Avignon

Attention, quiz fans: name the city where the pope lived during the early 14th century. Answered Rome? Bzzz: sorry, wrong answer. For 70-odd years of the early 1300s, the Provençal town of Avignon was the centre of the Roman Catholic world, and though its stint as the seat of papal power only lasted a few decades, it's been left with an impressive legacy of ecclesiastical architecture, most notably the soaring, World Heritage–listed fortress-cum-palace known as the Palais des Papes.

Avignon is now best known for its annual arts festival, the largest in France, which spans several weeks in July. The rest of the year, its rampart-ringed old town, medieval bridge, leafy squares and super restaurants are the main attractions. Be warned, however – the construction of a flashy new tramway around the old town's edge will be causing major traffic headaches until at least 2020.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Avignon.

  • Palace

    Palais des Papes

    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 his election. Its immense scale illustrates the medieval might of the Roman Catholic church. Ringed by 3m-thick walls, its cavernous halls, chapels and antechambers are largely bare today – but tickets now include tablet 'Histopads' revealing virtual-reality representations of how the building would have looked in all its papal pomp.

  • Bridge

    Pont St-Bénézet

    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 linked Avignon with Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. It was rebuilt several times before all but four of its 22 spans were washed away in the 1600s, leaving the far side marooned in the middle of the Rhône. There are fine (and free) views from Rocher des Doms park, Pont Édouard Daladier and Île de la Barthelasse's chemin des Berges.

  • Gallery

    Musée Angladon

    Tiny Musée Angladon harbours an impressive collection of realist, impressionist and expressionist treasures, including works by Cézanne, Sisley, Manet, Modigliani, Degas and Picasso – but the star piece is Van Gogh's Railway Wagons, the only painting by the artist on display in Provence. Impress your friends by pointing out that the ‘earth’ isn’t actually paint, but bare canvas.

  • Museum

    Musée du Petit Palais

    The archbishops' palace during the 14th and 15th centuries now houses outstanding collections of primitive, pre-Rennaissance, 13th- to 16th-century Italian religious paintings by artists including Botticelli, Carpaccio and Giovanni di Paolo – the most famous is Botticelli’s La Vierge et l’Enfant (1470).

  • Square

    Place du Palais

    This impressive vast square surrounding the Palais des Papes provides knockout photo ops. On top of the Romanesque 17th-century cathedral stands a golden statue of the Virgin Mary (weighing 4.5 tonnes), while next to the cathedral, the hilltop Rocher des Doms gardens provide great views of the Rhône, Mont Ventoux and Les Alpilles. Opposite the palace is the 17th-century Hôtel des Monnaies, once the papal mint and embellished with elaborate carvings and heraldic beasts.

  • Museum

    Musée Lapidaire

    Housed inside the town's striking Jesuit Chapel is the archaeological collection of the Musée Calvet, newly displayed since 2015. There's a good display of Greek, Etruscan and Roman artefacts, but it's the Gaulish pieces that really draw the eye – including some grotesque masks and deeply strange figurines.

  • Gallery

    Collection Lambert

    Reopened in summer 2015 after significant renovation and expansion, Avignon's contemporary-arts museum focuses on works from the 1960s to the present. Work spans from minimalist and conceptual to video and photography – in stark contrast to the classic 18th-century mansion housing it.

  • Gallery

    Musée Calvet

    The elegant Hôtel de Villeneuve-Martignan (built 1741–54) provides a fitting backdrop for Avignon's fine-arts museum, with 16th- to 20th-century oil paintings, compelling prehistoric pieces, 15th-century wrought iron, and the elongated landscapes of Avignonnais artist Joseph Vernet.

  • Church

    Basilique St-Pierre

    Basilique St-Pierre, in the centre of the walled city of Avignon, was built between the 14th and 16th centuries in the Flamboyant Gothic style.