Arles: 5 Good Reasons To Visit The Capital Of The Camargue
The city of Arles, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, bears witness to more than 2500 years of history. From its rich past, the city has preserved numerous ancient monuments classified as historical monuments or listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Here are 5 good reasons to visit the capital of the Camargue.
To immerse oneself in the heart of the Camargue.
The city of Arles, crossed by the Rhône, is the largest municipality in metropolitan France. It includes several exceptional natural areas: the banks of the Rhône, the arid plain of the Crau to the east, the wild Camargue to the south, and the Alpilles to the north.
Originally built on a rock overlooking the left bank of the Grand Rhône (in the 6th century BC), the city is today the gateway to the Camargue. Known as "the capital of the Camargue," it organizes ferias and bullfights in the same arenas that hosted Roman games in the 1st century.
To go back in time.
Arles, founded by Julius Caesar under the name Arelate, was a metropolis of Roman Gaul. It truly deserves its "City of Art and History" label as it has the most Roman remains of any city... after Rome, of course!
Its rich heritage makes it one of the most visited locations in Provence. Among its many Roman and Romanesque monuments listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1981, we can mention:
• The ancient theater of Arles dating from the end of the 1st century BC.
• The Arles Amphitheatre, a Roman arena built towards the end of the 1st century BC, modeled after the Colosseum in Rome.
• The Roman circus, which is the largest Roman building in the city.
• The Baths of Constantine.
• The Alyscamps, an ancient necropolis.
• The Saint-Trophime cathedral, a Romanesque church.
The Rhône River, which flows through the city, has not yet revealed all its treasures: in 2008, the oldest bust of Julius Caesar was discovered there.
To discover exceptional relics, such as the bust of Caesar, the Venus of Arles, the Gallo-Roman barge Arles-Rhône 3, and early Christian sarcophagi, one must absolutely visit the Departmental Museum of Ancient Arles, nicknamed "the Blue Museum".
To attend parties.
From its splendor in Roman times, Arles has preserved remarkable monuments such as the ancient theater, the arenas, the Alyscamps, or the Roman circus. Numerous festivities take place throughout the year, including the Easter Feria in April and the Rice Festival in September.
Throughout the year, the city is enlivened by traditional festivals and cultural events:
• the election of the Queen of Arles every 3 years.
• the guardians' festival held on May 1st.
• the Easter Feria and other bullfighting events.
• the santonniers fair.
• the Rencontres d'Arles (International Photography Encounters).
• the Actes Sud music festival.
4- To walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh.
Between February 1888 and May 1889, Vincent Van Gogh stayed in Arles and produced about 300 drawings and paintings.
In the city, the spots where the painter set up his easel are marked by panels that reproduce each of his works. The Van Gogh circuit is a route consisting of about ten stages.
This stroll will take you to the heart of the city and even beyond... The artist indeed immortalized a bridge located along the Arles to Bouc canal, now nicknamed the Van Gogh Bridge.
Unfortunately, you will not see his canvases in the museums of Arles, but you can feel the presence of the painter in the garden of the Hotel-Dieu, the former hospital where he was treated for his severed ear... This garden, filled with flowers and colors, is today known as the Espace Van Gogh.
5- To enjoy the Provençal lifestyle.
The last of the 5 good reasons to visit Arles lies in the quintessentially Provençal charm of this town. Every Saturday morning, the largest market in Provence takes place on the Boulevard des Lices.
Here you can find fruits and vegetables, as well as an abundance of local products such as goat cheeses, orange blossom fougasses, and raw or flavored Camargue sea salt...
To experience the local lifestyle's gentle pace, take a break on a cafe terrace at the Place du Forum. This is where the statue of the poet Frédéric Mistral stands, who celebrated the town so beautifully in his Provençal poems.
