arles, france
romping around the french riviera? looking for a day trip? welcome to arles!
I’m sure most of you have heard of a brilliant artist who happened to cut off his own ear…now let me tell you about the city where this is said to have taken place! Arles!
Arles, France is a small artistic city that is home to many artists, one of whom was Vincent Van Gogh. Arles is located about an hour outside of aix-en-provence (or Marseille, depending on where you are leaving from) and is a great stop if you, like me, are wandering around the French Riviera. (By wandering I mean traveling with five other girlfriends in one small car traversing the windy countryside…yes, both space and car sickness was an issue).
Arles is an imaginative town that invites you to explore its history, art, food, and discover your muse. You don’t have to be an artist to feel the creative energy in this city. It’s quite a juxtaposition; on one side of the city sits the old Roman arena and theatre ruins built in 90AD, coupled with the new Luma Foundation and Cultural Centre that encourages artist to experiment and innovate.
*Ally afoot advice: if you know you’re going to wander around a ruined city with multiple museums, research ticket “bundles” ahead of time. often times cities will package their most popular attractions tickets! save even more time and money by purchasing them ahead of time online (earlybird online discounts. count me in.)
a touristy, yet must see, experience is popping into the dramatic Amphitheater and theatre. the construction is breathtaking, the views magnificent, and the price reasonable. the next stop was one we were all looking forward to… the Foundation Vincent Van Gogh. With impressive exhibits and an incredible rooftop, this modern museum in hidden among the crooked narrow streets and situated alongside the Rhône River. This museum is not included in the “Liberty Pass”, but I highly recommend spending the extra nine euros to visit the exhibit; even just to catch a glimpse from the rooftop of the Rhône River carving its way through the city.
Another favorite spot was Luma Park/Foundation. When I visited the Luma Tower was still under construction, but is set to open June 26, 2021! This tower is truly a masterpiece, designed by Frank Gehry (think Walt Disney Concert Hall in California or Dancing Houses in Prague), Luma park is a 17- acre revitalization project truly dedicated to innovation in arts and culture. You can wander through the many presentations, installations, exhibitions, and artists’ residences.
Logistics:
-day trip. 1 night.
-Airbnb, in fontvieille: $99/night, including service fees, walking distance to grocery store, balcony, pool, security gate into property. Link:
-1 hour drive to marseille.
-1 hour drive to aix-en-Provence.
-train, aix-en-Provence to arles: 2.5 hours (stop in marseille), $49.
recommendations/reviews:
-bakery, in fontvieille: Joye henri;
Address: 74 cours hyacinthe bellon, 13990 fontvieille, france.
-liberty pass: 12euro, includes 4 monuments and 1 museum.
-amphitheater and theater: comBine tickets for 9euro.
-foundation Vincent Van Gogh: 9euro.
-cafe la nuit: used to be called café du forum, was the inspiration for Van Gogh’ s painting “café terrace at night” in 1888, a bit touristy.
-luma park/foundation: 17-acres, cultural center, frank gehry designed the main tower.
open 10am-7:30pm https://www.luma.org/en/arles.html
-château des baux-de-Provence: 30minutes from arles, adorable town built into the hillside of the castle.
