3 Best Sights in Provence, France

The remarkable single-arch Roman bridge, built in the 1st century, stands firm across the Ouvèze River.

Unlike the London Bridge, this other subject of a childhood song (and a UNESCO World Heritage site) stretches only partway across the river. After generations of war and flooding, only half of the arched pont (bridge) remained by the 17th century. Its first stones were allegedly laid with the miraculous strength granted St-Bénezet in the 12th century, and it once reached all the way to Villeneuve. It's a bit narrow for dancing "tous en rond" (round and round), and the traditional place for dance and play was under the arches. You can climb along its high platform for broad views of the Old Town ramparts. The ticket price includes an audio guide or tablet, and the latter (for which you'll need to show your passport or driver’s license) illustrates how the bridge appeared in medieval times.

He immortalized many everyday objects and captured views still seen today, but van Gogh's famous painting of the Langlois Bridge over the Canal d'Arles à Bouc—on the southern outskirts of Arles, about 3 km (2 miles) from the Old Town—seems to strike a particular chord among locals. Bombed in World War II, the bridge has been restored to its former glory.