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Arles

The Bouches du Rhone Departement - Camargue Nature Park - Population : 53,737 inh.

35km South of Avignon and 90km from Marseille.

Arles, the Rhone river view from the arena

Arles is the largest city in France with the surface area being 758 km².
It is encircled by an environment of exceptional beauty: the banks of the Rhône river, the arid plains of Crau, the untamed land of the and the .

Once a metropolis of Roman Gaul, then Arles became a symbole of ardent Christianity as can be seen through the arena, the Alyscamps burial grounds, the amphitheater and the Roman baths of Constantin.

Arles is now the gateway to Camargue, pland of the Gypsies and meeting place of the Camargue cowboys. Today the ferias or bull runs and bull fights are held in this very same arena (12,000 seats) that was the scene of the Roman games in the first century !
Van Gogh stayed here with his friend Gauguin. Picasso, a lover of bull fights, was inspired by them to do two paintings and 57 drawings...

Arles is also a center of photography. Each summer the Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie brings many visitors. City of festivals, art, and culture, Arles has never stopped attracting artists. The Roman monuments of Aries are registered with Unesco and should be seen. The houses and private mansions of the 16th and 17th centuries, the cloister of St. Trophime, the Hôtel de Ville, and the shaded terraces of the Place des Lices are all well worth a tour.

What to see:

The arena, amphitheater.
Alyscamps burial grounds.
Roman baths of Constantin (4thc.).
The Antique Arles museum (4th c. sarcophaguses) and Arlaten museum (furniture and traditional folk art).
The Reattu Museum, Fine Arts museum.
The Rice Museum.

Leisure activities:

Ranches, horseback riding (9 schools).
Hiking. Mountain biking.

3 Beaches.
La Capeliere (nature walk of Camargue).
Van Gogh Tour. Gypsy mosaics.
Many festivals:
Fete des Gardians (May, 1st).
Santon exhibition in December.