Arles

At the gateway to the Camargue stands the grand city of Arles. It still bears the fantastical monuments of its Roman heritage. There's a colossal amphitheater, the Les Arènes d'Arles, stained by age but formidable even after 2,000 years. There's the half-crumbled Thermes de Constantin, bathhouses where Roman nobles would once have shared secrets and stories. There’s the stately Place de la République, housing prominent churches, the Town Hall and an Obelisk that is said to date back to ancient Troy.

But that swirl of ancient porticoes and colonnades and arches is just the beginning of things. Arles tour guides are often quick to quip that this is the city of Van Gogh. The Dutch master painted many of his greatest works in the town – here a fiery nocturnal vision of the Café La Nuit, there a hazy glimpse of the dancing flowerbeds in the Old Arles hospital, now the Espace Van Gogh Art institution.

Life in Arles is a charm on its own, though. Even if you don't seek art spots or colossal Roman monuments, you can munch on croissants in sidewalk cafes and taste the tuna-rice of the Camargue in al fresco bistros under the stars. And talking of the Camargue, there are Arles tour guides at hand to help you explore the surrounding region. It's a beautiful patchwork of shingle beaches, wetlands, and grassy meadows that spreads out to the south.