Van Gogh Café (Le Café de Nuit) Tours and Activities

As the inspiration behind iconic paintings like ‘Starry Night Over the Rhone’, Arles is a prime destination for Van Gogh fans visiting Provence and when it’s time to take a break from

sightseeing, where better to stop for coffee than the Van Gogh Café (Le Café la Nuit? Immortalized in Van Gogh’s famous work ‘Café Terrace at Night’, painted in 1888, the lively café stands at the corner of the central Place du Forum and draws a steady stream of tourists to its now-iconic terrace.

The café, originally called ‘Café la Nuit’ but now better known as simply ‘Café Van Gogh’, has now fully embraced its dual role as eatery and tourist attraction. Today, the café façade has

been repainted in bold yellow, mimicking its appearance in Van Gogh’s painting (an effect actually created by the bright café lighting against the darkness of the square) and its terrace

carefully restored to maintain its original layout. Head there in the early morning to avoid the crowds, soak up the buzzing atmosphere at lunch time, or visit after dark for the ultimate Van Gogh-inspired photograph.