The largest commune in mainland France (about 75,900 hectares), Arles is also the most populous town of the Camargue. Here the Rhône splits into two arms, the Grand Rhône and the Petit Rhône, which enclose the delta.
History
Inhabited for more than 2,500 years, the site became a Roman colony in 46 BC after backing Caesar against Marseille. The town then gained a theatre, an amphitheatre, a circus and walls. In the 4th century Emperor Constantine stayed here and held a council in 314; around 407 the praetorian prefecture of the Gauls moved here from Trier. Its Roman and Romanesque monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To see
- Arena (Roman amphitheatre)
- Antique theatre
- Alyscamps
- Baths of Constantine
- Cryptoporticus
- Saint-Trophime cathedral and cloister
- Departmental Museum of Ancient Arles
- Réattu Museum
Practical
Tourist office on the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle. Arles is the starting point of the D570 to Saintes-Maries and the D36 to Salin-de-Giraud.
Places
- Musée de la CamargueMuseums
- Musée RéattuMuseums
- Musée départemental Arles antiqueMuseums
- Arènes d’ArlesMonuments
- Théâtre antique d’ArlesMonuments
- Plage de BeauducBeaches
- AlyscampsMonuments
- Thermes de ConstantinMonuments
- Cathédrale Saint-TrophimeMonuments
- La Capelière, maison de la RéserveNature sites