Avignon (Vaucluse)

Located at the confluence of the Rhône and Durance rivers, Avignon is well known for its ramparts, its famous Pont Saint-Bénezet and the Palais des Papes. It is known as the City of the Popes. Avignon is a UNESCO world heritage site and home to the largest gothic palace in Europe.

The beauty of the medieval past in Avignon never ceases to delight. The ramparts, the magnificent Palace of the Popes, the sea of red-tiled roofs, clock-towers and steeples, and of course the graceful Pont d’Avignon create a magical setting.

Avignon, once the City of the Popes rivalling even Rome and for centuries a major artistic centre, is a marvellously preserved town, packed full of interesting museums, monuments, historical buildings, palaces, galleries, cafés and bars. It is a splendid place to explore especially during the months of July and August when the famous Festival of Dance, Music and Theatre is taking place.

The café-lined Place de l'Horloge is a good place to start and is the site of the imposing Hôtel de Ville and the Opéra. Just around the corner on the Place du Palais is the spectacular Palace of the Popes. Built primarily as a fortress it has a series of heavily fortified battlements that tower over the town, a tour of the Palace is a must for most visitors. To the east of the Palace of the Popes are the intriguing Quartier de la Banasterie and Place des Carmes a tangle of tiny streets dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries and now full of small cafés, bars, shops and interesting galleries.

The Avignon Opera house hosted Molière and his troupe in the 1700’s. Rebuilt in 1846 after a fire, the Opera House offers music, dance, theatre and opera performances throughout the entire year, and the well-balanced programming draws a wide audience.

The terraced gardens of the Rocher des Doms, perched above the Rhône, is where Avignon started. With its gleaming virgin on top of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-des-Doms, it is an imposing sight, as are its 2.5 miles of beautifully preserved ramparts.

Just outside the ramparts stands another attraction, the bridge of nursery-rhyme fame. Only four arches of the original 22 remain, together with a tiny Romanesque chapel, but still the 12th century Pont St-Bénezet inspires France's best known folksong. The famous 'Sur le pont d'Avignon, l'on y danse, l'on y danse ...' the 'Pont d'Avignon' is the bridge Saint Bénezet.

The little Romanesque chapel at the entrance to the Pont Saint Bénezet is now a museum, shop and ticket office. The Museum provides a vast overview of the history of the legendary bridge and its song.

Stroll the shopping streets in the pedestrian area, Joseph Vernet and St Agricol streets, the district of la Balance and the large Republic avenue where you will find a variety of well stocked luxury shops, ceramics and pottery, terracotta figurines, handicrafts, and other specialities of the region.

About the location

Located at the confluence of the Rhône and Durance rivers, Avignon is well known for its ramparts, its famous Pont Saint-Bénezet and the Palais des Papes.

Public transport available

• Airport Avignon-Caumont 7 km (Paris, 4 times a day and links to England)
• Airport Nîmes-Arles-Camargue 40 km
• Marseille International Airport at 70 km
• With new lines Avignon TGV Méditerranée is 2:40 Paris and 3h from Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Tourist information website

www.avignon-tourisme.com

Tourist information contact email

information@ot-avignon.fr

Tourist information switch board number

+33 (0)4 32 74 32 74

Tourist information address

41, Cours Jean Jaurès - BP 8, 84008 AVIGNON cedex 1

Local places of interest

Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes), Avignon (0.79 km)

The Palais des Papes is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. Dominating Avignon from a hill is one of the most notorious palaces in the Christian world. read more...

Cathedrale Notre-Dame des Doms (0.79 km)

First built in a pure Provencal Romanesque style in the 12th century, it was rebuilt in 1425, it is a marvel of stacked arches with a strong Byzantine flavour and is topped nowadays with a gargantuan Virgin Mary lantern - a 19th-century afterthought - that glows for miles around. The Baroque styling in the nave dates from 1670. Tha i''s the tomb of Pope John XXII in the center-left chapel.
read more...

St Benezet Bridge (Pont d'Avignon) (0.91 km)

The Pont d'Avignon, also known as the Pont St-Benezet, is a famous medieval bridge in the town of Avignon. read more...

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