Avignon

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Overview

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.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Palais des Papes

Avignon

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…

Pont St-Bénézet

Avignon

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…

Musée du Petit Palais

Avignon

The archbishops' palace during the 14th and 15th centuries now houses outstanding collections of primitive, pre-Rennaissance, 13th- to 16th-century…

Place du Palais

Avignon

This impressive vast square surrounding the Palais des Papes provides knockout photo ops. On top of the Romanesque 17th-century cathedral stands a golden…

Musée Angladon

Avignon

Tiny Musée Angladon harbours an impressive collection of realist, impressionist and expressionist treasures, including works by Cézanne, Sisley, Manet,…

Musée Lapidaire

Avignon

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…

Collection Lambert

Avignon

Reopened in summer 2015 after significant renovation and expansion, Avignon's contemporary-arts museum focuses on works from the 1960s to the present…

Musée Calvet

Avignon

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…

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Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Set beside the Rhône, Avignon is famed for its medieval architecture, papal history and annual arts festival. Here are the top things to do in Avignon.

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Plan with a local