Arles

There's so much to see in this busy town on the Rhône that you should allow at least two days here. There are Roman ruins all over the town, including the amphitheatre (Rond-Point des Arènes, Arles) - still used for bullfights - and Alyscamps necropolis on an old Roman road.

The amphitheatre and Roman walls of Arles speak of the Provençal city's Roman past, but the warm influence of rural tradition is apparent everywhere you look. Van Gogh came to Arles in February 1888 in search of some southern colour and a cheap place to work, and he wrote to his friend Paul Gauguin: 'Perhaps Arles will disappoint you, if you come here in mistral weather; but you wait. It is only in the long run that the poetry of this place penetrates.' Today the town has ethno-craft shops, wine bars and designer bistros which have colonised the narrow lanes of the historic centre, and even humble hotels have had designer makeovers. The town is laid-back and low-key, its bright colours inspiring the designs of Christian Lacroix, who was born here.

What To See

Les Alyscamps: this was the place to be buried in the Middle Ages and was given a boost when St Trophime was laid to rest here. local dignitaries vied to be buried close to the saint, and the result is an evocative, romantic, poplar-lined avenue of tombs, which encapsulates the town's unbroken bond with the past.

Musée d'Arles et de la Provence antique: this museum, devoted to the city's prehistory and classical boom time, has a fascinating range of exhibits, from a model of the hydraulic mill of Barbegal, which in Roman times supplied Arles with four-and-a-half tonnes of flour a day, to some extraordinary pagan and early Christian sarcophagi.

Musée De La Camargue: the museum is housed in a converted sheep stable on the D570 Saintes-Maries road just outside Arles. A lost or threatened world of Camargue tradition is preserved here. Learn to identify bulls by their ear clippings; marvel at the changes in the shape of the Rhône estuary over the past millennium; find out more than you ever wanted to know about shad fishing.

Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer: the legend of the Three Marys' arrival in the Camargue may have a touch of the Dan Brown about it, but the aura of fervent devotion in this smoke-blackened sanctuary is real enough. This is the church of the gypsies, who converge on Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer on 24 and 25 May, the feast days of Mary Jacobé, Mary Salomé and their servant, Black Sara.

St-Trophine: the town's cathedral is one of the glories of medieval Provence. Built in the 12^th century to house the relics of the bishop-saint, it is famous for its entrance portal, which is a Bible in worked stone, a menagerie of worship. The interior is lofty and austere. Don't miss the silent, archaic cloisters, with their delicately carved Gothic capitals.

The art collection at Musée Réattu (10 rue du Grand Prieuré, open Tue-Sun), including drawings donated by Picasso, who loved this town.

How to get there

Airport: The nearest airport is Marseilles.
British Airways flies from Gatwick to Marseilles, less than an hour's drive from Arles. Same with Easyjet from Luton or Ryan Air from Stansted.

Stay at the four-star Hôtel Jules César (9 boulevard des Lices, Arles) a 17^th-century convent with a lovely courtyard and pool.

When to go: To avoid the hottest weather and the school-holiday crowds, explore Arles and the Camargue in early autumn, when it is still warm and dry. The best month is September.