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 Avignon:
Tourist office website.
Location: Situated on the Rhône river just where the A6 Autoroute du
Soleil splits into the A7 and A9. Park in one of the car parks just off
the ring road beside the river and walk into the centre of town.
Description: Known as the city of the popes, Avignon is famous for the
Palais des Papes (pictured), a Unesco world heritage site and the largest gothic
palace in Europe. The Palais des Papes (literally the palace of the
popes) was built in the 14th century when the pope’s court was
transferred from Rome during the “Great Schism”. The city's old town is
a maze of narrow streets - visit La Place de l'Horloge for cafes and
restaurants with street vendors entertainment.
Our
recommendations: We had a lovely time across the river in Villeneuve
les Avignon, a delightful medieval village where one can find many of
the extravagant mansions of the former Cardinals. You may also like to
make a detour to
Châteauneuf du
Pape, a few miles up river, to sample the delights
of the wine produced there.
For the children: There is also a
lovely traditional merry-go-round just off the main square at €2 a ride
and mini bikes and go-karts suitable for the under 6’s can be hired in
the gardens up behind the Papal Palace. There is also a children’s
playground there.
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Our favourite towns in
Provence:
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Aix-en-Provence
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Avignon
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Arles
-
Nîmes
Also worth a visit are
Uzès (classical Renaissance
architecture) and Fontaine de Vaucluse (ancient water wheels, five
museums, artists' studios and the Moulin à Papier paper mill). And
check out our
Roman section. |
Provence
Towns
For
the best towns and villages in France the area of Provence is tough to
rival. Maybe the Dordogne can better it in terms of overall charm,
but for historical significance, towns in Provence have no equal in the
whole of France. The closeness of Italy is reflected strongly, with
towns such as Avignon showing the influence of the Church in Rome and many
examples of Roman architecture throughout the region.