Things to Do in Arles

Located at the heart of historic Arles and once the site of a Roman Forum, the Place du Forum has served as the town’s political and social center since ancient times. Today, the public square remains an atmospheric spot, clustered with restaurants and cafés, and buzzing with life both day and night.

The Place du Forum has also earned a place in the limelight thanks to the iconic ‘Café la Nuit’, better known as ‘Café Van Gogh’, which stands on the square’s southeast corner. Famously immortalized in Van Gogh’s 1888 painting ‘Café Terrace at Night’, the café’s distinctive yellow façade and unmistakable lamp-lit terrace is an unmissable stop for art lovers following in the footsteps of Van Gogh.

As the inspiration behind iconic paintings like ‘Starry Night Over the Rhone’, Arles is a prime destination for Van Gogh fans visiting Provence and when it’s time to take a break from 

sightseeing, where better to stop for coffee than the Café Van Gogh? Immortalized in Van Gogh’s famous work ‘Café Terrace at Night’, painted in 1888, the lively café stands at the corner of the central Place du Forum and draws a steady stream of tourists to its now-iconic terrace.

The café, originally called ‘Café la Nuit’ but now better known as simply ‘Café Van Gogh’, has now fully embraced its dual role as eatery and tourist attraction. Today, the café façade has 

been repainted in bold yellow, mimicking its appearance in Van Gogh’s painting (an effect actually created by the bright café lighting against the darkness of the square) and its terrace 

carefully restored to maintain its original layout. Head there in the early morning to avoid the crowds, soak up the buzzing atmosphere at lunch time, or visit after dark for the ultimate Van Gogh-inspired photograph.