Avignon, Provence, France

Avignon is a very interesting and large city located on the western borders of Provence, about 45 km east of Nîmes, about 40 km north of Arles and 20 km north of Saint-Remy-de-Provence. The city will charm you with its monuments, which are really many here, for example the Papal Palace and the famous bridge Saint-Bénézet on the river Rhône.

Parking in Avignon

An ideal parking place is the underground parking lot located just under the Place du Palais (1; GPS: 43.952798, 4.805950). The only downside is that the price for parking place is quite high - to check current rates, please visit the website of this parking lot.

Palais des Papes and the Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms d'Avignon

The big advantage of leaving the car under the Place du Palais is that you are already in the very centre of old town so you can immediately go to the beautiful Cathedral of Avignon (Notre Dame des Doms) (A; GPS: 43.951573, 4.807344) or to the Palace of Popes (Palais des Papes) (B; GPS: 43.950653, 4.806979) built in the fourteenth century.

The Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms d'Avignon was built in twelfth century, and in 14th century its importance highly increased because of the transfer the papal residence to Avignon. Thus, in the same century, it was expanded and rich decorated. The cathedral is now the main church of the Archbishop of Avignon. You can visit it for free. This is a unique place - the building is really impressive, and the interiors contain many sculptures and paintings. In 2016, the cathedral was completely renovated, so after the renovation it will for sure look beautiful.

The palace itself is a wonderful miracle of architecture, included in the UNESCO's list of monuments. Interestingly, it is also a good example of a military building due to its massive walls and tall walls with narrow windows. Visiting the interiors of the palace takes about 2-3 hours.

The Doms Gardens (Rocher des Doms)

Do not forget to visit nearby Doms Gardens located on the top of a hill next to the cathedral (C; GPS: 43.952938, 4.807680). It is a refreshing refuge from the summer heat, with ponds, statues, rocks and green trees. From there you can also get beautiful views of the river Rhône and the famous Saint-Bénézet bridge. Entrance to papal gardens is free.

Pont d'Avignon

Other famous attraction is the Pont d'Avignon (Pont Saint-Bénézet) (D; GPS: 43.954313, 4.804449). This is the famous "Sur le pont d'Avignon" bridge. Only four pillars of it are standing, but it is still an interesting thing to visit. The entrance is (obviously) not free, and the ticket itself is not cheap, but you should visit this famous monument at least once.

Place de l'Horloge

In the centre there is also beautiful Place de l'Horloge (Clock Square) (E; GPS: 43.949260, 4.806052). Being in proximity of all main attractions, this square is just a meeting place of the locals as well as tourists. There are also plenty of restaurants at the square. The square changes smoothly into the representative street Rue de la République. It is worth walking it to the south walls of the old town.

Rue des Teinturiers

You should also visit the rue des Teinturiers (Street of the Dyers) which is one of the prettiest, historic and fashionable places in Avignon, full of climatic shops, cafes and restaurants as well as historical buildings. Not all tourists even seem to have the idea of its existence. We wrote a separate article about this street - so you can find out how to get there.