The resplendent vaulted halls of this 10th-century abbey, within Fort St-André, can only be visited by guided tour. The stunning terrace gardens, however – built atop the abbey vaults and classed among France's top 100 gardens – can be freely roamed. Pathways meander among fragrant roses, iris-studded olive groves, wisteria-covered pergolas and the ruins of three ancient churches. The views of Avignon and the Rhône are spectacular.
Shutterstock / trabantos
Abbaye et Jardins de l’Abbaye
Top choice in Vaucluse
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
11.73 MILES
Orange's monumental, Unesco-protected Roman theatre is unquestionably one of France's most impressive Roman sights. It's one of only three intact Roman…
13.3 MILES
The extraordinary three-tiered Pont du Gard was once part of a 50km-long system of channels built around 19 BC to transport water from Uzès to Nîmes. The…
23.8 MILES
Nîmes’ twin-tiered amphitheatre is the best preserved in France. Built around 100 BC, the arena once seated 24,000 spectators and staged gladiatorial…
1.11 MILES
The largest Gothic palace ever built, the Palais des Papes was erected by Pope Clement V, who abandoned Rome in 1309 in the wake of violent disorder after…
0.88 MILES
Legend says Pastor Bénézet (a former shepherd) had three visions urging him to build a bridge across the Rhône. Completed in 1185, the 900m-long bridge…
13.87 MILES
It might lack the scale and ambition of some of Provence's better-known Roman monuments, but for a glimpse into everyday life in Gaul, this ancient town…
21.63 MILES
In Roman Gaul, every important town had an amphitheatre, where gladiators and wild animals met their (usually grisly) ends. Few examples have survived,…
19.45 MILES
If you're searching for that classic postcard shot of the medieval abbey surrounded by a sea of purple lavender, look no further. This sublime Cistercian…
Nearby Vaucluse attractions
0.02 MILES
King Philip the Fair (aka Philippe le Bel) wasn’t messing around when he built defensive 14th-century Fort St-André on the then border between France and…
2. Chartreuse du Val de Bénédiction
0.15 MILES
Shaded from the summer's heat, the three cloisters, 24 cells, church, chapels and nook-and-cranny gardens of the Chartreuse du Val de Bénédiction make up…
0.25 MILES
Inside a 17th-century mansion, this museum's masterwork is Enguerrand Quarton’s The Crowning of the Virgin (1453), in which angels wrest souls from…
0.5 MILES
King Philip commissioned the Tour Philippe-le-Bel, 500m outside Villeneuve, to control traffic over Pont St-Bénézet to and from Avignon. The steep steps…
0.88 MILES
Legend says Pastor Bénézet (a former shepherd) had three visions urging him to build a bridge across the Rhône. Completed in 1185, the 900m-long bridge…
0.93 MILES
Porte du Rhône is one of the entryways to Avignon's Unesco-registered walled city, located on the northwestern edge of the walls, near Pont St-Bénézet.
0.96 MILES
The archbishops' palace during the 14th and 15th centuries now houses outstanding collections of primitive, pre-Rennaissance, 13th- to 16th-century…
1.03 MILES
This impressive vast square surrounding the Palais des Papes provides knockout photo ops. On top of the Romanesque 17th-century cathedral stands a golden…