Current Time in Arles, France

Arles is a historic city in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of southern France, situated on the Rhône River delta at the point where the river begins to divide into its distributaries before reaching the Mediterranean Sea. The city is celebrated for two things above all others: its extraordinary concentration of Roman and Romanesque monuments, which earned it inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, and its association with the painter Vincent van Gogh, who produced over 300 works during his 15 months in Arles in 1888 and 1889, creating some of the most beloved paintings in Western art.

With a population of approximately 52,000, Arles is the largest commune in France by area, its vast administrative territory extending across the Camargue to the Mediterranean coast. The city serves as the capital of the Alpilles subregion and as the gateway to the Camargue, the extraordinary wetland delta landscape of flamingos, wild horses, and black bulls that spreads to its south. This combination of Roman grandeur, Van Gogh heritage, and extraordinary natural landscape gives Arles a cultural richness that far exceeds what its modest population might suggest.

The history of Arles extends back to at least the 6th century BC when Greeks from Massilia established a trading post here. Under Roman rule, Arles flourished as a major provincial city and port, developing an extensive infrastructure including a forum, amphitheater, theater, thermal baths, and the circus that made it one of the most important cities in Roman Gaul. Constantine the Great made Arles his Western capital for a period in the 4th century AD, and the city continued to be an important religious and administrative center through the early medieval period before gradually declining in importance.

The Roman Amphitheatre of Arles, the Arènes, is one of the most completely preserved amphitheaters in the Roman world, built in the 1st century AD and capable of holding 20,000 spectators. Still used today for bullfighting and concerts, the amphitheater represents one of the most vivid encounters possible with ancient Rome. The Roman Theatre, also from the 1st century BC, continues to be used for summer performances. The Alyscamps, a renowned Roman and early Christian necropolis, was celebrated throughout the medieval world and inspired Van Gogh to paint its lane of sarcophagi in the autumn of 1888.

The Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles, a foundation dedicated to Van Gogh's legacy and contemporary art responding to his work, is one of the most thoughtfully conceived cultural institutions on the French Riviera. The Van Gogh Trail through the city marks the locations of his most celebrated paintings with descriptive panels, inviting visitors to see the city through his eyes. Though none of his original paintings remain in Arles, the light and landscapes that inspired him are unchanged and deeply moving to experience in his company.

The Rencontres d'Arles, an international photography festival founded in 1970 by the photographer Lucien Clergue, is one of the world's most important events in the field of photography, transforming churches, warehouses, and public spaces throughout the city into photography exhibition venues each summer. The city's markets, particularly the Saturday grand market in the Boulevard des Lices, are magnificent examples of Provençal market culture.

Arles is connected by TGV to Paris in approximately four hours and by regional trains to Marseille, Nîmes, and Montpellier. The city's extraordinary Roman heritage, Van Gogh connection, vibrant cultural scene, and gateway position to the unique Camargue landscape make it one of France's most intellectually and visually rewarding destinations.