The Beautiful City In France Where Rick Steves Says You Can See The World Just Like Van Gogh

No travel guru — or anyone, really — knows Europe quite like Rick Steves. Want to eat the best meal of your life? He'll tell you where. Need to escape the tourist mayhem? He's got a long list of recommendations. Obsessed with art? Steves has a whole treasure trove of must-sees, from cities he calls "outdoor art galleries" to Europe's so-called "cultural capital." But if you really want to experience a place through an artist's eyes, Steves says there's one destination that stands out — Arles, France. And if you want to see the world exactly like Vincent van Gogh (minus the ear incident, of course), this is the place to do it.

It might sound odd that a Dutch-born artist had his biggest creative breakthrough in a sleepy French town, but that's exactly what happened. Van Gogh cranked out over 200 works here in just over a year, including the iconic Café Terrace at Night, inspired by an actual café you can still visit. But Arles isn't just some historical footnote — it's basically an open-air Van Gogh exhibit. "In Arles, you can walk the same streets he knew and see places he painted, marked by about a dozen steel-and-concrete 'easels,' with photos of the final paintings for then-and-now comparisons," Steves wrote in his blog.

Want to see where The Yellow House once stood? It's there. That tree-lined path from Jardin d'Eté? You can walk it yourself. Even the hospital where Van Gogh recovered after his infamous breakdown still stands, complete with a courtyard that looks straight out of one of his paintings. If you're after an artsy getaway with a side of tortured genius energy, Arles delivers. Just don't expect to leave with Van Gogh's talent — some things, unfortunately, can't be absorbed by osmosis.

Arles, France, might not seem like a buzzing destination at first glance, but this town is packed with things to do. Start at the open-air market, where you can pick up fresh flowers, baskets of produce, Spanish paella, and spices straight from North Africa — because why not take a culinary tour while you're at it? Then, make your way to the Arles Arena, an ancient amphitheater that's miraculously still standing, or sip a classic aperitif at the lively Forum Square. But if you want art to be the star of your trip, the Muséon Arlaten is a must, offering a deep dive into Arles' history, particularly its role in the Western Roman Empire.

Of course, if you're set on seeing Arles through Vincent van Gogh's eyes, that's absolutely doable. In addition to stopping by the Fondation Van Gogh Arles, which always has at least one original Van Gogh piece (plus contemporary works inspired by him), Rick Steves recommends grabbing a Van Gogh easel map from the tourist office. His route? Start at The Yellow House, move on to the Starry Night Over the Rhône easel — yes, it looks almost like the world-famous Starry Night — then do some people-watching at the Roman Arena, just as Van Gogh did.

If you want to lean into his more tortured artist era, stop by L'Espace Van Gogh, where an easel in the courtyard showcases his painting of the garden. And if you're up for a short trip, Monastery Saint-Paul de Mausole offers a replica of his room, plus real-life views of the fields and mountains he painted. As Steves puts it, "Walk in Van Gogh's footsteps and watch his paintings come to life."