If you love and adore the art of history, then Arles Provence is the ideal place to visit. We found this city (by chance) on our way to Marseille…
One of our best decisions of our trip was to stop here! We saw it from the side of the highway and I shouted out to hubby “let´s go there!”. We didn´t know where there was but as soon as we did, we fell in love with this beautiful city almost instantaneously! The combination of Van Gogh’s (lived in Arles from 1888 to 1889 and produced over 300) paintings and the Roman artefacts are enough to keep you in this beautiful city for a whole day.
I had heard so much about the Provence region. When I told my sister that we were going to the south of France, the first thing she asked me was if we would go to Provence. She went there a few years ago and loved it! Arles is in the south of France and was a Roman capital. The city is most known for its association with Van Gogh and Roman Ruins which play a significant role in attracting the tourists.
As we entered the city, we noticed a bustling town with many open squares and cafes. We also noticed that the city has narrow streets that are lined up with attractive houses and shops. One thing that attracted me the most is that the houses and shops appeared old and faded. This made the city to look more rustic and appealing. The city is compact and simple to explore.
We visited various tourist attractions such as the Roman Theater and Amphitheatre. We enjoyed exploring each site trying to imagine how it would have been back in Roman times…
Going to Arles was a great spur of the moment idea and an experience I hope I´ll never forget. Please leave a comment below if you have been to Arles or any other place in Provence region. I would love to know!
Read about our wine tour in the south of France. The Famille Rambier winery made our tour an unforgettable one we´ll never forget!
Just in case you´re wondering where we stayed during our trip, we normally book our holidays via Booking.com or Airbnb. This time we stayed in Montpellier with Airbnb.
Here below is the travel vlog (video) I made of our morning in Arles… please show me some love by clicking the like button below the video in YouTube 🙂
I often get asked about the equipment I use when traveling. I mean this is the only real thing you´ll keep from your trip and therefore it needs to be really good! The camera I use for my blog photos is the Canon T3i/600D EOS (with the Canon STM 50mm 1.8 lens). I would like to upgrade to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III (however my budget does not allow for it yet) because of its full frame (22MP full frame CMOS) sensor capacity. My current camera has a cropped frame which means I need to stand further away from my subject when I shoot.
Then, I use the Osmos DJI Mobile for my videos/vlogs. I love the Osmo Mobile because you control it via an app on any Android or IOS phone. It seriously has changed the way my travel videos look! Some of its features are:
- Active Track technology, automatically keep your smartphone facing you as you move
- Smooths and even cancels out the movements you make, stopping camera shake and turning every shot into a cinematic video!
To learn more about the Provence and French Riviera regions, click in the image below. What I love about this guide that it´s written by locals and that it´s a full color-guide that highlights the best of this region, from the urban buzz of Marseilles and Nice to the glamorous meccas of St-Tropez, Cannes, and Monaco!
Johlene
xoxo
Oh so beautiful. Such a gorgeous old patina to the place that feels romantic and unrushed. I haven’t been to Arles, but do love Provence. Thank you for sharing with #FarawayFiles
Me too Erin, I love Provence! I seriously can´t wait to go back… 🙂
I’m really looking forward to visiting Arles some day. Thanks for inspiring me again on #FarawayFiles
You´re more than welcome Clare! Thank you for your lovely comment! 🙂
I loved this beautiful town with its amphitheatre and pretty streets. We arrived on market day which of course was fabulous. You can see how it inspired Van Gogh and other artists. Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
Totally agree Katy! Wish I had more time to explore when we went but I´m hoping to go back… 🙂
Another lovely post, Johlene! And another town in France to consider for my next adventure in Europe!
Hi Sharon! France is a must to visit. This was my 2nd trip, the time before I visited the north and Paris. I can´t wait to go back & explore more 🙂
Beautiful! Somewhere I have never heard of, but I would absolutely love to check out! Thanks for sharing 🙂 #farawayfiles
Hi Chiera, I really hope you do! This town is definitely a little gem to be explored 🙂
pretty photos!
Thank you kindly! 🙂
Oooh – lovely. I’m always up for a right turn to somewhere new and a happy discovery day. Sometimes those are the best finds – no expectations, just delights. Arles looks lovely – I do adore all those faded facades as well. Thanks kindly for sharing with #FarawayFiles, cheers from Copenhagen, Erin
Hi, Erin! Copenhagen is a city I´ve always wanted to visit! Thank you kindly for your lovely message 🙂
This, indeed, is a fascinating part of the world. We spent a week in nearby Nîmes last summer which was interesting (if not entirely straightforward…). The Roman history of this region is almost overwhelming, and the Van Gogh connection gives Arles another boost to its already-exemplary cultural credentials. #FarawayFiles
Hi Jonny! I´ve never been to Nimes… now you have my interest peaked… 🙂
Oh my, Arles has been on my list for quite a while. I was born near the village when Van Gogh lived (Zundert) and have this plan to follow his footsteps one year.
#FarawayFiles
I think that sounds like an awesome plan!! BTW love your Country, we´ve been twice and can’t wait to go back again 🙂
Isn’t it wonderful when a spur of the moment travel decision turns out to be such a brilliant discovery? I’ve been to quite a few places in Provence but we’ve not been to Arles. I think the combination of Romans and Van Gogh makes it sound really special. We’d love to spend a few days here. Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
I hope you get to go very soon, Clare… I can´t wait to go back to Provence to explore more little villages just like Arles 🙂
A little bit of a coincidence since I was looking for info about Arles the other day. I have been to the French Riviera but not to Provence. I am one of those fans of art and history, so, I would love to tour all the cities with Roman ruins and the ones related to the Impressionist movement. Your photos give me more desire to go!
Hi Ruth, you’ll love it! Wish I had a time machine to go back in time when I visited these amazing places… 🙂
I am a huge Roman history buff, so I am definitely most intrigued by the Roman ruins in Arles! We recently visited Strasbourg, and it was one of my favorite stops on our trip. These little French towns really are incredible! Thanks for sharing this one…it’s going on the list for the next time we make it over to Europe! 🙂
Wow really?! I wish I was a buff. I seriously love history! I always thought Strasbourg was a German town (or perhaps there is another) but looking at the map now I see it is situated in France, close to the German border…