In Arles, Provence, Meet Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Starry Night

The impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh lived in the ancient city of Arles for 15 months and created two to three hundred oil paintings. It was the most productive period in his life. It was during this period that Van Gogh created his masterpiece Sunflowers. The sunflower fields are located outside the city, mainly on the sides of the Rhone River in the northern suburbs of Arles. To go to the sunflower fields in Arles, you need to drive or participate in a local tour. The flower fields are located along the main road from Arles to Avignon. You can also arrange the trip on the day.

Arènes d'Arles is the most prominent landmark in the small town. It was built around the end of the first century AD. It is 136 meters long and 107 meters wide with two floors and 60 arches on each floor. It will remind you of the scene in the movie Gladiator. Once filled with bloody fighting slaves, criminals and wild animals, it is now used only as a venue for bullfighting and celebrating. Van Gogh got inspiration from here and created the famous painting "Les Arènes" with his memories of the place. From April to the end of October, there were often bullfights in Arènes d'Arles at that time. Les Arènes is now in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Van Gogh Center in Arles is also known as Espace Van Gogh, a hospital where Van Gogh lived because of his mental disorder. With the increase in the number of visitors pursuing the footprints of Van Gogh, the hospital was moved to another place, and this place was changed to an attraction. In April 1889, Van Gogh painted the "Courtyard of the Hospital in Arles", which depicts the scene of the hospital's atrium garden. It is recommended to go to the second floor to overlook the garden. The scene in the garden is as strong as the colors in the painting. There are also cafes and souvenir shops for Van Gogh.

Van Gogh Cafe and "Cafe Terrace at Night"

Le Café Van Gogh on Place du Forum in Arles is the location of Van Gogh's famous painting "Cafe Terrace at Night", which still retains almost the same appearance from that time. It is also the most important stop on the "Van Gogh Road" in Arles. Because of Van Gogh's "Cafe Terrace at Night", it is also known as the night cafe. The inconspicuous cafe is said to be the inspiration for Van Gogh, who often came here to create his works, and even lived here sometimes. Cafe Terrace at Night is currently in the Kroeller-Mueller Museum in the Netherlands.

Van Gogh Bridge: the bridge in "Langlois Bridge at Arles with Women" Van Gogh Bridge is located 3km south of Arles, and is also the bridge in Van Gogh's famous painting "Langlois Bridge at Arles with Women". However, the old bridge was destroyed, and the current one was rebuilt in 1960. There is a display board of this painting next to the bridge for everyone to compare it with. However, the attraction is located far away from the old city and you need to get there by bus, or spend about 1 hour walking there and back. But if you are not a big fan of Van Gogh, you can also skip this attraction. Langlois Bridge at Arles with Women is currently in the Kroeller-Mueller Museum in the Netherlands.

Van Gogh stayed for two years in the Maison de Santé Saint-Paul de Mausole in St-Rémy de Provence. It used to be a monastery, and Van Gogh created as many as 148 paintings there, including his masterpieces "Irises" and "Starry Sky". For this reason, it is also a holy place among his fans. Now the hospital has rebuilt his ward and opened it to visitors. The garden and Romanesque monastery he painted in his works are also available for visitors to go see. Starting from the gate of the monastery, there is a promenade marked with colored signs, showing the place where the great artist used to create his works.

Van Gogh once created the painting "Starry Night Over the Rhone" on the Rhone River in Arles. The painting created in 1888, was the second attempt by Van Gogh to try painting a night scene. The blue sky and river are dotted with yellow lights and stars, with a couple walking along the river hand in hand, constituting a typical romantic night on the Rhone. When this painting is put together with "Starry Night", it forms a montage series of Van Gogh's starry night works. The beautiful composition of the picture is created by combining the real town and Van Gogh's idealism. In addition, this painting is also the inspiration for the folk singer Don Mclean's famous song "Vincent".