Avignon hotels

Hotels in Avignon

Why you'll love Avignon

Sitting on the left bank of the River Rhone, Avignon is a stunning town steeped in history. It was the seat of Christianity for much of the 14th century and home to a succession of popes, whose august palace has become one of its star attractions.

Avignon is one of the few French towns to have preserved its ramparts, which enclose its ancient town centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Book one of our Avignon hotels and discover dozens of churches, chapels and 18th and 19th-century mansions as you explore the cobbled streets and squares or cruise along the Rhone. Some 173 buildings and sites in the town are registered historic monuments.

The town is also the venue for the Avignon Festival, a theatre festival which also includes dance, music and cinema. Its hundreds of shows draw around 100,000 people to the town each summer.

Avignon's three main monuments are the Notre Dame des Doms Cathedral, the Pont d'Avignon and the Palace of the Popes.

Notre Dame des Doms

This Romanesque cathedral originally dates from the 12th century, but was restored in the 19th century after deteriorating during the French Revolution. One of its most famous features is the statue of the Virgin Mary on top of the bell tower, which was put up in 1859. It also houses the beautifully carved 14th-century tomb of Pope John XXII and a number of works of art.

Palace of the Popes

Home to seven popes between 1309 and 1377, the Palace of the Popes is the largest Gothic palace in the world. There are 25 different rooms for visitors to explore, including the ceremonial halls, the chapels, the cloisters and the Popes' private apartments, filled with fabulous frescoes. You'll learn about the history of this extraordinary building which, after 1377, was the residence of legates and then a barracks before being opened to the public in the 20th century. Don't miss the panoramic views of the city from the terrace.

The Museum du Petit Palais, in the square overlooked by the palace, houses a collection of Italian and French Renaissance paintings, including Botticelli's Madonna with Child.

Pont d'Avignon

Made famous by the song Sur le Pont d'Avignon, the Saint Benezet bridge was built in the 12th century. Benezet, a young shepherd, believed God had told him to build a bridge over the Rhone. According to legend he was ridiculed, but proved his divine inspiration by miraculously lifting a huge block of stone. Just 40 years later, the bridge was destroyed in a siege and had to be rebuilt. It has since been damaged several times by floods, and of its original 22 arches, only four remain.

Parks

Filled with trees, rock gardens, pools and statues, the Jardin des Doms offers stunning views over the countryside from its vantage point 30 metres above the Rhone. There's a playground for children, who will probably also want to bring some bread to feed the ducks – as may adults. Or catch the free shuttle boat to the Ile de la Barthelasse, home to a wide variety of birds and animals. Here you'll find black kites, sparrowhawks, herons, coypus, hedgehogs, badgers, foxes, squirrels, stone martens, beavers and more.