Tarascon

Gérard MARIN, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Doesn't everyone who comes to Provence, want to find the real Provence?

Tarascon is an old place with narrow cobbled streets, shaded walkways, a castle, a legendary monster and has been immortalised in a series of novels by Alfonse Daudet.

It is also well connected with trains to/from Avignon, Nimes, Arles, Marseille, Narbonne and Portbou in Spain.

Highlights

An 'authentic' Provencal town off the beaten track

Station stroll ideas

If you have an hour or two to spare waiting for a train, why not go for a wander?

I've also made a downloadable PDF and accompanying google map which will give you a feel for the place and take in the sights.

Guided tours

Nope.

Luggage

If you want to stroll without a care in the world, including your luggage, you could try using Bounce to find a place that will take your bags.

Getting there

Tarascon is in between Avignon and Arles taking around 15 mins and 8 mins respectively.

Useful links

Tourist info: The town website ( http://www.tarascon.fr/ ) includes a tourism section which lists out hotels.

Map

Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments

Category: Cultural
Arles is a good example of the adaptation of an ancient city to medieval European civilization. It has some impressive Roman monuments, of which the earliest – the arena, the Roman theatre and the cryptoporticus (subterranean galleries) – date back to the 1st century B.C. During the 4th century Arles experienced a second golden age, as attested by the baths of Constantine and the necropolis of Alyscamps. In the 11th and 12th centuries, Arles once again became one of the most attractive cities in the Mediterranean. Within the city walls, Saint-Trophime, with its cloister, is one of Provence's major Romanesque monuments.

Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge

Category: Cultural
In the 14th century, this city in the South of France was the seat of the papacy. The Palais des Papes, an austere-looking fortress lavishly decorated by Simone Martini and Matteo Giovanetti, dominates the city, the surrounding ramparts and the remains of a 12th-century bridge over the Rhone. Beneath this outstanding example of Gothic architecture, the Petit Palais and the Romanesque Cathedral of Notre-Dame-des-Doms complete an exceptional group of monuments that testify to the leading role played by Avignon in 14th-century Christian Europe.

Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct)

Category: Cultural
The Pont du Gard was built shortly before the Christian era to allow the aqueduct of Nîmes (which is almost 50 km long) to cross the Gard river. The Roman architects and hydraulic engineers who designed this bridge, which stands almost 50 m high and is on three levels – the longest measuring 275 m – created a technical as well as an artistic masterpiece.

Tourist infomation

Here's a link to tourist information: Tourist info website

Plan your own trip

Why not plan your own trip one hop at a time with TripHop:

plan trip

Other great places