Orange is the northernmost site of the WHS hotspot in Provence. As mentioned by other reviewers, the city has not much to offer apart from the Roman Theatre and the Triumphal Arch. Thus, a half day is enough time to properly visit the site.

The Roman Theatre is the main sight in Orange, the stage wall is amazingly well-preserved. But there are only sparse remains of the original decoration: a few pillars and the imperial statue of Augustus in the central niche. Some more finds of the archaeological excavations are shown in the nearby museum. “The finest wall in my kingdom”, as Louis XIV has described the theatre. We sat down on one of the upper terraces, listened to the audio guide, and we tried to imagine how the stage might have looked almost 2000 years ago. The theatre is still a venue for concerts and performances, it houses the summer opera festival Chorégies d'Orange. As an opera fan, I would love to see a performance, but unfortunately June was too early, the festival was in July and August. The terraces for the spectators were carved out the hillside, favourable for the stability of the construction and the acoustics, but only the first three of the original rows have been preserved.

The Triumphal Arch (photo) is just a short distance from the city center in the middle of a roundabout. The reliefs and decorations are very well preserved. Restoration work was carried out a few years ago and the arch appears again in bright white.