Location: Avignon
Top Things to do in Avignon
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The 7 Best Historic Sites in Avignon, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
Avignon charms visitors with its ancient streets, restored medieval ramparts and the immense Gothic architecture of the Palais des Papes (Palace of Popes—the papacy was based here in the 14th century). The annual Festival d'Avignon, a major arts festival, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors for theater, dance, film and street performances.
Restaurants in Avignon
1. Palais des Papes
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10,840 reviews
The residence of the soveriegn pontiffs in the 14th century is the largest Gothic Palace in the world. 25 areas to visit : ceremonila halls, chapels, cloister, the Pope's provate apartments with their priceless frescos, as well as a scenographic area, the Musée de l'Oeuvre, wich presents the development and history of the building since it was build. Ranked as UNESCO world heritage.
Reviewed By YairBarZohar - Qiryat Ata, Israel
After going through some of Avignon's other sites, you finally reached the highlight - the Pope's Palace. The palace, built between 1335 and 1352, is the largest Gothic palace in the world. This palace served as the residence of the popes in the 14th century and was also the place where six closed meetings were held, under which six popes were elected. This important site entered the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1995. As part of your visit to the Pope's Palace, you can tour more than 25 rooms open to the public. One of the highlights of the visit is the opportunity to see the Pope's living rooms from the time he lived here. Also, be impressed by the spectacular fresco paintings, which adorn a large part of the halls and chapels. You can hire an audio guide at the entrance. If you wish, you can choose to visit the Pope's Palace as part of a guided walking tour of Avignon, which includes a queue entrance to the Pope's Palace. Admission is reasonable. Children 8 and under come in for free. The card can be used with the San Benza Bridge. Opening hours: from April to the end of June and September to the beginning of November from 9:00 to 19:00, November to the end of February from 9:30 to 17:45, March from 9:00 to 18:30, July to 9 : 00-20: 00, August 9: 00-20: 30. How long should you visit? Between two and three hours. The Pope's Palace is adjacent to Avignon Cathedral to the south.
2. Musee du Petit Palais
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 444 reviews
Reviewed By 227ianc - London, United Kingdom
The Petit Palais in Avignon was built during the period of the Avignon Papacy by Cardinal Berenger Fredoli the Elder in around 1318–20 and in 1335 became the Archbishop's Palace. The interior today is much as it was then and houses an impressive collection of religious art from Romanesque to Renaissance, including a Virgin and Child by Botticelli. In an interesting initiative, each year the Parcours de l'Art and the Petit Palais museum allow an artist to show works that interact with the museum's art collections. For 2019, Ernst Günther Herrmann has placed his metal sculptures in various rooms of the museum, next to sculptures and paintings of the from the 12th to the 15th centuries. A great initiative which purists will hate, but is a means of connecting across the centuries.
3. Chapelle de L'oratoire
4. Pont Saint-Benezet (Pont d'Avignon)
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 4,512 reviews
This emblematic site in the history of Avignon is known throughout the world in the famous song. Built in the 12th century, it was destroyed several times by spates on the Rhone River, before being rebuilt and finally abandoned in the 17th century.
Reviewed By El0nG - Tel Aviv, Israel
My late Mom use to sing to me as a child the famous French song Sur le pont D'avignon...so here I am some 65 years later singing and dancing myself on this famous bridge
5. Palais du Roure
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 39 reviews
