The Rhone River area, in southeastern France, is an exciting place to visit. Especially if you are visiting the country for the first time. That is why the city of Avignon has a good reputation among travelers for magical treats and luxury.

In the 1300s, the city of Avignon was the most important in Europe. The Catholic church happened to be seated there as exemplified by the glorious Palais des Papes. Which is the world’s biggest gothic building.

The era has filled the city with a splendid cityscape of grotesque and renaissance buildings that are designated as UNESCO sites. The Point Saint-Benezet, for example, is unique in French culture, and there is a rich blend of history and art museums that will keep engaging minds for a while.

Below Are Some Things You Can Do In Avignon:

Take in the Sceneries From a Petite Train 

In the case that you do not care if you people identify you as a tourist, the city’s road train is a brilliant way to see the landmarks. It is also a useful way to know Avignon in a place that can be confusing for visitors.

The ride will last for 40 minutes and covers the popular bridge, the panoramic streets and areas around the center, the Palais des Papes, and the Rocher des Doms. Older visitors, families with toddlers, and anyone with little time to spare is known to fancy the train. It is a 40-minute ride of exhilarating venture that offers splendid French landscapes you would not see elsewhere.

Step Into The Palais des Papes

Perhaps you have seen pictures or videos, but you cannot get the scale of the 1300s’ Palais des Papes until you physically step into it. Erected by Pope Clement V, it is the largest gothic palace that is built. The pope left Rome in1309 when violence broke out after his selection and found a new seat for the papacy.

This palace is the highlight in the city’s World Heritage site and one of the country’s most popular and valuable historical buildings. When you visit, there is an audio-guide that narrates all that transpired. The papal apartments with walls are decorated with frescoes painted about 700 years ago by Matteo Giovanetti.

Surrounded by 3m-thick walls, its chapels, antechambers, and halls are mostly plain today- however, tickets now include tablet ‘Histopads’ displaying VR representations of how the Palais de Papes would have looked in all its papal elegance.

For 70 years, the palace served as the seat of the papacy. Marquee attractions include the Chambre du Cerf with medieval hunting pictures. It can be quite difficult to absorb it all. So, it might be worthwhile to employ the services of a guided tour.

Be on the lookout for events in the course of the Festival d’Avignon and special son et Lumiere events that are organized from mid-August to September. You can book tickets in advance online.

Be Inspired at Pont St-Benezet

There is the story that Pastor Benezet (a former shepherd) conceived three visions that prompted him to build a bridge over the Rhone River. Connecting Avignon and Villeneuve-Les-Avignon, the 900m-long bridge was completed in 1185.

The Pont St-Benezet was rebuilt many times before all. However, just four of its 22 spans were removed in the 17th-century. As a result, the far side is abandoned in the middle of the Rhone river. Visitors will find nice and free views from Pont Edouard, Rocher des Doms Park, and Île de la Barthelasse’s Chemin des Berges.

Do not be shocked if you see someone dancing. In France, Pont St-Benezet is referred to as Pont d’Avignon in reference to the nursery rhyme: ‘Sur le Pont d’Avignon/L’ on y danse, l’on y danse…’ This is translated to ‘On Avignon Bridge, all are dancing…’

Savor the Treat at Restaurant L’Essentiel 

In the list of top Avignon’s restaurants, Restaurant L’Essentiel has a high position. The chic place is located at 2 rue Petite Fusterie and hard to miss. It has a nice, honey-stoned mansion with a sweet-scented courtyard garden. The menu here is chances per time and is rich. There is a cool, sophisticated French dining, with the necessary forms, reductions, and veloutés. There are other great restaurants in the city where you can have the tastiest meals that southeastern France has to offer.

Feel the Charm of Place du Palais 

The gaping space that introduces the Papal Palace did not just barge into here. Benedict XII, an antipope in the early 1400s, when the twisty streets near the palace were burned to retouch the structure’s magnificence, designed it.

Right on the square, visitors have an idyllic view of the palace, renaissance Petit Palais, the Hotel des Monnaies, and the city’s Romanesque cathedral.

Visit the Collection Lambert

Founded in 2000 by the art dealer Yvon Lambert, this museum is one of the city’s nouveau art repositories. Collection Lambert features the works by Lambert that are donated to the government. The museum’s galleries are arranged across two terrific 1700s’ hotels.

Collection Lambert underwent an expansion in 2009 when the art dealer made another donation of 560 pieces. The French government has not received a larger gift of art since Pablo Picasso’s 1970s posthumous donation.

The art on display is modern, with photography, sculpture, paintings, and videos from the 1980s to recently from the likes of Anselm Kiefer, Cy Twombly, and Nile Toroni. The museum specializes in temporary exhibits as well.

Be Entertained at Place de l’Horloge  

The city’s major square is where visitors will find Avignon hall and opera house. This place took its name after the city’s unusual clock tower. However, this can be difficult to locate on the square as it is concealed at the back of the neoclassical Avignon hall buildings.

During summertime, almost half of Place de l’Horloge is occupied by rows of seating for the swath of restaurants that covers the square’s full length. Visitors can bring kids around- there is a carousel for them, and during Christmas, the city hall is something special. The best time to visit Place de l’Horloge is in July. By then, public performances for the OFF theatre festival is held under the plane trees in the square.

Appreciate the Basilique Saint-Pierre d’Avignon 

There is a story among locals that in the 1600s, the Basilique Saint-Pierre d’Avignon’s predecessor was demolished by the moors. The present gothic church building was started in the 14th-century when Innocent IV was pope.

Before visitors gain access to the church, they can admire the monumental wooden tours which were sculpted from walnut by Antoine Volard in 1551. There are many artworks to see inside the church as we, like the glided choir from the 18th-century baroque and renaissance paintings and Saint-Pierre de Luxembourg 1400s relics.

Enjoy the Bliss at Île de la Barthelasse

Among the continent’s largest river islands, Île de la Barthelasse makes the cut with its 700 hectares size. The city claims ownership of the place and is linked to Avignon by the Pont Daladier. Though visitors might find it apt to catch the ferry across the Rhone river for free.

Île de la Barthelasse is mostly tranquil orchards with just clumps of houses because a few times, there is a ruinous flood. The island’s highest point is about 18 meters, making it exposed to torrent, but it is totally enjoyable. To enhance the fun, visitors can bike in the summer and host picnics at the banks of the Rhone. 

Get your Supplies at Avignon Les Halles 

About 40 merchants of different commodities set up their colorful stalls every morning from Tuesday to Sunday at this wonderful covered market on Place Pie. In the case that you are renting an apartment and cooking yourself, you do not need to look too far for a food stall.

Here, you will find seasonal fruit and veg, seasonal fish, meat, veg, herbs, olive oil, charcuterie, and wine. As long as you visit on Saturdays, you will meet popular local chefs manning exhibition spots. You get to watch them live as they do what they are famous for. Visitors might even have a taste of their work.

See Pont du Gard

Historic and quaint, the Pont du Gar is a delight to visitors. What is probably a Roman Gaul’s most stunning ruin is 25 km to the west of Avignon. This place is incredible, but it is fascinating to think that it is just a part of a system that once measured 50km, coming down just 17m on its pathway from Uzes to Nimes.

It might also surprise visitors that it was made in 5 years. The 275m-long, 50m-high part built to cross the Gardon River has impressed people for 2000 years. You might regret not seeing it after leaving the city. At the site is a Roman history museum with children-friendly features and a visual explaining the place to visitors.

Enjoy the Countryside at Les Baux de Provence 

Tucked in the dainty countryside of Alpines just 30 km from the city, Les Baux de Provence is among France’s most beautiful villages. This place is a small hillside settlement of houses clustered on steep slopes.

Close is the Châteaux des Baux, a ruined fortress built long ago, serving as a perfect place for kids. It has large recreations of siege engines for the merriment of the children. Here, you will find the biggest trebuchet in the continent, throwing missiles throughout the day in the summertime.

Things To Do In Avignon – Summary

If your definition of laidback vacation is relaxation in a small, yet sweet and lovely French city, Avignon ticks the box. Even on a budget, you can get the very best of the place without much hassle. Prepare to visit the Rhone area on your next French trip, and you would not regret it.