Visit Avignon & the Popes’ Palace a UNESCO world heritage site in Provence

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

At the crossroads of Provence and Occitanie regions, near the Mediterranean, the Camargue, the Luberon and the Alpilles, Avignon is the ideal place to stay for a getaway and visit Provence.

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, the renown Popes’ 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 (Le pont Saint-Bénézet), 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

Terroir, wine & gastronomy

There are many farmers’ markets in Avignon. You can meet some of them at Les Halles market every morning or at the market in the center of the city on Saturday morning.

Visit the Manguin distillery on l’Île de la Barthelasse (facing the Pont d’Avignon) and you will discover excellent spirits! From the Alpilles to the Luberon, explore many olive-oil farm properties.

De nombreux chefs talentueux œuvrent chaque jour et rendent hommage aux produits locaux et de saison et la région ne regroupe pas moins de 20 chefs étoilés en Provence.

Inaugurée Capitale des côtes du Rhône le 30 août 2014, Avignon regorge de sublimes vignobles tout autour ; Châteauneuf du Pape, Cairanne, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Beaumes de Venise, Ventoux, Luberon…

There are many talented chefs paying tribute to local and seasonal produce. The region has no less than 20 Michelin-starred chefs in Provence.

On August 30th 2014, Avignon was recognized as the capital of the Côtes du Rhône.

Avignon is surrounded by beautiful vineyards all around; Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cairanne, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Beaumes de Venise, Ventoux, Luberon...

Wine is also present in Avignon’s museums. “au pot de grès” still-life by Paul Cézanne and a drawing by Pablo Picasso illustrating a bottle of wine are displayed within Jacques Doucet’s collection in the Angladon museum.