Must-see attractions in Arles

  • Amphitheatre in Arles.

    Les Arènes

    Arles

    In Roman Gaul, every important town had an amphitheatre, where gladiators and wild animals met their (usually grisly) ends. Few examples have survived,…

  • Facade of art museum Foundation Vincent van Gogh in Arles, France.

    Fondation Vincent Van Gogh

    Arles

    Housed in a listed 15th-century manor, now twice repurposed (its other incarnation was as a bank), this Van Gogh–themed gallery is a must-see, as much for…

  • Musée Réattu

    Arles

    This superb 150-year-old museum, housed in an exquisitely renovated 15th-century Hospitaller priory by the Rhône, might be assumed old-fashioned, yet its…

  • Musée Départemental Arles Antique

    Arles

    This striking cobalt-blue museum perches on the edge of what used to be the Roman chariot-racing track (hippodrome), southwest of central Arles. The…

  • Fondation Luma

    Arles

    Arles' already-bulging cultural landscape avidly awaits this new cutting-edge gallery and arts centre, rising inexorably at a defunct railway depot in the…

  • Théâtre Antique

    Arles

    It's easy to admire the grace and engineering of this theatre – built at the behest of the unofficial first Roman Emperor, Augustus, in the 1st century BC…

  • Cryptoportiques

    Arles

    The origins of these fascinating underground chambers, now sitting below the current city centre, go at least back to the first Roman colony in Arles in…

  • Église St-Trophime

    Arles

    Named for Arles' semi-mythical first archbishop, this Romanesque-style church, built over a 5th-century basilica, was a cathedral until the bishopric…

  • Les Alyscamps

    Arles

    Testament to the significance of Roman Arles, this grand processional avenue of tombs and sarcophagi holds more than 1500 years of corpses (which Roman…

  • Place du Forum

    Arles

    Just as social, political and religious life revolved around the forum in Roman Arles, so the busy plane-tree-shaded place du Forum still buzzes with life…

  • Église Notre Dame de la Major

    Arles

    Complicated restoration projects mean this 12th-century church, dominating Arles from the highest point in the city, can only be admired from outside…

  • Thermes de Constantin

    Arles

    These partly preserved Roman baths were built for Emperor Constantin's private use in the 4th century. While much of the complex has been built over…

  • Espace Van Gogh

    Arles

    The 16th-century hospital where Van Gogh had his ear stitched on and was later locked up hosts the occasional exhibition (which attracts an entry fee). At…

  • Hôtel de Ville

    Arles

    Completed in 1676, and still the seat of Arles' government, the handsome Town Hall is also the entrance to the subterranean Roman Cryptoportiques.

  • Museon Arlaten

    Arles

    Arles' cultural museum, founded all the way back in 1889 with the intent of documenting regional culture, styles and creators, is closed for renovations…