Hello travelers! Today we will visit the famous French city – Avignon. Get ready to visit beautiful historical buildings.
Avignon is a city in the south of France, at the foot of a limestone hill, on the left bank of the Rhône, at the mouth of the Durance River.
Sightseeing
Palais des Papes, Avignon
Avignon is a charming city, mainly known for being the former seat of the popes. This is about Palais dei Papas – the former residence of the popes, which was built in the 14th century during the Avignon captivity, when in the years 1309–1377 Avignon temporarily served as the Holy See. With an area of over 15,000 m² of all rooms, the palace is still one of the largest Gothic castles in Europe.
Pont Saint-Bénézet
The bridge in Avignon (Pont Saint-Benezet, Bridge of Saint Benedict of Avignon) is actually only a fragment of the bridge. Built in the 12th century, it connected both banks of the Rhône and today is one of the most famous bridges in the world. Of the 900-meter-long building, only 4 spans (out of 22) and the chapel of St. have survived to this day. Nicholas (where Benedict’s tomb was located). The rest was destroyed by a flood in the 17th century. And the bridge was not rebuilt again.
Notre Dame des Doms cathedral
Another place that you definitely have to see is the Notre Dame des Doms cathedral. It is located next to the papal palace and the former bishop’s palace, together with which it forms a valuable medieval architectural complex centered around the castle square. The cathedral is the burial place of Pope Benedict XII.
Le Petit Palais – Little Palace Museum
Le Petit Palais – The Little Palace was built, as were the buildings near the museum (Grand Palais and Alexander III Bridge) for the 1900 World’s Fair. However, this place has always been intended for exhibition purposes, and not like most other museums in Paris, which are located in ancient royal residences or train stations.
The museum is trapezoid-shaped with four wings around a semicircular garden. The Petit Palais museum houses a rich collection of ancient and modern art, as well as French paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Other museums that are definitely worth visiting are: the Calvet Museum (Musee Calvet), the Angladon Museum (Musee Angladon) and the Lapidary Museum (Musee Lapidaire). It is worth learning about the past in the atmospheric style of the buildings.
It is worth going to the other side of the Rhône to visit Villeneuve-les-Avignon. And specifically The Tower (Philip the Fair Towers), because from the tower, or more precisely from the terrace located on it at a height of twenty-seven meters, there is a fantastic panorama of Avignon. From there you can see the wonderful royal palace and the medieval fortress: Fort Saint-Andre.
Avignon Theater Festival
Entertiment
The most popular theater festival in the world – Festival d’Avignon – is organized in Avignon. It has been held in July since 1947 and lasts for a month. At this time, the city is probably very crowded, but also interesting due to numerous street performances.
Another famous attraction of the city is a two-story carousel with horses, similar to the one in Paris. It is located on Place de l’Horloge, near the Hotel de Ville d’Avignon.
The square is located on the way from the train station towards the papal palace. It is the site of numerous restaurants and hotels, as well as an opera and cinema.
Avignon is one of the most beautiful cities in France. Every year, tourists visit this famous “city of popes”, which is rich in history and culture.
