Frédéric Mistral, was born close to Arles and the French fashion designer, Christian Lacroix, was born in the town. The majority of the members of Spanish-Flamenco group, the Gypsy Kings, were born in and around Arles, descendants of families who fled Spain during the Spanish Civil War.

Today, Arles is a city with a population of 50,000 people and is the gateway to the beautiful Camargue region - famous for its pink flamingos, white horses and black bulls. 

 

 

Arles tourism guide

 

Arles is widely regarded as the heart of Provence. It is an excellent little city, with beautiful 18th and 19th century Mansion houses and old Roman buildings. Arles was made famous through its association with van Gogh and there are plenty of  van Gogh's famous scenes to see around the town. Arles is bisected by the wide River Rhone, with one major bridge across (Pont de Triquetaille). In the height of summer Arles is absolutely awash with visitors and all the pavement cafes and restaurants are full with people and create a lively atmosphere. I visited in late March and it was still very busy. It only takes about 20 minutes to walk from one side of Arles to the other. In fact I navigated it quite successfully on a bike with my youngest son Finlay on the back ("Faster Daddy! Faster!")

 

 

Arles tourist information - History of Arles

 

 

Although Arles was first settled by the Greeks, it was really under the Romans that it prospered. The earliest reference to the Roman settlement of Arelate is from the mid-1st century BC, during the rule of Julius Caesar. The Romans took the town from the Phoenicians in 123 BC and expanded it into an important city. They built a canal link to the Mediterranean Sea in 104 BC (the sea was much closer to the town at this time).

In 43BC the town sided with Julius Caesar over his rival Pompey (supported by nearby Marseille). As a result, when Caesar defeated Pompey, Arles was rewarded with magnificent gifts such as theatres, circus, baths, amphitheatre and a forum. Perhaps one of the most important developments however, was a bridge built across the Rhône, which was uniquely designed to float on the river, moored to two large towers.

The Roman city reached its peak during the 4th and 5th centuries BC, when Arles was frequently used as a base for military campaigns in Europe. Arles became a favourite city of Emperor Constantine I, who built public baths and his son, Constantine II, was born in Arles. At that time, the city was home to an estimated 75,000–100,000 people.

Since that time Arles has been fought over and conquered by many groups, due to its strategic position on the banks of the Rhône river. In 218 BC, Hannibal led his Carthaginian army across the River Rhône, at a crossing point thought to be close to Arles, on his way to the Italian Alps and then onto Rome.

During the late Roman period; Arles developed a close attachment to Christianity and and later in the Middle Ages was an important centre of Catholicism. Arles had an important and prominent Jewish community between the Roman era and the end of the 15th Century. This religious past  has stood Arles well - as witnessed by the magnificent Archbishop's Palace and the Cathedrale de St Trophime.

  

Arles tourist attractions - Theatre Antique

 

Theatre Antique was a purpose built Roman theatre that could house 8,000 spectators. Little remains of the original structure, but the space is still used for open-air theatre productions and you can get a very good feel for what the space was originally like. 

The Theatre dates back to 1st Century and was built during the reign of Caesar Augustus. The Theatre is located next to the Arles Amphitheatre. The Theatre Antique in Arles is now listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site

 

Arles France tourism - Place de la Republique

 

This is the imposing square in the centre of Arles. It is ringed by several impressive buildings such as the Archbishop's Palace, the Hotel de Ville and the cathederale de St Trophime. In the centre is a giant obelisk brought here from the site of the Roman Circus. Throughout the square are placed 49 statues and brass plates depicting the ensign of Arles - the Lion. This symbol is borrowed from the emblem of the Roman VI Legion that was once stationed here under Caesar.

 

Arles France tourism - The Arenes 

 

Arles has a fantastic Roman amphitheatre that was rescued from dereliction in the mid 19th century when the village that had taken it over was cleared and the original building restored.

Today it can still seat 12,000 people, although in its heyday it could seat around 22,000 to watch gladiator combats and mock naval battles. After the Romans left, the site was used as a fortress by the Barbarians. Today it is a popular venue for bull fights and Camarguais festivals.

 

Arles Luma tower - Frank Gehry

 

A new addition to the skyline of Arles, is the striking Luma Arles tower, designed by the celebrated architect, Frank Gehry. This amazing tower is made from 11,000 blocks of stainless steel and is the centre-piece of a 16-acre art-complex built on the site of the Parc des Arteliers, a former railway workshop and industrial site in Arles, South France.

Luma Arles is the brain child of Maja Hoffmann, a Swiss art collector, documentary filmmaker and entrepreneur. Luma Arles will operate as a contemporary arts centre where artists, researchers, and creators from diverse fields will work and collaborate on exhibitions and projects. At the centre of Luma Arles, Gehry's 56 metre tall tower will house a wide range of programs including research facilities, workshops, seminar rooms, and artist studios. At tower's base, there will be a large glass atrium that can be open to the general public.  The overall campus is privately funded by Maja Hoffmann's Luma Foundation and cost $175M in total to build.

 

Arles tourist attractions - Musee Reattu

Musee Reattu on the banks of the Rhone is a little museum featuring important works by Picasso and the 18th century artist Jacques Reattu. Apparently, Picasso was horrified to discover that despite van Gogh's close association with Arles, the town did not possess a single one of his paintings. To make amends he donated a significant number of drawings. Since that time the Museum has obtained a number of van Gogh's letters to his Brother, but still no paintings.

 

Arles tourist information - Espace Van Gogh

 

This was the original site of the old hospital in Arles. Van Gogh spent time in the hospital after he cut off his ear and he immortalised it in his painting (see Van Gogh in Arles & South France for more details). The Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh lived in Arles from 1888 to 1889, and produced over 300 paintings and drawings during his time there. 

Today the hospital has been converted into an open space with gardens, together with artist studios and small exhibition galleries. It is well worth a visit and you will get a good view of one of his famous paintings. The scenery has changed a bit, but you can still recognise the garden and hospital from the painting.

 

Things to see in Arles - Roman Circus and Musee de l'Arles Antique

 

The original Roman Circus (like its famous namesake in Rome itself) is now an open space and gardens, which sadly hides the original stone work and archaeological remains. It was once a magnificent horse-racing track that could seat 20,000 spectators. When I went there was a family of Gypsies camped on it with their white Camargue horses - which I suppose provides some sort of symmetry.

The main reason to come over to this part of town however is to visit the excellent Musee de l'Arles Antique. I reckon that this is one of the best modern buildings I have seen. It was designed by Henri Ciriani and looks brilliant. It is a shame the inside exhibitions are not quite up to the standard of the building, but I am sure that will change. The museum features a range of artefacts from the Roman period, including a scale model of the original town Visit the Musee de l'Arles Antique site for more details.

 

Arles tourism 

 

If you love art or history then Arles is definitely a place worth visiting. The combination of Roman artefacts and the scenes of van Gogh's paintings are enough to draw you to this beautiful city and keep you in Arles for the whole day. Arles is small enough to get yourself around and all the sites are conveniently located. Arles is situated on the edge of the Petite Camargue. A short drive from Arles is an informative little museum about the Camargue and its people (Musee Camarguais).

 

 

 

 

This article was written with the help of my 4 year old son Finlay. He toured historic Arles on the back of my bike. He shouted words of encouragement when we were cycling too slowly and didn't mind all the frequent photo stops. Arles is mainly pedestrianised and is very compact in the centre. There are also enough sites to see to keep young children occupied.