Visit Europe: France: Avignon

Avignon is one of the major cities of Provence in the south of France and one of the most relaxed and beautiful.

Marseille is an adrenaline-fuelled hive of activity, dominated by its port. Aix-en-Provence is chic and pricey. Arles is modest - a great town for art lovers and the gateway to the wild Camargue. But Avignon, the principal city in the "departement" of Vaucluse, sits on the bank of the great Rhône river exuding sensuality in the Provencal sunlight.

The Palais des Papes - a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Avignon is known world-wide as the city to which the popes fled from Rome in the 14th century. It's still dominated today by the monumental palace they constructed: Le Palais des Papes (the Palace of the Popes.) The world's largest Gothic building, it attracts visitors from all over the world, year-round. Today its huge stone halls are mostly empty but visitors come to see the impressive, towering scale of the Palace and feel its unique atmosphere. For those who want a look dans les coulisses (behind the scenes) there's a more detailed tour each weekend giving access to reception halls, the cloister, chapels and the popes' private apartment. Like the nearby St Bénezet bridge, the famed pont d'Avignon of the children's song, the Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Avignon - Pre-History, Roman History, Medieval History

The medieval town ramparts were constructed to repel the plague and invaders when Avignon was ruled by the papacy and not the French sovereign but the city pre-dates the popes by thousands of years. Originally, it attracted settlement because it sits at the point where the Rhone and Durance join and where crossing the wide expanse of water was easier than elsewhere. Strategically, it was a useful point for trade and communications.

In fact, with the discovery of troglodyte homes fashioned in caves in the rocher des dames, a great outcrop of rock above the river bank, archaeologists have shown that Avignon has been continuously settled since the stone age.

Roman influence on the city is still visible today even though much of their construction was long ago covered by new roads and buildings. You can see remains of the old Roman Forum in the west of the city near the Rue Saint-Etienne.

In the middle ages, Avignon, with its stone bridge for traversing the wide, fast-flowing Rhone, became a crucial centre of trade and communication. For this reason, it was a natural choice for the popes when they sought to establish themselves in France. Thereafter, the city also became a vital hub of religious and political activity. Builders, merchants, clergy, artists and their families all flooded into the growing city to create and benefit from its wealth. Dozens of chapels and palaces were built to house congregations, priests and cardinals and the city's residents today live and work in many of those historic buildings, some lovingly restored, others beautiful despite neglect.

Avignon Today - Festival, Rhone River Cruises, Museums and Galleries, Medieval Architecture, Café Culture

Today, visitors to Avignon are thrilled by the many monuments, museums and galleries, Rhone river cruises, wonderful history and architecture, along with great hotels to suit all budgets and a laid-back café and restaurant culture. Among many good restaurants are the one in the La Mirande hotel and the Restaurant Christian Etienne.

For summer visitors who love theatre, dance and music, July is the month to visit for three weeks of spectacular performances during the world-famous annual Avignon Festival.