Tourism

Make the most of your stay in the Brit Hotel Les Acacias to see all the tourist treasures of the city of Arles. Situated in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the PACA region, Arles is the largest commune in France, with an area of 75 hectares. It is made up of just over 52,000 inhabitants.

What to visit in Arles

Arles is first and foremost a historical city. Listed on UNESCO World Heritage, it is the city with the most Roman monuments after Rome. Head of for a stroll in the city and discover the Roman amphitheatre, the antique theatre, the Baths of Constantine or the Saint-Trophime Cloister.

Arles is also a city known for its art. And especially for the artist Vincent Van Gogh, who resided in Arles from February 1888 to May 1889 and left a marked impact.
Discover his oeuvre by going to the Vincent Van Gogh Foundation, an exhibition space dedicated to the life of the Dutch artist.

Various museums are also on offer. The Departmental Museum of Ancient Arles houses numerous collections of statues, mosaics and tombs. The Réattu Museum is the Museum of the Beaux-Arts in Arles. It offers a collection of works from the 17th century to today. There you can find notable drawings by Picasso as well as an impressive photography collection. The Camargue Museum for its part offers the possibility to discover the riches as well as the concerns of the region. It is the starting point for a marked path which sets out to discover the fauna and flora of Camargue, an exceptional natural site listed as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Various art galleries also punctuate the city. A circuit has been organised to discover them whilst wandering about the streets.

Activities in Arles

Arles is also a cultural city which buzzes throughout the year thanks to the numerous festivals it hosts.

Among the best known: Rencontres d’Arles, Jazz in Arles, Festival Peplum, Les Suds and the Forum Lyrique. Every year, Arles hosts its feria. A chance to discover a typical South of France festival. For three days, the festival is in full swing to the rhythm of corridas and bodegas. It is impossible to resist the festive spirit that reigns in the city during this event.

Do you wish to discover the city in a more quirky way? Head off on a discovery tour on a Segway for around 20 minutes in the streets of Arles. You will pass by the city hall district, the episcopal city and the amphitheatre. Of course, other activities are on offer during your stay: a horse-drawn carriage ride, a 4x4 safari in Camargue, canoeing in the Gardon Gorges, discovering a herd of bulls...

Do you know the Legend of the Tarasque? The Tarasque is a symbolic animal of the region which, according to the legend, used to haunt the marshes around Tarascon.
This beast, a sort of bear with a man/lion head, is not dissimilar to that of Gévaudan.
Included on the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005, it is found in numerous paintings and during ‘Chevaliers de la Tarasque’ festivals.

Photo credit:
OT Arles