The charming city of Arles, on the Grand Rhône River in Provence, has a fine Roman history dating back to Julius Caesar's invasion of the area when it rose to prominence as the region's commercial hub. The result, visible event today, is enormous public spaces and Les Arènes, an enormous Roman ampitheatre, as well as the Théâtre Antique, which provides an ideal setting for open-air dance, film and music festivals in the summer. Arles is also noted for its houses which strike a distinctive image of red barrel-tiled roofs, and shady twisting alleys too narrow to swing a cat!

Marseille has an equally lengthy history but today is a busy port town with a huge immigrant population and a rough reputation. Most tourists prefer the smaller more appealling coastal towns of the Cote d'Azur.

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