Doesn't everyone who comes to Provence, want to find the real Provence?
Tarascon is an old place with narrow cobbled streets, shaded walkways, a castle, a legendary monster and has been immortalised in a series of novels by Alfonse Daudet.
It is also well connected with trains to/from Avignon, Nimes, Arles, Marseille, Narbonne and Portbou in Spain.
Interactive Map
Luggage
I'm not aware of anywhere to put your luggage while you stroll - if you do know of somewhere - let me know, thanks.
Strolls
Town stroll (2K blue)
Leave the station and walk across the square.
At the end turn left onto Cours Aristide Briand
and then right at the roundabout onto Rue des Halles.
Just before you get to the narrow covered walkways, there's a statue on your right.
When Tartarin de Tarascon was released in 1877, the author Alfonse Daudet was warned that if he ever stepped foot in the town, he would probably get lynched. Now, the Tarasconnais have taken Tartarin (and maybe Alfonse as well) as one of their own. Now, there's even a Tartarin festival every June.
Then you get onto cobbles - from here on, the place will get older, narrower and more wiggly and on a hot day, you can take to the shaded walkways or halles.
At the end of Rue des Halles, turn left onto Rue du Chateau.
Walk to the end of this street (which used to be known as the Droite des Juifs).
and then we're at the Chateau
Around the right/north side is some of its battlements/moat.
Go around the left/south side and take a look at the river Rhone, not forgetting to say hello to the Tarasque, who according to legend, used to terrorise the locals, but now they are all good friends.
The bridge over the river goes to Beaucaire, which is a similar sized town with a castle and pretty little streets - almost a mirror image of Tarascon. If you would like to explore Tarascon's Occitan twin, you could cross here and follow the detour details below (red route on map).
Otherwise, using the crossing, head for the passageway (Place de la Concorde) on the right hand side of the church.
Follow the passage round the church leading onto the Rue de la Liberté, then wiggle left and right to stay on the same road.
At the end turn left onto Rue de la Poissonerie.
Then turn right onto Rue de la Mairie.
Walk through the Place du Marché and then turn right onto Rue Proudhon
and continue all the way to the end.
The boutique Souleido is up ahead selling clothes and accessories. Former customers seems to have included Princess Diana.
Keep going straight on until you get to the stone portico
Go though and turn right
and go down Boulevard Victor Hugo
all the way back to the station.
From Provence to Occitan - Beaucaire (3K extension red)
If your time in Provence has given you the desire to wander to other lands, why not cross the bridge and and head for Beaucaire in Occitan? Click on the down arrow for a map.
In the middle of the river is Barthelasse Island - which might remind you of something similar in Avignon.
When you reach the other side, you are met by the statue of a Camargue bull - a reminder you are now in Occitanie - people of the Langue d'Oc who are fiercely proud of their 'bovine heritage' and hold an annual bull running festival here.
The road is spliced in two by the Canal du Rhône à Sète, which unsurprisingly takes you all the way to Sète
Wander down the right hand side of the quay, past the moored up boats
to where the pavement widens out (Cours Gambetta). There's a market here on Thursdays and Sundays that trails through to Place Georges Clémenceau. Take the first alley on the right, Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville
then continue down the street/alley.
through into Place Georges Clémenceau which contains the Conservatoire. You could take either passage out of the Place, but let's go out via the narrow passage in the far corner.
Turn right and then up the little alley running to the right of the church of Notre Dame des Pommiers.
You'll emerge onto Rue de la République where you turn left
and then right to go along Place Raymond VII
which leads us to Château de Beaucaire which is open to the public.
Follow the road around the Château, which leads to parkland by the river.
Just before the river turn right and follow the riverside path back to the bridge.
If you are planning on travelling to Nimes, Narbonne or Portbou, you could catch the train from Beaucaire station, which is one stop up the line. If so, cross over the road and head onto Avenue de l'Écluse and follow it to the end (green toute on map).
Otherwise, let's go back to Tarascon and continue along the blue route above.
The road to Brexit (2K purple)
This little walk takes us to a quirky little bit of recent history. (Click the down arrow to see a map.)
Once you've crossed the bridge to Beaucaire take the Quai de la Paix, which is on the left side of the Canal du Rhône à Sète and then turn down Chemin Saint Joseph.
Turn left down Chemin des Abattoirs and keep going until you come to three-pronged fork in the road. Take the left road down Avenue de Matagot and continue until you've past the sewage works - as you may notice, this is more of a 'functional' area of town. Turn right down Rue Robert Schuman, named after one of the founders of the European Economic Community.
Before long you'll come to the Rue du Brexit on your right. The local Front National mayor Julien Sanchez had this road named in honour of the 2016 Brexit referendum result. It serves as a reminder that back then, there were strong pro-Nationalist and anti-EU feelings in countries like France and Netherlands as well as England.
Hmm, is that a sunlit upland?
A few metres down the road, there's another junction. It's the Rue du Brexit rejoining...
After you have finished going round in circles, retrace your steps back to where you started.
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