Avignon is an administrative division in southern France and is the capital of the Vaucluse department. Situated on the left bank of Rhône, Avignon is an oval shaped area mostly covered by parks and gardens. In between early 14th and 15th century, it had been a residence to several popes and antipopes for which it was known as Palais des Papes. Avignon has been known for many popular sights like Notre Dame des Doms, Pont d’ Avignon, Calvet Museum, Musée du Petit Palais and many more.
Avignon is a beautiful city in France which has been home to several Popes. The oval shaped city features several parks and gardens and also has many popular tourist sights.
Some of the famous sights in Avignon are:
- Notre Dame des Doms- It is a Romanesque cathedral built in 12th century with the gilded statue of the Virgin which is a very prominent feature of the church.
- Palais des Papes- It is a very impressive example of architecture. It is the palace of the popes constructed in the 14th century by John XXII and his succeeding popes.
- Calvet Museum- The museum which has been named after Esprit Calvet holds vast collection of paintings, metalwork and other collections.
- Musée du Petit Palais- The museum has the collection of paintings of Giampietro Campana and also Renaissance paintings of the Avignon school and also from Italy.
- Pont d’Avignon- It is a ruined bridge which was built in the Middle Ages.
In Avignon, you can purchase several Provencal objects like the olive oil, lavender, potteries in mustard yellow and green color and many more which can be taken as presents.
Some of the interesting shopping places in Avignon are:
- Place Pie
- Rue de la République
- Rue St Agricol
- Rue des Fourbisseurs
Avignon lies on the TGV line which runs from Paris to Marseille. The TGV station is located at a distance of 2 Km away from the town and you can take a regular bus to the station which is available from the square opposite to the central station.
From Office de Tourisme, you can get detail information on the city and a map from thr office will help you to move around in the city.