Tarascon
Tarascon is a lovely Provencal town situated between Arles and Avignon.
When you arrive in Tarascon the first thing you notice is the fabulous ‘King René’s chateau, a medieval chateau which has been built on the remains of a Roman castrum. The current chateau dates back to the 15th century. It is a very sturdy looking castle with crenulated walls and towers and it sits on the banks of the River Rhone.
Enter the town itself and explore the narrow streets which open up onto sunny squares filled with flowers, large plane trees and quite a number of Chusan palms adding an exotic touch. The square outside the tourist office is a nice example.
The church of St Martha is a striking church on the edge of town, near the castle. It is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Wander round the back where there are some circular roofs next to a buttress and various decorated spires - this was my favourite view of the church.
The Cloister of the Cordeliers is a lovely renaissance cloister built by a Franciscan Order of Monks, the order of the Cordeliers, so named for the three knots they tied in their ‘belt’.
Before the French Revolution there were as many as fifteen religious communities in Tarascon and so there are quite a number of religious buildings to visit here.
Some of the original ramparts still exist and also two of the three main gates. The Porte Condamine is particularly impressive and looks like a small castle. There were also originally four secondary gates and the Jarnegues gate still exists. Originally this was just a small gate through a tower but it was enlarged in 1646.
Tarascon like many Provencal towns has a large open square shaded by plane
trees. Market day is Tuesday morning, with an organic market on Friday mornings.
Visit Tarascon (Provence, Bouches-du-Rhone) travel, gites and hotels
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Places to visit near Tarascon, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Tarascon.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
15 km: Arles (Provencal town) 22 km: Avignon (Historic city and World Heritage Site) 29 km: Avignon airport (airport) 16 km: Baux-de-Provence (Most beautiful village) 2 km: Beaucaire (Town of art and history) 10 km: Fontvieille (Small Provence town) 27 km: Nimes airport (airport) 21 km: Pont du Gard (World Heritage Site) 14 km: Roman Arles (World Heritage Site) 19 km: Saint-Remy-de-Provence (Village and Glanum) 35 km: Uzes (Important town) 23 km: Villeneuve-les-Avignon (Town near Avignon)
See also Tarascon (version Francais)
