And just to see the sights, you can spend days wandering the neighbourhoods within the city walls and never get bored. From medieval streets and houses to private mansions from the Renaissance, passing through all its old and enticing squares, some no bigger than a tiny lane And the diverse dining opportunities, ranging from family-run restaurants, good and inexpensive to some of the greatest Michelin-starred chefs.
Avignon invites you for a stay beyond all imagination. Here, you find the City Hall built between and over a former cardinal's palace of which it has kept the old fortified tower, transformed into a belfry in the 15th century with clock and Jacquemart. Just like the Place du Palais higher up, a vast esplanade where you could spend the day just watching all the street performers in summer.
And as its name implies, here stands the formidable Popes' Palace, emblem of the city and awe-inspiring monument to the importance of Avignon in the Christian world of the Middle Ages. Built in the s, mainly by two popes - the austere Benedict XII and his successor, the much less ascetic Clement VI, - the palace would become the biggest gothic edifice in all of Europe. A tour of the palace, which includes the popes' private apartments with their fabulous frescoes, is one one of the musts of Avignon.
Palace of the Popes Square, Avignon Festival. From the top of its bell tower, the statue of the Virgin Mary, entirely gilded in gold, 6 metres high and weighing kilos, blesses and protects the city. And not far away, the Petit Palais , a former cardinal's residence turned into a museum, houses an impressive collection of Italian primitive art, old sculptures by Avignon artists and paintings from the Avignon School.
If all this splendour and exuberance already has your head spinning, go up to the Rocher des Doms , the cradle of the city, for a refreshing break amongst the peacocks and swans by the pond. From this spot, you have panoramic views over the entire city, its tiled roofs and bell towers and over to Villeneuve-les-Avignon and all the surrounding areas.
