Looking for a little Roman history during you stay in Provence? Look no further than the city of Orange, located 20km north of Avignon.
The town itself is quite small, but has been made famous by its extremely large and impressive Théâtre Antique, or Roman Theatre. Like most Provençal towns they also have a popular Thursday market, however there is no question that the theatre is the main (and perhaps only) attraction.
The theatre wall is truly enormous. Apparently even Napoleon refused to tear it down because he was so impressed by its sheer size. When you stand just across the street, it is really quite a sight - just a giant wall towering over this tiny town. It almost seems like a massive factory or hospital, but then you look around the corner and there is no more building, just open space where you can only see upper most rows of the theatre seats.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Roman Theatre is one of the best-preserved theatres of its kind in the world. Built in the 1st century, walking around the theatre gives you a good idea of what Roman Civilization was like. It seemed pretty fun (but maybe not the killing part!) Knowing that there are still performances in the theatre to this day also gives the experience a lot more meaning - it's not just another big stone building preserved only for looking, not touching.
Once you've paid the admission, I highly recommend getting an audio guide. It is totally worth it to pay a little extra for the commentary. Because the theatre is still in use today, there are not very many historical facts or information posted up to guide you, this would get in the way of spectators/performers. To kick off the tour there is a film that gives a good overview of the theatre's 2000-year-old history, then you can just explore as you please.
In addition to your audio guide, take time to just sit and absorb the magnitude of this space. It's so big! I climbed all the way to the very top of the stairs, walked from one side to the other and it is quite breathtaking looking down at all the rows. Some fellow visitors were even experiencing a fear of heights - it really is quite steep. What impressed me was how no matter where I stood, it was hard to photograph an entire piece of the theatre. The wall, the seating, it's all too big! I'm not the biggest fan of old monuments, but it's hard not to be impressed with this.
Open year-round as a museum, the theatre still host’s concerts, operas, festivals, plays, etc. If you want to catch a performance on you visit to Provence, 'Les Chorégies D'Orange' is an annual festival that starts July 7th and runs through to August 4th. This is one of the oldest festivals in France and dates back to the 1860s. To see a performance here would be truly remarkable - the theatre has unbelievable acoustics and can hold 9,000 spectators. Tickets and more information can be found here.
For the price of admission, you can visit the Théâtre Antique and the Art & History Museum across the street. The museum is not very big, so it's more of a ‘bonus’ to the theatre. There are some cool pieces in there, like the town's old Roman land registry and even ornamental remains from the theatre. Interesting to see, but overall not as memorable as the theatre.
It will cost you 9,5€ for an adult ticket and 7,5€ for a reduced price ticket (children, student, etc.). From June to August, the theatre is open from 9h to 19h but this schedule may be subject to change depending on evening performances.
Another important Roman monument in Orange is the l’Arc de Triomphe. The road leading into town goes around it and it is neat to take a quick walk around the big stone structure. Also, I recommend parking at the free parking lot right beside it – there is free parking in town, but even on a quiet Sunday it was impossible to find a spot. The parking at l’Arc de Triomphe has lots of spaces and is only a five-minute walk to the theatre.