Location: Avignon
Top Things to do in Avignon
Top 10 Things to do in Avignon, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
Avignon charms visitors with its ancient streets, restored medieval ramparts and the immense Gothic architecture of the Palais des Papes (Palace of Popes—the papacy was based here in the 14th century). The annual Festival d'Avignon, a major arts festival, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors for theater, dance, film and street performances.
Restaurants in Avignon
1. Bloc Session
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
The latest climbing gym from Bloc Session welcomes you in Avignon, in the commercial zone of Le Pontet. With 350m2 of climbing surface, nearly 150 routes and its astonishing reliefs, BS.6 offers climbing walls of all levels, for beginners to experts.
2. Palais des Papes
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10,840 reviews
The residence of the soveriegn pontiffs in the 14th century is the largest Gothic Palace in the world. 25 areas to visit : ceremonila halls, chapels, cloister, the Pope's provate apartments with their priceless frescos, as well as a scenographic area, the Musée de l'Oeuvre, wich presents the development and history of the building since it was build. Ranked as UNESCO world heritage.
Reviewed By YairBarZohar - Qiryat Ata, Israel
After going through some of Avignon's other sites, you finally reached the highlight - the Pope's Palace. The palace, built between 1335 and 1352, is the largest Gothic palace in the world. This palace served as the residence of the popes in the 14th century and was also the place where six closed meetings were held, under which six popes were elected. This important site entered the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1995. As part of your visit to the Pope's Palace, you can tour more than 25 rooms open to the public. One of the highlights of the visit is the opportunity to see the Pope's living rooms from the time he lived here. Also, be impressed by the spectacular fresco paintings, which adorn a large part of the halls and chapels. You can hire an audio guide at the entrance. If you wish, you can choose to visit the Pope's Palace as part of a guided walking tour of Avignon, which includes a queue entrance to the Pope's Palace. Admission is reasonable. Children 8 and under come in for free. The card can be used with the San Benza Bridge. Opening hours: from April to the end of June and September to the beginning of November from 9:00 to 19:00, November to the end of February from 9:30 to 17:45, March from 9:00 to 18:30, July to 9 : 00-20: 00, August 9: 00-20: 30. How long should you visit? Between two and three hours. The Pope's Palace is adjacent to Avignon Cathedral to the south.
3. Musee du Petit Palais
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 444 reviews
Reviewed By 227ianc - London, United Kingdom
The Petit Palais in Avignon was built during the period of the Avignon Papacy by Cardinal Berenger Fredoli the Elder in around 1318–20 and in 1335 became the Archbishop's Palace. The interior today is much as it was then and houses an impressive collection of religious art from Romanesque to Renaissance, including a Virgin and Child by Botticelli. In an interesting initiative, each year the Parcours de l'Art and the Petit Palais museum allow an artist to show works that interact with the museum's art collections. For 2019, Ernst Günther Herrmann has placed his metal sculptures in various rooms of the museum, next to sculptures and paintings of the from the 12th to the 15th centuries. A great initiative which purists will hate, but is a means of connecting across the centuries.
4. Rocher des Doms
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,765 reviews
Reviewed By jazzfang - Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Canada
This wonderful park is filled with spots to sit in the shade on a warm day, breathtaking views of the surrounding landscapes of the Provencal valley and even has a cute cafe seated near a fountain ! Don’t miss the porcelain graphic representation of the views (local towns and mountains) and the sundial in the middle of the park. You can also contemplate the effects of WWII at the jewish memorial (a mural commemorating those lost in the war).
5. Ile de la Barthelasse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 455 reviews
Reviewed By anagP6520XJ - Sydney, Australia
This is a great little town with lots of history and great photo opportunities. This is a lovely place to just hang out and enjoy the view. Lovely atmosphere.
6. Avignon Les Halles
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 549 reviews
Reviewed By Razorfish - Little Rock, United States
My wife and I visited Les Halles the first morning of our trip to Avignon because we love the old markets in the towns we visit throughout Europe. Les Halles is very interesting with a great variety of items. I’m glad we stopped in at Les Halles before we visited the highlights of Avignon.
7. Musee Calvet
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 311 reviews
8. Pont Saint-Benezet (Pont d'Avignon)
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 4,512 reviews
This emblematic site in the history of Avignon is known throughout the world in the famous song. Built in the 12th century, it was destroyed several times by spates on the Rhone River, before being rebuilt and finally abandoned in the 17th century.
Reviewed By El0nG - Tel Aviv, Israel
My late Mom use to sing to me as a child the famous French song Sur le pont D'avignon...so here I am some 65 years later singing and dancing myself on this famous bridge
9. Place de l'Horloge
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,505 reviews
Reviewed By GillyGoes - Sydney, Australia
Staying in Avignon was like being in my own fairytale. Our hotel was right on Place de l'Horloge just a few metres from the Papal Palace. Place de l'Horloge was vibrant with cafes overflowing with patrons and waiters that served with wonderful meals with a flourish. Street artists with pop up easles flanked the beautiful buildings of a past era. The ground floor porticos housed patisseries and boulangeries stacked with baked temptations. More restaurants, designer clothing and shoe stores, optic wear and the wonderful Tourismo Office nestled against each other under the grand arches of many of the gorgeous buildings. The Carre Four tastefully headed down the stairs off Place de l'Horloge, opening out into a huge basement packed with all your supermarket needs. Tiny streets and cobbled lanes spun away from l'Horloge taking you to wonderful churches, Les Halles, Synagogues, Jewish Quarter, bistros and boite de nuit, Viktor Hugo's very own street and house of interest, lovely galleries and beautiful restaurants preferred by the locals. I loved, loved loved Avignon.
10. Petit Train Avignon
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 949 reviews
Reviewed By norwich06
Amazing journey through the narrow streets of Avignon with fantastic commentary. A great train ride. Well worth the ticket price.
