Arles – A Provençal Town with World-Class Art
by Marieke Hoppe · 9 Feb 2024
Why a small town in the French Provence is an unparalleled attraction for art and culture lovers.
Did you know that Arles, much more than just the capital of the Camargue, has evolved into a vibrant center for art, design, and architecture? Our road trip took us on a beautiful spring day in February from a village in the middle of the Provence to Arles – unaware of the extraordinary discoveries that awaited us. Our plan: a day at the LUMA museum and a night at the Hotel L’Arlatan.
From afar, we could already recognize the new landmark of the city, LUMA in Arles.
LUMA Arles: A Beacon of Contemporary Art
LUMA is a visionary cultural center that has been a bastion of contemporary art and new media since its opening in 2018, funded by the LUMA Foundation under the patronage of Maja Hoffmann.
Designed by Frank Gehry, the center’s main building, standing 56 meters tall and reminiscent of a shimmering diamond, captures the light of Provence with its reflective facade.
Inside its walls, works like Carsten Höller’s “Isometric Slides” and Olafur Eliasson’s monumental, rotating ceiling mirror blur the lines between artistic experience and physical space.
The grounds, the ‘Parc des Ateliers’ – invite for cultural experiences and relaxation in nature.
Surrounded by the Camargue, the Crau, and the Alpilles, the LUMA Tower stands in the Parc des Ateliers, a former railway site transformed into a green oasis with cafes and restaurants.
The exhibitions at LUMA Arles showcase the diversity of the modern art scene, freely accessible to everyone.
Above all, the invitation to encounter: whether in the context of art, nature, or throughout the entire grounds.
The top floor of the LUMA Tower serves as an observation platform with breathtaking views of Arles’ historic core and its two amphitheaters.
Maja Hoffmann – The Visionary behind the LUMA Foundation and the City Arles.
Maja Hoffmann has transformed her father’s passion for nature into a love for art, enriching Arles with a Van Gogh Museum, two renovated hotels including Hotel L’Arlatan, and a gourmet restaurant.
The Hotel L’Arlatan – A Jewel in the Heart of the Old Town.
Cuban-American artist Jorge Pardo transformed the hotel into a livable artwork, painting walls, doors, and furniture and laying 6,000 square meters of mosaic tiles from nearly two million handmade fragments.
Every piece of furniture is a signed piece of art. The restoration required a team of 30 painters, architects, designers, and carpenters, and the hotel stands over the ruins of a Roman basilica discovered in the late 1980s.
The hotel, with rooms starting from 149 EUR per night, offers an unparalleled opportunity to live and sleep in a unique artwork.
Arles: A Microcosm of Inspiration
A short trip to Arles was not just a beautiful break for us; this small town proves that art and culture have the power to transform spaces and profoundly connect people.