What not to miss in the beautiful city of Arles, in the city of the famous painter Van Gogh. An itinerary to discover the French town, with advice on where to eat and some local curiosities.
Do you want to organize the next trip to discover a new particular city, rich in culture and curiosity, but you don't know where to start with the search? Don't worry, I'll take care of recommending one! I'm talking about a beautiful French city founded by the Romans on the Rhone river, well known and appreciated by art lovers: Arles. Let's find out what to visit together.
I had always heard of Arles as any city until, studying the life of the painter Vincent Van Gogh during the hours of art history at school, I discovered that he lived the last years of his life in this city, fascinated by the power of the Provençal light. From that moment I was amazed by this choice of hers to live there and I decided, having already planned a visit from a friend in France, to go and visit it with her, thinking that she could help me discover all that this city has to offer. She agreed and, now, I can finally reveal what interesting things to visit.
We reached the city by car and found free parking not far from the city center. A good start. After observing the surroundings for a while, we found ourselves exactly in front of theRoman amphitheater, which is located in the heart of the old quarter of the city. Being located in the center of the old quarter, there are a few bars and restaurants that offer typical Provencal food, but also Spanish; I remember having lunch in an apparently French restaurant (on the outside there was the writing "Provençal specialties") but inside the furniture was definitely Spanish: the paintings hanging on the walls depict bulls and matadors, the tables are adorned with red tablecloths embellished with bull designs ... I think this example shows very clearly how the two cultures, French and Spanish, they coexist very well in this town.
Personally, I ate well and I found the value for money more than fair. The name of the restaurant is "Hostellerie des Arènes”And offers a very varied menu, Provencal food, Spanish and even the classic pizza. I recommend the gazpacho and tatin cake, exquisite! Not even to do it on purpose, I recommended one clearly Spanish and the other obviously French, but I remember that the other diners were also satisfied with the culinary quality, so the choice is yours. This restaurant also retains a romantic aspect thanks to the delightful view of the Roman amphitheater.
After lunch we walked towards the other part of the center not yet visited and we found ourselves in the middle of the market, the classic village market where local artisan and culinary products are sold; it was a Sunday. The city center is full of narrow streets full of colorful, lively shops. "Today's palette is absolutely colorful: light blue, orange, pink, vermilion, very bright yellow, light green, the transparent red of wine, violet": these are the words of Vincent Van Gogh to describe his dear Arles on a sunny day, and I can tell you that's the truth. Although I visited the city on a Sunday in November, the sun was shining and the sky was blue.
I highly recommend checking the weather forecast before reaching the city to ensure that you enjoy the view of multiple colors. Continuing the walk you find yourself in front of the facade of the Roman Theatre, majestic. Although Arles is the largest commune in France, the artistic beauties are located close to each other, thus allowing the tourist to concentrate in depth on each of them without risking to take time away from visiting a monument rather than another. Walking through the center you arrive at the Piazza della Repubblica, where you can visit the Saint Trophime Church and observe the Justice palace.
Another important square is the Forum square, where the "Van Gogh Café", a restaurant is located. The square retains this name because in the past the ancient Roman forum stood in the center of it. Today in the center of the square is the statue of the poet Mistral. We finished the visit to the city by entering the beautiful Notre-Dame-de-la-Major church; outside the church you can see a breathtaking view. Arles can be explored easily without the aid of an itinerary because by following the various alleys you meet you can observe all that is beautiful that this city has to offer; I almost forgot, obligatory stop at Rhone, wonderful setting of the city.
Arles is famous throughout France for having a large number of bulls, in fact, has one of the most famous traditions in Spain: bullfighting. There are many tourists who come to the city to watch the numerous bullfights that take place throughout the year. I visited the city in a day but for those who have time to invest in museums, there are several. In short, you don't get bored in Arles.
