Just as social, political and religious life revolved around the forum in Roman Arles, so the busy plane-tree-shaded place du Forum still buzzes with life. Underneath it lies the underground galleries of Cryptoportiques – the forum's subterranean foundations and buried arcades (89m long and 59m wide). These caverns were carved out in the 1st century BC.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Pont du Gard
19.18 MILES
The extraordinary three-tiered Pont du Gard was once part of a 50km-long system of channels built around 19 BC to transport water from Uzès to Nîmes. The…
Les Arènes
17.23 MILES
Nîmes’ twin-tiered amphitheatre is the best preserved in France. Built around 100 BC, the arena once seated 24,000 spectators and staged gladiatorial…
Palais des Papes
20.89 MILES
The largest Gothic palace ever built, the Palais des Papes was erected by Pope Clement V, who abandoned Rome in 1309 in the wake of violent disorder after…
Pont St-Bénézet
21.04 MILES
Legend says Pastor Bénézet (a former shepherd) had three visions urging him to build a bridge across the Rhône. Completed in 1185, the 900m-long bridge…
Les Arènes
0.2 MILES
In Roman Gaul, every important town had an amphitheatre, where gladiators and wild animals met their (usually grisly) ends. Few examples have survived,…
Fondation Vincent Van Gogh
0.08 MILES
Housed in a listed 15th-century manor, now twice repurposed (its other incarnation was as a bank), this Van Gogh–themed gallery is a must-see, as much for…
Duché
25.36 MILES
This fortified château belonged to the House of Crussol, who were the dukes of Uzès for over 1000 years until the French Revolution. The building is a…
Cathédrale St-Théodont
25.27 MILES
Built in 1090 on the site of a Roman temple, Uzès' cathedral was partially destroyed in both the 13th and 16th centuries and stripped during the French…
Nearby Arles attractions
1. Cryptoportiques
0.06 MILES
The origins of these fascinating underground chambers, now sitting below the current city centre, go at least back to the first Roman colony in Arles in…
2. Hôtel de Ville
0.06 MILES
Completed in 1676, and still the seat of Arles' government, the handsome Town Hall is also the entrance to the subterranean Roman Cryptoportiques.
3. Museon Arlaten
0.08 MILES
Arles' cultural museum, founded all the way back in 1889 with the intent of documenting regional culture, styles and creators, is closed for renovations…
4. Fondation Vincent Van Gogh
0.08 MILES
Housed in a listed 15th-century manor, now twice repurposed (its other incarnation was as a bank), this Van Gogh–themed gallery is a must-see, as much for…
5. Église St-Trophime
0.09 MILES
Named for Arles' semi-mythical first archbishop, this Romanesque-style church, built over a 5th-century basilica, was a cathedral until the bishopric…
6. Thermes de Constantin
0.09 MILES
These partly preserved Roman baths were built for Emperor Constantin's private use in the 4th century. While much of the complex has been built over…
7. Musée Réattu
0.12 MILES
This superb 150-year-old museum, housed in an exquisitely renovated 15th-century Hospitaller priory by the Rhône, might be assumed old-fashioned, yet its…
8. Espace Van Gogh
0.13 MILES
The 16th-century hospital where Van Gogh had his ear stitched on and was later locked up hosts the occasional exhibition (which attracts an entry fee). At…