On weekends in Provence or during your holidays in the Gard or the family heart of the Camargue, you want visit Arles in 1 day. For this day, you would like to discover all the must-see tourist sites of Arles by taking a nice little walking tour.
So, I offer you a first route which is done on foot and which allows you to visit in 1 day the most beautiful places of the city of Arles and a second route to discover Arles following in the footsteps of Van Gogh.
For these two itineraries for visiting the city of Arles, you will find below the Google Map that you can follow in pedestrian GPS mode!
Why visit Arles?
Being part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, its geographical location is ideal as a base for tourists who want visit Provence, the Luberon or the Camargue. Indeed, Arles is located on the banks of the Rhône, between the beautiful Camargue and the Provençal Alpilles.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city of Arles benefits from a historical richness (Celts, Greeks and Romans succeeded one another leaving some ruins and beautiful architectural remains) and a cultural richness thanks to the artists painters who have highlighted it (Gauguin, Picasso and of course Van Gogh).
How to visit Arles?
Visiting Arles is very easy on foot in 1 day or in one ½ day. Indeed, Arles is a very small city whose sites of tourist interest are located in its historic heart and can therefore be discovered simply by walking.
This is why I offer you two tourist circuits below that you can do in 1 day:
- Arles unmissable circuit +
- Circuit in the footsteps of Van Gogh.
The essentials of Arles in 1 day
To define the stages in my walking tour, here is my list of must-see sites from Arles to visit in 1 day:
- Arles market
- Saint-Trophime Cathedral and Cloister
- The ancient theater of Arles
- Roman amphitheater
- The cryptoporticus of the Forum
- The Vincent Van Gogh Foundation
- The Baths of Constantine
- The Réattu museum
My circuit cannot integrate all the tourist sites of the city of Arles in a single day, especially if you want to visit the museums… But if you have to spend an entire weekend in Arles, you can complete your visits by going to the site from the Tourist Office: https://www.arlestourisme.com/fr/
Arles in 1 day - Map of the walking tour
Click on "More options" in the map to switch to GPS mode
Arles in 1 day - Stages of my walking tour
If you come by car, the most practical will be to park at the Center car park which is located very close to the Arles market.
Arles market
If you come to visit Arles on a Saturday, you will have the chance to take a walk to the market. It is early in the morning that I advise you to visit this pretty market which is not only one of the most beautiful markets in Provence, but also one of the largest.
With more than 400 fairgrounds, colorful stalls full of good smells await you: fruits, vegetables, cheeses, flowers, honey, olive oil, cold meats including Arles sausage but also all regional products and artisanal ...
To start my tourist tour, head for the tourist office (9 Boulevard des Lices), then turn right on rue Jean Jaures and continue on Place de la République.
Thus, in a few minutes, you arrive at the Cloître Saint Trophime.
Saint-Trophime Cathedral and Cloister
A fine example of Romanesque and Provençal architecture, this site from 12nd century includes a church (called cathedral) and a cloister (listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
You will be able to admire in particular the beautiful portal which traces the Last Judgment or the work of the sculptures adorning the pillars of the Cloister. FYI, Saint-Trophime was the patron saint of the city of Arles.
Ancient Theater of Arles
The ancient theater is located between the amphitheater and the summer garden. Like its neighbor the amphitheater, this Roman site of the 1er century BC is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Amphitheater of Arles
The Amphitheater is undoubtedly the monument of the city of Arles the most visited by tourists from all over the world. True emblem of the city that is also called the Arles Arena, the Amphitheater is an imposing Roman building which had been built to accommodate on these steps up to 21 spectators who gathered there in particular for gladiatorial fights.
Today, the site has become a veritable "plaza de toros" where fans of bullfighting and traditional Camargue shows meet (Easter Feria, gardians' feast, Arles festivals, etc.).
Cryptoporticus of the Forum
In the series of Roman remains to visit in Arles, my circuit takes you to the cryptoporticos. It is a set of galleries which were located below the Forum (the main square in Roman times). With its pillars and vaults, the cryptoporticos form the base of the forum and were intended to stabilize the entire site.
250 meters from the Cryptoportiques, you will arrive at the Van Gogh Foundation which no longer has anything to do with the Romans !!!
Van Gogh space
It was in Arles that Van Gogh painted his finest masterpieces in just 15 months (from February 1888 to May 1889). In 1888, he was treated at the Hôtel Dieu when he cut his ear. It is therefore within the walls of the former Hôtel Dieu that this Van Gogh Space is located.
The Vincent van Gogh Foundation was created in 2014 to pay tribute to all of this artist's work and to the influences he may have had. The museum also brings together works by artists close to or having been influenced by Van Gogh.
Baths of Constantine
200 meters after the museum, you will arrive at the thermal baths of Constantine which dates from the 4nd century AD are very well preserved.
Réattu Museum
Right next to the thermal baths, is the Museum of Fine Arts of the city of Arles. Installed in the former Grand Priory of the Order of Malta along the Rhône, this museum bears the name of an Arles painter: Jacques Réattu.
Of course, you can admire the painter's personal collection but also sketches and drawings by Pablo Picasso and contemporary photographic works by various artists.
Visit Arles following in the footsteps of Van Gogh
The city of Arles is closely linked to the painter Vincent Van Gogh even though he only lived there for 15 months. Attracted by the landscapes and the beautiful light of the south of France, Van Gogh never stopped painting, drawing and writing in Arles. There he produced 200 paintings, a hundred drawings and watercolors and wrote more than 200 letters.
Arles tour itinerary in the footsteps of Van Gogh
The city of Arles has marked out a route entitled " in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh »Which I in turn suggest to you to follow to the 4 corners of the city.
Indeed, there are specific places which correspond exactly to the places painted by Van Gogh during his stay in the Arles region with in particular:
- la Forum Square in Coffee in the evening,
- le Trinquetaille Bridge in The staircase of the Trinquetaille bridge,
- la rue Mireille in The old mill,
- le boulevard des Lices garden in The public Garden (see below),
- le Rhône quay in the evening in The starry Night,
- la Lamartine square in La maison jaune (the house is no longer visible there).
In town, all the places where the painter has set up his easel are indicated by panels which reproduce each of the paintings.
For more details and photos, here is on the official website of the Tourist Office the Van Gogh Circuit. You can download the mobile application with the detailed itinerary of the circuit.
But if you want to make it simpler, here is my Google Map itinerary.
Circuit Arles in the footsteps of Van Gogh Map
Admire, for example, from the banks of the Rhône how Van Gogh perceived “The Starry Night”:
Weekend in Arles
Which hotel to choose for a weekend in Arles?
If, like me, you are looking for an ideal location to visit, eat, go out at night without taking the car, then the hotel Volver House may be able to seduce you.
Indeed, it is 300 m from the amphitheater with public parking nearby. In addition, it has a terrace, a shared lounge and a restaurant.
My favorite rental in Arles
To stay in the heart of nature, in a 35 hectare park with 2 superb swimming pools, I recommend the Residence Odalys Le Village Camarguais Les Gardians. You will stay in a small house with all the comforts and services of a holiday village.
And now why not
visit the magnificent city of Avignon
or the beautiful Aix en Provence
Or continue with a 3-day circuit in the Camargue ?
Or discover the Mediterranean coast from Montpellier to Perpignan...
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