Les Arénes
The Arena (or Amphitheater) is definitely the "center" of Arles. Built in the 1st Century AD, the Arena held 20,000 spectators in its original configuration. It is still used today to host Camargue-style bullfights, and much of the interior seating has been replaced with metal bleachers. But walking around the interior gives you a thrilling sense of what it would have been like with gladiators, wild animals, slaves and criminals, all fighting for their lives, cheered on by three levels of spectators.
Grand
entrance, the Arena
The interior, ground level
What's really surprising about this edifice is how much of it you can roam around! You can skulk in the dark corridors along the underside, all the way up to the towers looking out over Arles and the Rhone. I wish I could have seen it in use, perhaps with what is called "bull games" (the bulls aren't killed).
All the way around the Arena are homes, restaurants, and tourist shops. The vast majority were closed during the holidays, and only began to re-open on our last weekend. We did have a nice huge steak at Le Grillon.
