Avignon

Avignon is like the hub of a wheel to all the major attractions that Provence can offer.

Let’s start with Avignon itself:

There is the Popes’ Palace, so tall that you can see it from far away, an iimpressive cluster of towers, a citadel within the walled city, the attempt of the French crown to fix the papacy in Avignon for good, promoting Avignon to become the duration of a century (from 1309 to 1377) the capital of Christianity. Almost all rooms at La Mirande offer a close and romantic view from different angles of this World Heritage monument, the world’s largest Gothic palace.

There are the ramparts build by the Popes in the 14th century still entirely encircling the old town, kept and restored through the ages because in modern times still useful as barrier against the floods from the Rhône.

There is the cathedral, Notre Dame des Doms with its amazing blend of Baroque and Romanesque architecture inside, the splendid view from its doorsteps’ esplanade and the beautiful public gardens of the Rocher des Doms some 30 meters above the river dominating the city and surrounding countryside with the famous Mont Ventoux in the distance.

And, “bien sûr”, there is the Pont d'Avignon, the broken bridge, only four arches left of twenty-two, build in 1234 and destroyed by a catastrophic flood in 1669. It is this bridge that the famous song “Sur le pont d’Avignon, on y danse, on y danse”. You can watch here a 3-D reconstruction:

bit.ly/pont-avignon

Notre Dame des Doms

Le Pont Saint-Bénezet

Montée au Rocher des Doms

There are a number of interesting museums to visit, in order of importance: Petit Palais, Musée Calvet, Angladon, Collection Lambert and there is a thriving theatre festival in July involving the whole city with up to 1500 different performances to choose from every day.

Musée du Petit Palais

Musée Angladon

Musée Calvet