Page 194 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

192  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

x Street by Street: Arles The Musée Réattu houses
18th-century and modern art,
Few other towns in Provence combine the region’s many including Picasso sketches,
charms as well as Arles. Its position on the Rhône makes it a paintings by local artist
natural gateway to the Camargue (see p195). Its Roman Jacques Réattu (1760–1833),
sculptures by Russian-born
remains, such as Constantine’s baths and the amphitheater, Ossip Zadkine (1890–1967),
are complemented by the ocher walls and Roman-tiled roofs and photography.
of later buildings. Van Gogh spent time here in 1888–9, but
Arles is no longer the industrial town he painted. Visitors are
now its main business, and entertainment ranges from the
Arles Festival to bullfights. A bastion of Provençal tradition
and culture, its museums are among the best in the region.
For enthusiasts, an inclusive ticket is available giving access to RUE DU GRAND PRIEURE
all museums and monuments. All the tourist sites in Arles are
within walking distance of the central Place de la République. R RUE DU QUATRE SEPTEMBRE
U
E
The Palais R U E T R U C H E T
D
Constantine was R U E D E S S U I S S E S
E
once a grand imperial L , U
palace. Now only its R U E D U D R FA N TO N H O
vast Roman baths O H
T
remain, dating from E C E
the 4th century AD. P L AC E D U L L
A

B
D

E
E

R U E N I CO L A U
V
F O R U M I R
R U E D I D E R O T
L
Arles, seen from the opposite bank of the Rhône L
E
The Museon Arlaten R U E F R M I S T R A L RUE BAIZE RUE DE LA CALADE
was founded in 1904
by the Provençal poet
Frédéric Mistral with The Hôtel de Ville, E
his Nobel Prize money. the town hall, has R
It is currently closed for an impressive RUEDE LA REPUBLIQUE T I
renovations, and due to vaulted ceiling. PLAZA L O
reopen in 2016. REPUBLIQUE C
DE LA
R U E D U
RUE DE LA ROTONDE RU E J E A N J AU R E S
R U E M O L I E R E
BOULEVARD GEORGES CLEMENCEAU B O U L E V A R D D E S L I C E S
. Eglise St-Trophime
This fine Romanesque church has an
ornate 12th-century portal carved with
saints and apostles.
Key Roman Obelisk
Suggested route This ancient obelisk, with
fountains at its base (one of which
is shown here), came from the
Roman circus across the Rhône.
For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11

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