Weekend in Arles or Avignon? Festivals, atmosphere, good addresses… Everything you need to know to decide between them

They have in common a shore on the Rhône, an illustrious heritage, a Provençal art of living, the proximity of natural spaces of insolent beauty and a heat (let’s be honest) overwhelming in summer, but which in no way diminishes their power of seduction. We review the highlights of Avignon and Arles, two destinations in the spotlight as their famous festivals get underway. By immediately spoiling the result of the match: it will be drawn as each has advantages.

The essential visits: city of the popes or ancient city?

Avignon can boast a unique history in Provence: the installation of the Popes in the 14th century. The largest Gothic construction of the Middle Ages, the Palais des Papes continues to take visitors’ breath away and a myriad of churches, bell towers and convents give the city within the walls a crazy charm.

On the history side, Arles holds its own with an ancient heritage worthy of its status as the former economic capital of the Roman province called Narbonnaise. The grandiose arenas and ancient theater still host events and the Arles Antique Departmental Museum is constantly enriched thanks to excavations carried out by its own archaeological service. The alleys of the historic center, lined with private mansions with large almond green or lavender shutters, flatter the eye.

Festivals: performing arts or photography?

Every summer, Avignon is transformed into a mecca for live performance with two festivals. On the one hand, the Avignon Festival, the In, continues to be this essential meeting place for creation where theater now shares the bill with other disciplines such as dance. This summer, 35 shows and 2 exhibitions are scheduled, more than half with international artists. It is the Spanish director Angélica Liddell, known for her radical performances, who will open the 2024 edition in the main courtyard of the Palais des Papes.

On the other hand, the Off Avignon festival is dizzying with more than 1,300 companies investing a hundred stages, a profusion of disciplines (theater, dance, circus, magic, etc.) and a record number of shows, 1,666 this year, compiled in a thick catalog that we exchange, complicitly, on the terraces of cafés.

Due to the Olympic Games, the two festivals have brought forward their dates this year.

Festival d’Avignon : from June 29 to July 21, 2024.

Festival Off Avignon : from July 3 to 21, 2024.

Further south, for more than fifty years, Les Rencontres d’Arles has celebrated contemporary photographic creation with a high-level program that stretches throughout the summer. Churches, abbey, museums, garden, Luma Tower… Very different places exhibit the great names of the 8th art, with this summer a look at the pulses of the world. In particular, we will be able to discover the first world retrospective dedicated to Mary Ellen Mark, American documentary and portrait photographer, explorer of the margins.

Arles photography meetings : from 1^is July to September 29, 2024. Day package for all exhibitions: €40 in July-August

The atmosphere: festive or casual chic?

Avignon is a party, especially during the festival when the off companies walk the streets to promote their shows. The eclectic program attracts a large audience and the atmosphere is good-natured.
> > For who ? With friends, as a couple, alone, with families too (many shows for young people). A very busy event.

In summer, a relaxed chic atmosphere reigns in the streets of Arles, particularly during the inauguration week of the Meetings with many art photography professionals. An image quickly erased when the crowded arenas vibrate in front of the Camargue races and a joyous mix of audiences takes place.
> > For who ? With friends, as a couple, alone.

Contemporary art and culture: Lambert Collection or Luma Arles?

With its tall, unstructured steel tower by Frank Gehry, Luma Arles is perhaps the palace the city was missing. With this center of creation, meetings and exhibitions, the collector and patron Maja Hoffmann has made Arles a capital of contemporary art which attracts amateurs and curious visitors. In his wake, the South Korean artist Lee Ufan chose Arles to open his foundation in 2022.

Less publicized, another great collector, Yvon Lambert, chose Avignon 20 years ago to present an exceptional collection of major works from the second half of the 21st century. Minimal and conceptual art, painting from the 80s, photography and video are represented there. Probably more accessible to neophytes than Luma Arles, the Lambert Collection also organizes ambitious exhibitions. With this gem and the hosting at the Palais des Papes of summer exhibitions by renowned artists such as Ernest Pignon-Ernest, Eva Jospin or Miss.Tic this summer, Avignon is a legitimate stopover for the contemporary art public.

On the ground of Provençal culture, Arles remains unbeatable. Guardian of Provençal and Camargue traditions, with the Arlaten museum in particular, it brings them to life in the arenas during the Camargue races or during the election of the Queen of Arles, ambassador of a strong culture to which the people of Arles remain attached.

Getaways: Ventoux and Luberon or Camargue and Alpilles?

Clearly visible from Avignon, the giant of Provence quickly catches the eye of visitors. From the papal city, you can also explore the procession of pretty villages that surround it (Brantes, Sault, Le Barroux, etc.) or those on the plain like Venasque or Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. To the west of Ventoux, the Dentelles de Montmirail offer a lovely area for walks between sharp ridges and vineyard hillsides. On the opposite side, to the east, the Monts de Vaucluse and the Luberon are dotted with chic villages: Gordes, Ménerbes, Lacoste, Lourmarin, etc.

Arles is the gateway to the Camargue, a mosaic of land and water with a wild and rugged beauty that disappears into the sea. Also nearby, the Alpilles, this small massif festooned with white ridges where valleys abound pine and olive groves. Always with precious places: Saint-Rémy de Provence, Baux-de-Provence…

Difficult to choose? Only 40 kilometers separate Arles from Avignon (the Alpilles are also close to the papal city). You can therefore easily combine the two cities during a stay, by putting down your suitcases in one of them.

Tables to remember

TO AVIGNON

First edition
No fuss, this restaurant serves fresh, creative and precise cuisine.
2-course lunch menu: €23.
First edition, 5 rue Prévot, 84000 Avignon. Such. : 04 84 14 59 85

Pollen
Starred since 2021, the young chef Mathieu Desmaret signs a simple and sincere score, nourished by his childhood gastronomic memories and his current favorites. “Carte blanche” menu: lunch: €50; dinner: €100
Pollen, 18 rue Joseph Vernet, 84400 Avignon. Tel.: 04 86 34 93 74.

IN ARLES

Inari
A prominent nomadic chef, highly prized by major luxury brands, Céline Pham opened this bistro restaurant in 2023. There, she skillfully blends French tradition and Vietnamese culinary heritage. 2-course lunch menu: €35.
Inari, 16 Place Voltaire, 13200 Arles. Tel.: 09 82 27 28 33.

La Chassagnette
Unbeatable with its lost farmhouse in the heart of the Camargue and its locavore menu, Armand Arnal’s restaurant is well worth the twenty-minute drive from the center of Arles. The menu is a rural journey, enjoyed near the star chef’s prodigious vegetable garden. Menu in 6 notes: €121 (vegetable only) or €143.
La Chassagnette, route du Sambuc, 13200 Arles. Such. : 04 90 97 26 96

Luxury accommodation to fall in love with

TO AVIGNON

The Baumanière Priory
Opposite Avignon, on the other side of the Rhône, the Priory of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon is housed in a former 19th-century monastery. We appreciate the flowery and shaded garden, the pleasant swimming pool and the refinement of a Baumanière address (gastronomic and hotel institution of the Alpilles). An ideal address to recharge your batteries in the summer heat. From €283 for a double room with breakfast. 38 rooms.
The Priory, 7 place du Chapitre, 30400 Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. Tel.: 04 90 15 90 15.

IN ARLES

The particular hotel
In the city center, this 19th century house cultivates elegance with immaculate rooms furnished with some noble and antique pieces. The essentials ? The light, the view of the garden, the fluid lines. Delicious swimming pool in the shade of yew trees, spa and hammam. From €409 for a double room. Breakfast: €30. 17 rooms.
The Private Mansion, 4 rue de la Monnaie, 13200 Arles. Tel.: 04 90 52 51 40.

IN IMAGES, IN PICTURES – Arles, the photo report of Figaro Magazine (2021)