Avignon, on the leafy banks of the Rhône, is probably best-known these days for the children’s song – Sur le pont d’Avignon and all that. But for several decades in the 14th century it was the capital of Christendom, after Pope Clement V moved his court here to avoid the chaos in Rome. The legacy of that papal schism can be seen today in the city’s Unesco-protected architecture, including the vast Palais des Papes. And nearby Châteauneuf-du-Pape, site of a now-ruined castle built by a later pope, still produces acclaimed red wines.
The city’s intact ramparts and pedestrianised centre lend Avignon a small-town, medieval feel. Yet each summer, the city goes totally 21st century, as thousands of visitors descend for a contemporary performing arts extravaganza, the Festival d’Avignon (from 4-25 July this year). And the new Eurostar route will bring all of these delights within six hours’ journey from London.
What to do
The Palais des Papes on place du Palais (adults €11, children €9) sits squarely at the heart of Avignon’s old town. Bear in mind that those breakaway popes of the 14th century weren’t short of a franc or two. The palace is a warren of serpentine corridors, imposing stone halls and apartments frescoed with ornate hunting and fishing scenes. For an insider’s peek at what life in the 700-year-old palace was really like, join one of the weekly Secret Palace tours (reservations +33 4 3274 3274, in English April-May and September-October, Saturdays 10.30am, €24.50 including refreshments). The guide will share papal anecdotes as you wind your way through areas normally off-limits to visitors, including private chambers and hidden passages.
If you’re there in late summer, you may find children prefer Les Luminessences d’Avignon (in English Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10.15pm, 12 August-3 October, adults €10, children €8), a 35-minute 3D son et lumière in the central courtyard of the Palais des Papes, documenting the palace’s construction and life under the Avignon popes.
You can walk along the remains of the St-Bénézet medieval bridge (the one in the song, adults €4.50, children €3.50), but you can get great views of it for free just north of the palace, in the Jardin du Rocher des Doms. This public garden, on a hillside 30 metres above the Rhône, also has its own tiny Côtes du Rhône vineyard and a bar where you can sip its wines.
A short stroll south of here, Collection Lambert (5 rue Violette, adults €10, children €8) is a contemporary art space in an 18th-century townhouse and courtyard. Following a two-year renovation, it is set to reopen on 3 July, with an extension that doubles its size. Inaugural exhibitions include Un Musée Imaginare, dedicated to the work of opera, film and theatre director Patrice Chéreau.
To explore further, try a cycling trip on an electric or classic bike with Daytour (from €18 for two hours). An app that comes free with the bike rental offers self-guided itineraries that range from the banks of the Rhône to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards. If that sounds too taxing, hop aboard Avignon’s regular free ferry service (daily in sumer from 11am to 8.45pm) by the bridge and stroll the network of footpaths of verdant Île de la Barthelasse, the river island opposite the city.
Where to eat and drink
Once the palatial home of a 14th-century cardinal, the elegant Hôtel de La Mirande (4 place de l’Amirande, +33 4 9014 2020) also has a cooking school, with adults’ classes from €90 a head, children’s from €47. Michelin-starred chefs from across the region, including Avignon’s Christian Etienne, teach participants how to whip up innovative Provençal delights such as strawberry salad and stuffed guinea fowl. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, in the hotel’s 19th-century basement kitchen, chef Séverine Sagnet runs a table d’hôte (€86pp, maximum 12 diners), a private Provençal cooking demo followed by a three-course gourmet dinner with wine tasting – and perhaps a friendly game of pétanque to round off the evening. A secret passageway leads from this basement into the Palais des Papes.
At La Cuisine du Dimanche (31 rue de la Bonneterie, +33 4 9082 9910), chef Marie Ohanessian sources most of her super seasonal ingredients daily from Avignon’s covered market, Les Halles on place Pie. Dishes might include homemade gnocchi with tomato fondue or slow-cooked Aveyron lamb with roast potatoes and oyster mushrooms. Lunch is a steal, with a plat du jour for just €12, and a two-course set menu for €17. The covered market offers free cooking demonstrations by local chefs at 11am every Saturday (except in August).
Oenophiles should time a visit to Avignon to coincide with the inauguration of the Carré du Palais on place de l’Horloge this autumn. This wine-tourism complex, inside the 18th-century Hôtel Calvet de la Palun (which isn’t a hotel), will be home to the École des Vins du Rhône wine academy (with workshops in several languages), a fine-dining restaurant and a terrace wine bar overlooking the Palais des Papes.
Out in the splendid Lubéron countryside, in the postcard-perfect village of Gordes, 40km east of Avignon, Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire will from July be taking over the newly refurbished restaurant at Bastide de Gordes (rue de la Combe, +33 4 9072 1212). The restaurant has views over rolling vineyards and pale stone farmhouses and serves brunch every Sunday (adults €48 including unlimited champagne, children €24).
For an informal evening out, with fine wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region west of Avignon, and bountiful platters of local charcuterie and cheese, head to AOC (5 place Jérusalem, +33 4 90 25 21 04), a popular wine and tapas bar.
Where to stay
Thames Résidences
Overlooking Avignon’s medieval ramparts, and two minutes’ walk from the city centre station where the Eurostar arrives, this hotel offers a mix of spacious suites and apartments, many with their own terrace. The decor is romantic (cast-iron bedsteads, embroidered Provençal wall-hangings) with plenty of mod cons (kitchenettes, Wi-fi, iPhone chargers). It’s a great choice for longer stays.
• Suites from €129, +33 4 3270 1701, thames-residences.com
Péniche QI
For a novel place to stay, try this houseboat B&B moored on the Île Piot, a 10-minute stroll across the river from Avignon’s old town. It has four snug en suite rooms, all individually designed during the 1950s, and a petite swimming pool on deck. The affable owner, Laurent, is a font of local knowledge.
• Doubles from €70 B&B, chemin de l’Ile Piot, +33 4 9025 4061, chambrepeniche.fr
La Banasterie
Back in town and close to the papal palace, this 16th-century townhouse has been turned into a B&B by chocolate lovers Françoise and Jean-Michel Rivière. Each of the five guestrooms is inspired by a type of cocoa bean (such as Criollo and Forastero), and on cooler evenings they will offer guests a steaming mug of top-quality hot chocolate before bedtime.
• Doubles from €100 B&B, +33 687 729636, labanasterie.com
Hôtel Le Colbert
With its central location inside the city walls and neat (if a touch kitsch) Provençal décor – a riot of red, orange and yellow, this budget-friendly two-star hotel is one of Avignon’s best spots to bed down. Breakfast (€8) – with bread and croissants sourced each morning from the owners’ favourite bakery – is served on the sunny patio.
• Doubles from €64 room-only, +33 4 9086 2020, avignon-hotel-colbert.com
Don’t miss
Musée Angladon
Charming Musée Angladon in the old town displays the art collection of Jean and Paulette Angladon-Dubrujeaud on the upper floor of their former home.
• angladon.fr, €6.50
Trompe-l’oeil frescoes
There are more than 50 trompe-l’œil frescoes by artists Dominique Durand and Marion Pochy positioned around the streets of the city, each commemorating a past Festival d’Avignon. Trompe-l’œil is an art technique that creates optical illusions.
