Avignon
Walled City On The RhôNe And Seat Of The Popes In The Fourteenth Century; Its Historic Centre, With The Palais Des Papes And The Pont D'Avignon, Is A UNESCO World Heritage Site Inscribed 1995 · Avignon, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
Avignon is a compact walled city on the east bank of the Rhône that was, for most of the fourteenth century, the seat of the Catholic popes. They left behind the Palais des Papes, the largest Gothic palace in Europe, a fortress of pale stone whose great bare halls are now visited with a tablet that shows the rooms as they were painted and furnished. Below it, the Pont Saint-Bénézet, the bridge of the children's song, stops after four arches in the middle of the river. Almost five kilometres of medieval ramparts still ring the old town, and inside them are plane-tree squares, churches, museums and narrow lanes that are pleasant to wander at any season. In July the city changes completely: the Festival d'Avignon and the far larger Off fill every hall, chapel and courtyard with theatre, posters cover every wall, beds are scarce and prices rise. Outside July it is a calm, lived-in place and an easy base for Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Pont du Gard and the Luberon. The mistral, a cold north wind, can blow hard for days, mostly in winter and spring.
Place du Palais and the walled centre, Avignon, Vaucluse, Avignon, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
The old town, its squares, the Rocher des Doms garden and most of the ramparts' outer walk are open to wander at all hours, although the garden gates close at night and the hours change with the season. The Palais des Papes and the Pont Saint-Bénézet are open every day of the year with long hours in summer and shorter ones in winter, and last entry is well before closing, so do not arrive in the final hour; confirm the current timetable. A combined ticket covers both. During the July festival the palace courtyard is used as a stage, so parts of the visit can close or change and evening access is restricted. City museums such as the Petit Palais and the Musée Calvet commonly close one day a week, often Tuesday, and some close for lunch outside summer. Les Halles covered market runs in the mornings and is closed on Mondays; go before lunch. Many small shops close on Sunday and on Monday morning. Festival tickets for the official In programme go on sale in spring and the popular shows sell out; the Off sells mostly on the day at each venue. The little shuttle boat across the Rhône runs mainly in the warmer months; confirm its season.