Arles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located along the Rhone River, where the Little Rhone splits west on its way to the sea. Arles dates back to the 7th century BC. When it was the Phoenician city of Theline, and its Gallo-Roman heritage is seen in the ruins that are incorporated into the houses and buildings of the city.
Vincent Van Gogh’s arrival at the Arles railway station on February 21, 1888 ushered in Arles and Provence as an artists’ retreat. You can still see many of the things and places he painted, especially in Arles and the surroundings of St. Rémy de Provence.
Arriving in Arles
Arles train station is on avenue Paulin Talabot, about a ten minute walk from the city center (see a map of Arles). There is a small tourist office and car rental available.
Trains connect Arles and Avignon (20 minutes), Marseille (50 minutes) and Nimes (20 minutes). The TGV from Paris connects to Avignon.
Book a ticket to Arles.
The main bus station is located on Boulevard de Lices in the center of Arles. There is also a bus station in front of the train station. Senior discounts are available on bus tickets; to ask.
Arles Tourist Office
Office de tourisme d’Arles is located on Boulevard de Lices – BP21. Telephone: 00 33 (0) 4 90 18 41 20
Where to stay
Hotel Spa Le Calendal is a short walk from the amphitheater and has a pretty garden.
Since Arles is in spectacular surroundings and has a train station for getting around Provence, you may want to settle in for a while in a vacation rental. HomeAway has many to choose from, within Arles and in the countryside: Arles Vacation Rentals.
Arles Weather and Climate
Arles is hot and dry in the summer, with the least rainfall in July. May and June offer ideal temperatures. The Mistral winds blow strongest in spring and winter. There is a good chance of rain in September, but September and October temperatures are ideal.
Coin laundry
Lincoln Automatic Laundromat on rue de la Cavalerie, junto a las Portes de la Cavalerie en el extremo norte.
Festivals in Arles
Arles is known not only for impressionist painting, but also for photography. Arles is home to L ‘ Ecole Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie (ENSP), the only national school of photography at the university level in France.
International Photography Festival – July – September
Nude photography festival
Harp Festival – end of October
Epic Film Festival: The Roman Theater in Arles hosts a series of open-air screenings of Hollywood epics in August, known locally as Le Festival Peplum.
Camargue Gourmande to Arles – Arles organizes a Gourmet festival in September, with products from the Carmargue.
What to see in Arles The best tourist sites
Perhaps the main attraction in Arles is the Arles Amphitheater (Arènes d’Arles). Built in the first century, it seats about 25,000 people and is the site of bullfights and other festivals. TripSavvy trusts its readers to make their own decisions about the ethics of bullfighting as an attraction.
Only two columns remain from the original Roman theater on Rue de la Calade, the theater serves as a concert venue for festivals such as the Recontres Internationales de la Photographie (Festival of Photography).
Eglise St-Trophime – The Romanesque portal is the highest point here, and you can see a lot of medieval sculptures in the cloister, for which there is a charge (the church is free)
Museon Arlaten (history museum), 29 rue de la Republique Arles – Learn about life in Provence at the turn of the century.
Musée de l’Arles et de la Provence Antiquities (Art and History), Presqu’ile du Cirque Romain Arles 13635 – See the ancient origins of Provence, beginning in 2500 BC to the “end of antiquity” in the 6th century.
Near the Rhone, the Baths of Constantine were built in the 4th century. You can tour hot rooms and pools and see the ventilation of hot air circulating through tubules (hollow tiles) and brick piles ( hippocampi ) under the floor .
Arles has the largest market in Provence on Saturday mornings.
