France – Tarascon (En)
Tarascon, located on the banks of the Rhone, between Avignon and Arles, has no less than twenty-six sites classified as Historical Monuments. It continues to seduce visitors with its traditional charm and exceptional architectural heritage.
Where to stay
We stayed at Camping Tartarin (43.80899, 4.6556 lat, long), located next to Tarascon Castle and the Rhone River, a walk to see the entire centre. We paid 18.50 euros per day with the Acsi card. The campsite has two blocks with showers, toilets and an area to wash dishes. I recommend the block next to the restaurant for showers since the water pressure is better. The area for emptying and filling water is easy and good. The plots are huge. The restaurant sells bread, pastries and drinks and on weekends it does bingo (we couldn’t play because we didn’t understand anything, it’s in French) and karaoke. It also has a tennis table we enjoyed a lot, a barbecue area and a pool that was not yet full. My only drawback is that the shower water was cold for me! less than warm.
What to see
We went to see the city walking with Asha, in the old town with its picturesque winding streets, we found the Monastery of the Visitation, the town hall, and the Souleiado Museum that explains the history and origins of Provençal textiles with no less than 40,000 plates of drawings, the Chapel Saint Julien de Boulbon, the theatre and the Porte Saint-Jean.
Sainte-Marthe Church from the 12th century was expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries. Its crypt presents Marthe’s relics in a sarcophagus from the 4th century. Damaged during World War II, it has been partially restored. Of Provençal Romanesque style, it was listed as a Historical Monument in the 19th century.
The Castle of Tarascon or King René is considered one of the most beautiful medieval castles in the country. It was built by Louis II of Anjou in the 15th century and was completed by his son, who left it his name. The current building consists of two independent parts, a stately home bordered by round and square towers, and a low court. The entrance cost 8 euros when we went it was closed for lunch, it is free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month.
What to eat
We were lucky enough to see the local products market where the most typical things in the area are white asparagus, strawberries and some sausages called andouillette made of pork, peppers, wine, onions and spices. We bought both white asparagus and sausage to try, and I have to say that the asparagus was delicious, but we didn’t like the andouillette very much. We cooked it with spinach with bechamel and cheese, which was delicious.
We left Tarascon and went to Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux an ancient fortified town in Provençale Drôme, it possesses a magnificent medieval heritage which you can see in the next blog!
