Avignon

France Updated Oct 2026

Four arches of a bridge that once crossed the Rhône remain in the water below Avignon’s papal palace. In Avignon, France, that broken span and the vast Gothic fortress above it make history feel less like a backdrop than a force still shaping the streets.

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Avignon, France Photo: Bingqian Li / Pexels
Attractions
8
Audio
5 h 18 min
Trip length
2-3 days
Best season
Spring and early autumn (April–June, September–October)

Why Avignon

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The Palais des Papes rose between 1335 and 1352, when popes made Avignon their seat; today, its halls still hold 14th-century frescoes by Matteo Giovanetti. In the Chambre du Cerf, painted scenes of hunting and fishing offer a glimpse of courtly life beyond prayer and ceremony.

Inside the 4.3-kilometre circuit of medieval ramparts, the city shifts from monumental stone to shaded lanes and market counters. At Les Halles on Place Pie, the scent of ripe tomatoes, cheese and herbs rises beneath a 300-square-metre living wall.

Every July, the Festival d’Avignon turns the Palais des Papes’ Cour d’Honneur into an open-air theatre, carrying on a tradition Jean Vilar began in 1947. The city’s old walls don’t keep the past still; they frame a place that keeps making new work inside them.

  • A papal city in stone

    The Palais des Papes rose between 1335 and 1352, its towers and halls built on a scale that still makes the square feel small. Look for Matteo Giovanetti’s 14th-century frescoes, then climb to the Rocher des Doms for a view over the Rhône.

  • A bridge with a missing half

    Pont Saint-Bénézet once crossed the Rhône on 22 arches; floods left only four, with the Chapel of Saint-Nicolas perched above the water. The gap is part of the story, not a failure to finish the walk.

  • The city becomes a stage

    Since 1947, the Festival d’Avignon has brought theatre to the Palais des Papes’ open-air Cour d’Honneur each July. The parallel Festival OFF spills into chapels, courtyards and small rooms, so performances can be heard through open doors across the old town.

  • River air and old waterwheels

    On Île de la Barthelasse, orchard paths face the ramparts and the broken bridge; a free river shuttle carries walkers and cyclists across. Closer in, four surviving wheels turn beside the canal on Rue des Teinturiers, once lined with 23.

Places to Visit

Not every monument, just the ones we'd walk you past ourselves.

All 41 places in Avignon

Neighborhoods

Where to wander, by quarter — each with its own rhythm.

  • Place du Palais and Rocher des Doms

    The city’s great historical stage gathers around the Palais des Papes, Notre-Dame des Doms and the Musée du Petit Palais. Climb to the Rocher des Doms garden, 30 metres above the Rhône, for a quieter view across the river and rooftops.

  • Rue des Teinturiers

    This cobbled lane follows the Sorgue canal beneath plane trees, past four surviving wooden waterwheels once used by the city’s dyers. Independent bars, small theatres and old chapels give it a more lived-in feel than the grand squares.

  • Place Pie and Les Halles

    Place Pie is Avignon’s food-market quarter, anchored by Les Halles and its roughly 40 independent traders. Come in the morning for Provençal cheeses, olives and fougasse; the market’s green-covered façade is hard to miss.

  • Place des Corps-Saints

    Plane trees shade this relaxed square, where bistros and café terraces draw locals for long evenings. It’s a useful place to pause between the city’s main sights, with less of the grand-square formality.

  • Vernet and Place Crillon

    West of the old centre, Rue Joseph Vernet and Place Crillon gather wine bars, classic hotels and some of Avignon’s more polished restaurants. Look up as you walk: 17th- and 18th-century mansions hide wrought-iron balconies and formal courtyards behind plain street fronts.

  • Place de l’Horloge

    The central square is home to the Opéra Grand Avignon and a steady flow of café terraces. The setting is handsome, but for a meal, the side streets and smaller squares nearby often make a better choice.

  • Île de la Barthelasse

    Across the Rhône from the ramparts, this broad river island offers towpaths, orchards and cycling routes in place of narrow streets. From its banks, the Palais des Papes and the remaining arches of Pont Saint-Bénézet line up in one of the city’s clearest views.

Plan your trip

Before you go

Getting There
Avignon Provence Airport (AVN), 8 km from the centre, has no scheduled commercial flights; the nearest useful options are Marseille Provence (MRS, about 80 km), Nîmes Grande Provence Méditerranée (FNI, about 45 km) and Montpellier–Méditerranée (MPL, about 95 km). Gare d’Avignon Centre sits beside the walled city, while Gare d’Avignon TGV is in Courtine; the TER “Virgule” links them in about 5 minutes. For 2026 road trips, the A7 connects Avignon north toward Lyon and south toward Marseille, with the A9 route toward Nîmes and Montpellier branching near Orange.
Getting Around
Orizo runs one tram line, T1, two Chron’hop bus rapid-transit lines, C2 and C3, and 27 regular bus routes; Avignon has no metro. In 2026, a single ticket is about €1.40, a 24-hour pass €3.50 and a 48-hour pass €7; the free Baladine circulates inside the walls, and a free river shuttle serves Île de la Barthelasse. The compact centre is easiest on foot; Vélopop’ bike share has 300 e-bikes, and the wider area has nearly 260 km of cycle routes.
Climate & Best Time
Expect roughly 8–24°C in spring, 16–32°C in summer, 6–26°C in autumn and 2–12°C in winter; summer heatwaves can exceed 36°C, and the Mistral can make the Rhône corridor feel sharply colder. Rainfall is heaviest in September and October, while July and August are driest and July brings festival crowds. Mid-April to mid-June or September to October offers warm walking weather with fewer peak-season pressures.
Language & Currency
French is the local language and the currency is the euro (€); card and contactless payments are widely accepted, though a little cash helps at market stalls. Start shop and café conversations with “Bonjour” or “Bonsoir”—that small courtesy matters more here than a polished accent.
Safety
Violent crime is uncommon, but keep bags zipped around Place de l’Horloge, the Palais des Papes and Les Halles, especially during the July festival. Late at night, stick to lit routes near the station rather than empty side streets; call 112 for the European emergency service or 17 for police.

03 Top tickets in Avignon.

Book ahead

Curated from places in this city. Same price as official sites.

Palace of the Popes & Pont d’Avignon: Entry Ticket
Historic Centre Of Avignon
Palace of the Popes & Pont d’Avignon: Entry Ticket
★4.4 from €17
Palace of the Popes & Gardens: Entry Ticket
Historic Centre Of Avignon
Palace of the Popes & Gardens: Entry Ticket
★4.5 from €14.50
Taste Avignon – A Full French Culinary Tour by Do Eat Better
Pont Saint-Bénézet
Taste Avignon – A Full French Culinary Tour by Do Eat Better
★4.9 from €76.50
Enchanting Historical Walking Tour in Avignon
Palais des Papes
Enchanting Historical Walking Tour in Avignon
★4.9 from €25
Fort Saint-André: Entry Ticket
Fort Saint-André (Villeneuve-Lès-Avignon)
Fort Saint-André: Entry Ticket
★4.8 from €7
Hello Avignon: Private 2-Hour Intro City Walk with Local Guide
Pont Saint-Bénézet
Hello Avignon: Private 2-Hour Intro City Walk with Local Guide
★5.0 from €124

Prices shown are indicative — final pricing and availability are confirmed at checkout. Audiala may receive a commission from bookings made via these links.

Avignon, Between River and Papacy

From a Rhône-side settlement to a city of popes, revolutions, and open-air theatre

  1. c. 4000 BCE

    Life on the Rocky Bluff

    Archaeological finds place people on the Rocher des Doms and in the Balance district thousands of years before Avignon had a name. A carved sandstone stele and polished greenstone axes survive as traces of that early settlement above the Rhône.

  2. c. 539 BCE

    A Greek Trading Post

    Later accounts place a Greek trading post here around this date, linked to Massalia, modern Marseille. The name Aouen(n)ion has been interpreted in different ways, so the precise founding story remains uncertain; the Rhône-side location made exchange its natural purpose.

  3. 120–118 BCE

    Rome Takes Provence

    Roman forces brought southern Gaul, including Avignon, into the province of Gallia Narbonensis. The change tied the river settlement to Roman administration and the growing network of roads and trade routes across Provence.

  4. 43 BCE

    A Roman Colony

    Avignon is recorded as attaining the status of a Roman colony, though the specific date is less securely established than its broader Roman-era development. The title placed the town within Rome’s civic order and gave its local institutions a new political frame.

  5. 290

    A Bridge Across the Rhône

    Dendrochronological evidence points to a wooden bridge across the Rhône in the late third century. Even a temporary crossing mattered here: it connected riverbanks that floods and shifting currents could otherwise keep apart.

  6. 439

    Avignon’s First Recorded Bishop

    Nectarius, the earliest historically attested bishop of Avignon, took part in the Council of Riez. His appearance in the record shows a Christian community with a place in the church councils of late Roman Provence.

Show the full timeline (30 moments)
  1. 1032–1033

    Under the Burgundian Crown

    Avignon became part of the Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles, which entered the Holy Roman Empire. The city’s rulers were now bound to a far larger political order, though everyday power remained divided among regional lords and local authorities.

  2. 1129

    The City Claims Self-Rule

    Avignon established a consular government, with a podestà at its head, and asserted greater autonomy from feudal counts. The arrangement gave local elites a firmer hand in civic affairs, a confidence tested a century later by a royal siege.

  3. c. 1150

    A Cathedral Above the Rhône

    Construction began on Notre-Dame des Doms, a Romanesque cathedral on the Rocher des Doms beside the river. Its stone mass still marks the high ground above the old city, where bells would carry over the Rhône and its traffic.

  4. 1177–1188

    The Bridge of Saint Bénézet

    Builders raised a stone bridge across the Rhône, traditionally associated with the shepherd Saint Bénézet. Its original 22 arches linked Avignon to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon; four remain today, with the Chapel of Saint-Nicolas perched on a surviving pier.

  5. 1226

    Louis VIII Besieges Avignon

    King Louis VIII’s crusading army encircled Avignon after the city resisted its passage and backed Count Raymond VII of Toulouse. The siege lasted nearly three months before the city surrendered; its defenses were dismantled and its political independence sharply reduced.

  6. 1309

    The Papal Court Arrives

    Pope Clement V moved the papal curia to Avignon, beginning the period commonly called the Avignon Papacy. Clerks, envoys, churchmen, and petitioners poured into a city whose streets now served the business of the western church.

  7. 1327

    Petrarch Meets Laura

    The poet Francesco Petrarch later dated his first sight of Laura to 6 April 1327, at the Church of Sainte-Claire in Avignon. Her identity remains debated, but the encounter became one of the defining stories of his love poetry and tied the city to an early Renaissance literary legend.

  8. 1335–1352

    The Palace of the Popes Rises

    Pope Benedict XII began the austere Palais Vieux in 1335; Clement VI expanded it with the more ornate Palais Neuf. Together, the palace’s vast halls, towers, and frescoed chambers turned Avignon into a working seat of papal power, built in stone on a scale the city had never seen.

  9. 1348

    Purchase and Plague

    Pope Clement VI bought Avignon from Queen Joan I of Naples for 80,000 florins, making the city papal territory. In the same year the Black Death struck; Clement issued protections for Jewish residents as plague panic turned into scapegoating elsewhere.

  10. 1355

    Walls Close Around the City

    Pope Innocent VI ordered new defenses against the mercenary companies roaming Provence after the Hundred Years’ War. The stone ramparts, completed over the following years, eventually enclosed the city for 4.3 kilometres, their gates and towers guarding against both armed raiders and the Rhône’s floods.

  11. 1376

    Catherine Urges Rome’s Return

    Catherine of Siena came to Avignon and pressed Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy to Rome. Her mission joined spiritual conviction to hard politics; Gregory left the city that September and reached Rome in January 1377.

  12. 1378

    A Rival Pope in Avignon

    After Urban VI’s election in Rome, French cardinals chose Clement VII as a rival pope and established his court in Avignon. The resulting Western Schism divided European loyalties between competing papacies for nearly four decades.

  13. 1398–1403

    The Palace Under Siege

    French forces besieged Antipope Benedict XIII inside the Palais des Papes after France withdrew its support. He held out for years, then escaped in disguise in 1403, leaving the palace with an episode of papal history that sounds almost too theatrical to be true.

  14. 1417

    The Schism Ends

    The Council of Constance elected Martin V, ending the Western Schism and Avignon’s role as a papal residence. The city and the neighboring Comtat Venaissin remained under papal rule, however, and would stay outside France until the Revolution.

  15. 1720–1721

    Quarantine Against Plague

    As the Great Plague of Marseille spread through Provence, Avignon enforced cordons and quarantine measures to limit contagion. Gates and roads became lines of defense, and the city endured a period of fear and loss even as authorities tried to keep infection out.

  16. 1782

    Montgolfier’s First Insight

    Joseph-Michel Montgolfier was living in Avignon when, according to the familiar account, he noticed heated air lift cloth toward a chimney on Rue Saint-Étienne. That observation helped point him toward the hot-air balloon, an invention that would soon carry a Provençal name into the sky.

  17. 14 September 1791

    Avignon Joins France

    The French Constituent Assembly decreed the annexation of Avignon and the Comtat Venaissin. Centuries of papal government ended, and the city entered the rapidly changing political order of revolutionary France.

  18. 16–17 October 1791

    The Massacre of La Glacière

    After municipal secretary Lescuyer was lynched, suspected counter-revolutionaries were imprisoned in the Palais des Papes’ Tour de la Glacière. Around 60 were killed there, leaving a brutal mark on the city’s first months under revolutionary rule.

  19. May–June 1856

    The Rhône Breaks Its Banks

    A catastrophic flood submerged broad parts of Avignon as the Rhône rose to a recorded level of 7.95 metres. Water turned streets into channels and exposed the city’s old vulnerability to the river that had made its fortunes.

  20. 1944

    Bombing and Liberation

    Allied air raids targeted Avignon’s railway yards and bridges, damaging nearby homes as well as transport links. German forces withdrew, and U.S. troops and French Resistance fighters liberated the city on 25 August.

  21. 1947

    The Palace Becomes a Stage

    Director Jean Vilar founded the Festival d’Avignon and staged performances in the Palais des Papes’ Cour d’Honneur. The vast stone courtyard, once built for ceremony and rule, became a theatre under the open sky.

  22. 1995

    Historic Centre Listed by UNESCO

    UNESCO inscribed Avignon’s historic centre, including the Palais des Papes, Notre-Dame des Doms, Pont Saint-Bénézet, and the ramparts, as a World Heritage Site. The designation recognized a city centre in which medieval religious, civic, and defensive architecture still meet within the old walls.

  23. June 2001

    High-Speed Rail Arrives

    The LGV Méditerranée opened, with a dedicated Avignon TGV station linking the city to France’s high-speed rail network. The journey to Paris fell to about 2 hours 40 minutes, bringing the river city into much closer reach of the capital.

  24. 19 October 2019

    Trams Return to Avignon

    Avignon’s modern tramway began passenger service on Line T1. The new line offered a different way to move through a city whose older routes had been shaped by walls, gates, and the broad course of the Rhône.

Who lived here

  • Actor and theater director · 1912–1971

    Jean Vilar

    Founded the Festival d’Avignon in 1947

    In 1947, Jean Vilar turned the Palais des Papes’ Cour d’Honneur into a theater stage and founded the Festival d’Avignon. He might recognize today’s July crowds as proof that the courtyard still belongs to performers as much as to stone.

  • Inventor · 1740–1810

    Joseph-Michel Montgolfier

    Lived and worked in Avignon from 1780

    Montgolfier moved to Avignon to run a printing business, and in November 1782 he is said to have noticed hot air lifting a silk cloth toward a chimney on Rue Saint-Étienne. That small domestic observation helped lead to the hot-air balloon; the street still gives the story an unusually intimate address.

  • Poet and scholar · 1304–1374

    Francesco Petrarch

    Lived in Avignon and first saw Laura here in 1327

    Petrarch came to Avignon with his family as a young man, when the papal court drew people from across Europe. Tradition places his first sight of Laura at the Church of Sainte-Claire on 6 April 1327; the city’s crowded religious life became the unlikely setting for some of his most private poetry.

  • Pope · c. 1285–1342

    Pope Benedict XII

    Commissioned the Palais Vieux in Avignon

    Benedict XII began the Palais Vieux, the older, more fortress-like part of the papal palace, after becoming pope in 1334. He might find today’s visitor-filled halls a strange afterlife for a building conceived to give the papal court a secure home.

  • Pope · 1291–1352

    Pope Clement VI

    Commissioned the Palais Neuf in Avignon

    Clement VI expanded the palace with the Palais Neuf, whose grand rooms and painted chambers reveal a less austere papal world. The contrast with Benedict XII’s older fortress still tells a story: Avignon’s rulers wanted security, but they also wanted to be seen.

  • Singer · born 1946

    Mireille Mathieu

    Born and raised in Avignon

    Mireille Mathieu grew up in Avignon and won a local singing competition in 1962 before her career carried her far beyond Provence. The city that first heard her voice might still feel like a fitting place to begin a song.

Where to Eat

Where locals actually book dinner — not the tourist menus.

Insider tips

Small things that change how the city treats you.

  • Book July Early

    The Festival d’Avignon and Festival Off fill courtyards and theaters each July, so reserve accommodation and popular performances well ahead. Expect more crowds around the Palais des Papes and the old city.

  • Market Mornings

    Les Halles on Place Pie opens Tuesday to Sunday mornings and is closed on Mondays. Go on Saturday around 11 a.m. for the live cooking demonstration in the market’s Petite Cuisine.

  • Eat on French Hours

    Plan lunch between noon and 2 p.m. and dinner from about 7:30 p.m.; many kitchens close between services. Book sought-after restaurants ahead, especially from May through September.

  • Ask for Water

    Request une carafe d’eau for free table water. Service is included by law, so a small tip is optional rather than expected.

  • Choose Side Streets

    For dinner, look around Place des Corps-Saints or Rue des Teinturiers instead of defaulting to the terraces on Place de l’Horloge. The former areas have bistros and cafés away from the city’s main tourist square.

  • Walk Inside Walls

    Explore the old center on foot: the ramparts enclose a compact historic core, and Rue des Teinturiers is best experienced slowly, beside its canal and surviving waterwheels. Check Orizo routes for trips beyond the center.

  • Mind Your Belongings

    Keep your phone and wallet zipped away in Festival crowds and busy market aisles. Avoid leaving valuables on café tables, especially when sitting outdoors.

Frequently asked

Is Avignon worth visiting?

Yes—Avignon brings the Palais des Papes, the surviving arches of Pont Saint-Bénézet and a walled old town into one walkable visit. Stay long enough to see the frescoes and then climb to the Rocher des Doms for a view across the Rhône.

How many days in Avignon is enough?

Two full days give you time for the Palais des Papes, the bridge, the old center and a museum or market visit. Add a third day if you want a slower pace or plan to see more of the region.

How do I get from Avignon TGV station to the old town?

Avignon TGV station is outside the walled center; connect to Avignon Centre by local TER train or bus. Check current departures before travel, as schedules can change.

Can you get around Avignon without a car?

Yes. The main sights inside the ramparts are easy to explore on foot, while Orizo buses and trams serve trips beyond the center. A car is more useful for exploring the wider region than for visiting the old town.

Is Avignon safe for tourists?

Avignon is manageable with ordinary city precautions. Keep valuables secure in crowded July festival venues and busy places such as Les Halles, and stay aware of your surroundings after dark.

Is Avignon expensive to visit?

Costs depend on your choices: major sights such as the papal palace and bridge have admission fees, while walking the old streets and spending time in the Jardin des Doms cost nothing. Check official attraction sites for current ticket prices, and book July accommodation early.

What is Avignon most famous for?

Avignon is best known for the Palais des Papes and the Avignon Papacy, when popes resided here in the 14th century. The four surviving arches of Pont Saint-Bénézet are another emblem of the city, immortalized in the French song Sur le pont d’Avignon.

All Places to Visit.

41 places to discover

Palais Des Papes
Place

Palais Des Papes

Avignon Cathedral
Place

Avignon Cathedral

Calvet Museum
Place

Calvet Museum

Fort Saint-André (Villeneuve-Lès-Avignon)
Place

Fort Saint-André (Villeneuve-Lès-Avignon)

Temple Saint Martial
Place

Temple Saint Martial

Synagogue D'Avignon
Place

Synagogue D'Avignon

Place

Pierre Boulle

Pont Saint-Bénézet
Place

Pont Saint-Bénézet

Tower of Philip the Fair
Place

Tower of Philip the Fair

Maison Jean Vilar
Place

Maison Jean Vilar

Musée Lapidaire D'Avignon
Place

Musée Lapidaire D'Avignon

Place

Musée Angladon

Palais Du Roure
Place

Palais Du Roure

Place

Musée Louis Vouland

Avignon Sports Ground
Place

Avignon Sports Ground

Musée Du Petit Palais
Place

Musée Du Petit Palais

Opéra D'Avignon
Place

Opéra D'Avignon

Historic Centre of Avignon
Place

Historic Centre of Avignon

Place

Conservatoire À Rayonnement Régional Du Grand Avignon

Place

Departmental Archives of Vaucluse

Double Viaduc Tgv D'Avignon
Place

Double Viaduc Tgv D'Avignon

Abbaye De Saint-Ruf D'Avignon
Place

Abbaye De Saint-Ruf D'Avignon

Avignon City Wall
Place

Avignon City Wall

Église Saint Pierre (Avignon)
Place

Église Saint Pierre (Avignon)

Petit Palais in Avignon
Place

Petit Palais in Avignon

Avignon – Caumont Airport
Place

Avignon – Caumont Airport

Avignon Tourist Office
Place

Avignon Tourist Office

Place

Chapelle Saint-Louis D'Avignon

Gare D'Avignon Tgv
Place

Gare D'Avignon Tgv

Gare D'Avignon-Centre
Place

Gare D'Avignon-Centre

Hôtel De Villeneuve-Martignan
Place

Hôtel De Villeneuve-Martignan

Place

Hôtel Particulier Geoffroy

Place

House of Queen Jeanne, 24Bis Saint-Étienne Street

Place

La Condition Des Soies

Place

Maison Casal

Place

Maison De La Petite Lanterne

Place

Opéra Confluence D'Avignon

Place

Salvati-Palasse Mansion

Théâtre Des Corps Saints
Place

Théâtre Des Corps Saints

Tour De La Madeleine (Ancienne)
Place

Tour De La Madeleine (Ancienne)

Place

Tour De La Saunerie

Photo credits (9)
  1. Bingqian Li — Pexels License (https://www.pexels.com/license/) — Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/38058300/
  2. Bingqian Li — Pexels License (https://www.pexels.com/license/) — Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/30037002/
  3. Bingqian Li — Pexels License (https://www.pexels.com/license/) — Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/30037006/
  4. Bingqian Li — Pexels License (https://www.pexels.com/license/) — Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/30037016/
  5. Jean-Paul Wettstein — Pexels License (https://www.pexels.com/license/) — Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/32183966/
  6. Bingqian Li — Pexels License (https://www.pexels.com/license/) — Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/30036995/
  7. Bingqian Li — Pexels License (https://www.pexels.com/license/) — Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/38058325/
  8. Bingqian Li — Pexels License (https://www.pexels.com/license/) — Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/38104393/
  9. Bingqian Li — Pexels License (https://www.pexels.com/license/) — Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/39221666/

Photos may have been resized or cropped.