Pont de Trinquetaille

The Pont de Trinquetaille links the old centre of Arles with the district of Trinquetaille on the right bank of the Rhône, and it is one of the places where the city's history and Van Gogh's work meet. The crossing has been important for a very long time. Arles grew up here because it was the lowest point where the river could be conveniently crossed, and for centuries the town had little more than a bridge of boats. The iron bridge that stood here in Van Gogh's day was destroyed in the Second World War, so the span that carries traffic today is a later replacement, while the stone stairs that led down to the quay are what remain of the scene he knew.

Van Gogh lived in Arles between February 1888 and May 1889, and in the autumn of 1888 he painted the quays and the stairs of the Trinquetaille bridge, showing figures on steps, the iron structure and the activity between the two banks. These works are part of the group of paintings that Arles marks on its Van Gogh trail, and visitors who stand on the quay can see why he found the view appealing: the river, the line of the stairs and the lamps and the figures climbing, which make a lively composition. The Quai de la Roquette on the old town side is where the artist set up, and walking there you get the same angle on the stairs.

The view from the bridge is a good way to see the city. Upstream and downstream the Rhône is broad and slow, with the roofs of the old town rising on one side and the plane trees and houses of Trinquetaille on the other. In the evening the light on the water recalls the Starry Night over the Rhône that Van Gogh painted a little further along the same riverbank. Trinquetaille is also a district with Roman roots, and the Arles Antique Museum, which stands on the river farther west and holds a Roman barge found in the Rhône, helps explain how important the river was in antiquity.

The bridge is an easy part of a day in Arles. From here it is a short walk to the Arles Amphitheatre, the Théâtre Antique d'Arles and the Cryptoportique, and the Musée Réattu stands on the same riverbank. The Van Gogh Foundation, the Church of St. Trophime and the Musée de l'Arlesienne are all within the old town.

Crossing costs nothing, and it suits walkers, art lovers and photographers, especially around sunset. Beyond the town lies the Camargue Regional Natural Park, a short drive to the south.