Two Days in Arles

Arles was a key Roman city around the turn of the century. There are many Roman ruins here, including an ampitheater which rivals the Colloseum in Rome (we were there last year). They also have a Roman Theater (not much of this is left), Roman Baths (also not much left). The walls of the old city remain in many places, and it is interesting to see how people build their homes and shops using the existing wall. Another highlight was a "Vincent Van Gogh Walk" through the city. They have put markers in the pavement to direct you on the walk, and have signs with Van Gogh paintings in front of places he painted. We were there on a Wednesday and got to experience their local market (they have them on Wednesday and Saturday). Do this if you can, it was fun.

Quick Tips:

If you plan on seeing many of the sights, consider getting a monument pass. It cost us 65FF (about ) and provided admission to many sights (see separate entry on this). Also, if you don't feel like walking, they have a "Petite Train" which drives in a circular route starting at the Tourist Information office.

Best Way To Get Around:

This is a small town. The longest walk from sight to another is about 10 minutes. As mentioned above, you can also take the Petite Train around town. Arriving in town by train is easy -- the station is centrally located.

This was the only one star hotel we stayed at in our 14 nights in France. For the price (about $33 per night for a double with a shower) it was not bad. The room was compact, but not too small. We had a window which opened to the plaza in front of the hotel. Since the room did not have air conditioning, we slept with the window open. We did hear some noise, but things got quiet after 11 pm. The room was clean, and we received clean towels each day. The bed was a little soft, but I still slept fine. The bathroom was typical, with a small standup shower with a spray-wand. The people at the hotel did not speak a lot of English, but we were able to communicate successfully. If you have a car, there is free parking behind the hotel (they lock the gate at night).

We were walking back to our hotel, and we stumbled upon this Cafe. It is one of several that are located at Place Voltaire. We arrived a little after 8 pm, and it was not very crowded at all. We had a very helpful waiter. The food was excellent. We both ordered off their daily specials. They even let us upgrade the salad on the fixed price menu. They have all kinds of food, including pastas, meats, salads, and more. Make sure you get some of their tasty ice cream for dessert.

You name it, they are selling it. The day we were there, the market stretched on and on and on. We explored if for over an hour and did not even see all the stands. They had fresh fruit, vegetables (they had some great marinated olives), spices, flowers, wine, baked goods (some really tasty stuff), breads, meats, cheeses, live animals, clothes, shoes, etc, etc, etc. We ate our way though the market and bought enough items for a picnic for the following day. The prices are very reasonable and its a fun atmosphere. Get there early (we were there around 11 am), they were gone by late afternoon.

The theater is just around the corner from the Roman Arena, and though there is not much left, its worth a stop. The admission charge is covered by the Monument Pass. If you don't have a pass, the admission is 20 FF.

This theater dates back to around 20 B.C. Unfortunately, the years have not been kind to it. The theater was used as a stone quarry during the middle ages. Only two columns remain standing. There are a considerable amount of broken remains stattered around behind the stage. Some of the better remnants can be seen at the Ancient History Museum (see separate entry).

The theater is a great place for a picnic. There were many people relaxing and enjoying the view. Also, just outside the theater is a birdwatching park. They had a sign identifying over 20 types of birds which could be seen there. This park is one of many places that Van Gogh painted during his stay in Arles.

Like the Arena, this theater is still used in present day. There is modern seating for about 10,000 for concerts and festivals.

Entrence to this museum is covered by the Monument Pass, otherwise is costs 35F. The museum is located on the far West side of town. It is about a 15-20 minute walk from the center of town. We chose to walk along the Rhone, which was pleasant. Near the museum, there are patches of wild lavendar which made for some good photos.

The museum itself is a modern, air-conditioned (this was refreshing on a hot day) triangular-shaped building. Be sure to ask for the free handy English guide when you pay - all the exhibits inside the museum have only French explanations.

The museum is divided into three wings, each covering a portion of Arles history. In the Roman section, there are some interesting exhibits and models (including the arena, theater, baths, and chariot racecourse). As you walk among the exhibits (many outside of display cases), the guide explains what you are seeing.

I would recommend this museum for anyone interested in the history of Arles. We spent a little over an hour here, though if you understand French, you could probably spend much more time.

This Roman Arena is almost 2000 years old. In spite of this, it is in great shape. In fact, the arena is still used for events -- mainly bullfights. We were at the Colloseum in Rome last year, and this one is in better condition, though they have made some modifications to it for present day use. Its quite incredible that they are able to both preserve and use this historical building. Once inside, you are free to walk almost anywhere. We climbed to the top of one of the towers for a good view of the town and the Rhone River.

This arena is included on the Monument Pass (we bought our pass at the ticket booth here).

If you plan on seeing more than a couple of the sights listed below, you will save money with a pass:

- Theatre Antique (Roman Theater)
- Amphitheatre (Roman Arena)
- Les Alyscamps (Roman Necropolis)
- Thermes De Constantin (Roman Baths)
- Cloitre Saint-Trophim (Church and Cloisters)
- Cryptoportiques (Crypts - these were closed for renovation)
- Musee De L''Arles Antique (Interesting, Air-Conditioned Museum)
- Musee Reattu (Includes an exhibit of over 70 Picasso drawings from his visits to Arles)
- Museon Arlaten (A Folklore Museum)

The pass for all these sights cost 65F (less than $9). We made it to seven of the sights in one day.

Be warned, the museums stop admitting people before their closing time. Museon Arlaten turned us away 50 minutes before they were closing.