Arles, beyond the Image

For more than fifty years (the first edition took place in 1970), photography has found its way everywhere in Arles: into churches and cloisters, former industrial buildings, private mansions, and even the most unlikely places one would never have thought to visit. Every summer, the city becomes one vast exhibition space, offering a wonderful opportunity to discover its architectural heritage along the way. Then September arrives. The posters are still up, the exhibitions still open, but the streets begin to empty. And it is precisely at this moment that Arles reveals just how much more it is than its major annual photography festival.

The Rencontres nevertheless remain an excellent starting point. This year, some of our favourites took us to the Espace Van Gogh to discover Martine Barrat, who has been photographing a New York far removed from postcards since the 1970s, capturing the lives of Harlem and South Bronx residents up close. With children, stay on for R comme regarder, an exhibition centred on photography books for young readers and one simple idea: learning how to look.

At the Espace Croisière, Nous ne sommes pas seuls is one of those exhibitions that stays with you long after you leave. At the Espace Monoprix, we lingered over the work of Souleymane Bachir Diaw and Charlotte Yonga. At the Chapelle Saint-Martin-du-Méjan, Harry Gruyaert takes us elsewhere through colour, while Ghana!, at the Palais de l’Archevêché, offers yet another perspective on contemporary photography. And then there is Luma, with its giant slide and the Mécanique Générale: two must-visits, especially with younger visitors. Among the highlights is Modèle Animal, a funny, surprising and, at times, slightly unsettling exhibition.

But beyond the image, there is Arles itself.

And that is perhaps what has changed most over the past few years. Photography has not simply taken over the city for one summer season. In its wake have come galleries, foundations, bookshops, restaurants, cafés, hotels and independent shops that are now part of the Arles landscape. A buzz that does not disappear with the festival crowds. The streets may be less congested and the terraces able to breathe again, but the city itself remains very much awake.

Vague is a lovely example. Part gallery, part tea room, you might stop by to see an exhibition and end up lingering over a coconut-and-turmeric ice cream. A little further on, it is hard not to step inside the Fondation Lee Ufan. Set within the Hôtel de Vernon, the dialogue between the Korean artist’s work, the historic architecture and Tadao Ando’s intervention makes for one of the city’s most rewarding cultural detours. The visual journey continues at the Librairie du Palais, another Arles stop we never miss. Its particularly discerning selection of photography books brings together major names, emerging talents, monographs and gems from independent publishers. The kind of bookshop you enter “just to have a look” and rarely leave empty-handed.

Then it is back out onto the streets. A little shopping at Moustique, before heading to Place du Forum for a drink on the terrace of the Nord-Pinus, freshly renovated. An Arles institution that has weathered the decades and remains one of the best places from which to watch the city go by.

Allez Hop off to bed, chez Guillaume & Claudia

Le Voltaire, taken over in early 2025 by Guillaume Multrier and Claudia Lomma. An unpretentious address, freshly renovated, where the rooms embrace colour—even in the shower rooms, entirely tiled in sky blue, navy, beige, orange or brick. And because here, those who sleep also dine, the restaurant extends the spirit of the house with sharing plates, pizzettas and cheerful cooking. A great base, above all, for leaving the car behind and experiencing Arles on foot… Read More

Allez Hop off to table, chez Claudia

Just steps from the arena, Chez la Belge lives up to its name. Behind this little Arles eatery, which opened in May 2025, is Claudia Lomma—Italian by passport, Brussels-born by adoption and now an Arlésienne—who left the media world to step behind the counter. A career change that seems to suit her rather well (…) Read more

Allez Hop off to table, chez Coline

Oleti means “thank you” in the many Kanak languages of New Caledonia, its owner’s native land. Here, she serves simple, comforting dishes and sweet treats, including a pandan cookie with notes of vanilla and almond.

35, Rue Voltaire

Instagram

Allez Hop off to table, chez Céline

In Arles, Céline Pham has set down her knives in a former 13th-century chapel to open Inari. The cooking is market-led, direct and vibrant, bringing together French technique and Vietnamese influences with a real sense of freedom and spontaneity. (…) Read more

And then there is the terrace at l’Épicerie du Cloître, beneath a giant paulownia tree—always a good idea. Local produce, regional wines: the menu follows the seasons wherever they may lead. One of those places you keep coming back to without really having to think twice.

22, Rue du Cloître

Website

Allez Hop let’s indulge, chez Margaux

At Plage Plage, ice cream is made just the way we like it: artisanal, full of flavour and never quite where you expect it. The flavours play with the seasons and unexpected combinations. Cone or cup, it’s hard to resist.

6, rue de la Cavalerie

Instagram

Allez Hop and find out more

Office du tourisme d’Arles

Website

Rencontres d’Arles

Website