When roars of approval thunder around the bullring at Arles, France, during the city’s Easter Feria (April 10-13), it’s not always the matador being cheered on. The people of the Camargue couldn’t be prouder of their bulls: wild ones, descended from Roman stock, roam the region’s salt marshes; the families who breed them for the corrida are Arlesian royalty; and the great annual celebration of tauromachy (bullfighting) attracts toreadors from across the globe. Until the fifth century, gladiators and hunters stalked the vast arena, which seats 20,000 spectators.
See. Away from the bullring, Arles is a quintessential southern French town, with its café-lined Place du Forum, immortalised by Van Gogh, and a mile-long weekend market. Vincent lived and worked in the city in the year before his death, painting more than 200 canvases in 15 months. Arles and the surrounding area are signposted with yellow plaques and reproductions of his work.
Sleep. L'Hôtel Particulier, a chic hotel with a splendid courtyard, is down a cobbled side street close to the action. From its walled garden to its individually styled rooms, every aspect of Jardins Secrets in nearby Nîmes resonates with romance. Set among the villages and vineyards of Provence, L'Oustau de Baumanière, about 45 minutes from Arles, is famed for its multiple Michelin-starred French cuisine. Its light and airy rooms effortlessly blend the hotel's 17th-century origins and hand-made furniture with modern-day, surround-sound extras. View more images and book these hotels at Mr & Mrs Smith.
