Arles, a city with a unique heritage, is located between Provence and the Camargue, built on the banks of the Rhône, its festive atmosphere and its colours make it a unique city in the region. Discover the city at the time of the feria in april or september.
PROGRAMME
First of all, we will take the opportunity to discover its roman monuments listed as world heritage by UNESCO: the amphitheatre and its 25,000 seats, famous for its gladiator and bull games today. Then we will continue to the old roman theatre, the Constantine thermal baths, the underground galleries of the imperial palace. From the 17th century onwards, archaeological finds were discovered there, including the famous Vénus d‘Arles which is now in the Louvre museum in Paris. Then, classified as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1981, the Constantine thermal baths will give us access to the comfort of urban life of roman civilization, one of the most visited places by the public. Having had both a hygienic and a social role, the population participated in sports activities and bathing rituals ensuring personal hygiene in the Constantin thermal baths. Furthermore we will continue our visit to discover the cryptoportics and visit the ancient forum that disappeared thanks to the underground galleries (located under the former imperial palace).
The rest of the tour will take us to religious monuments such as the cathedral and its romanesque gothic cloister, starting from the famous way of Santiago de Compostela. Finally, we will end with a visit to the famous garden of the old hospital and the Café de la nuit, painted by the dutch expressionist painter Vincent van Gogh who stayed in the city and painted more than 200 canvases. At noon, you can discover the gardianne de bull, local olives or the sausage of Arles, specialities of the region of Arles. Enjoy the local market in Arles on saturday morning which offers more than 2,5 km of display space, and is one of the biggest and most beautiful markets in Provence.
The rest of the day will take us to the charming village of Les Baux de Provence, nicknamed „Balcon de la Provence“. This village, surrounded by cliffs, has a magnificent view of Provence. Located on a rocky plateau, an exceptional panorama awaits you, this village gives the impression of being a ship overlooking Provence. 300 inhabitants for more than 1 million tourists each year, this village was specialized in the manufacture of santons (small traditional figurines of the region) and Bauxite. Today, the village has turned to wine and olives. Land of the writer Frederic Mistral who is said to have inspired his famous novel Mireia, winner of the Nobel Prize of Literature. The castle and medieval alleys, the romanesque church and the santon museum will take you back in the time of history of the Provence. Perhaps at the bend of an alleyway, you will have the chance to meet the marquis des Baux de Provence, who is none other than the Prince of Monaco.
