Arles cruise port: Rhône landing stage and getting around

Arles on the Rhône

Arles lies on the banks of the Rhône in Provence, combining riverside scenery with a historic city centre. Quai Lamartine is on the Rhône’s eastern bank, between Rue Marius Jouveau and Quai du 8 Mai 1945, opposite Place Lamartine. It was designated as a cruise ship landing stage in 2016; in 2019, the river vessel MS Van Gogh docked there. Scheduled ship calls may change over the course of the year due to changing navigation conditions.

Roman and medieval Arles

UNESCO lists Arles, with its Roman and Romanesque monuments, as a World Heritage Site; the city is also part of the serial World Heritage Site of the French Routes of Santiago de Compostela. The most striking landmark is the amphitheatre, dating from the late first century. The oval structure measures 136 by 107 metres and held around 21,000 spectators in antiquity. The Roman theatre was built about a century earlier, in the heart of the ancient city.

Beneath the modern city lie the Cryptoporticoes, underground galleries at the site of the former forum. They give a sense of the scale of Arelate’s public centre, even though the forum itself has not survived. The Baths of Constantine date from the early fourth century and have been partially excavated. Further periods meet at the Church of Saint-Trophime and its cloister: two Romanesque galleries from the twelfth century were joined by two Gothic ones in the fourteenth century. The former Roman and medieval cemetery of the Alyscamps is another historic site, with its church, chapels and avenue lined with sarcophagi.

Getting between the station and the old town

Place de la République is a central landmark in the city. From the station, Avenue Paulin Talabot leads towards the old town, passing Place Lamartine and continuing to the Porte de la Cavalerie entrance. Bus stops are opposite the station; the historic centre is a pedestrian zone and is not served by buses.

For regional air travel, Marseille Provence Airport in Marignane is a convenient option. On Rhône river cruises, Arles, Avignon and Lyon are among the French river cities along the route.