Avignon
Avignon is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Provence audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~180 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~180 min
- Provence Provence guide
About Avignon
The "City of Popes," where the papacy resided for 68 years in the 14th century, a walled medieval city on the Rhône with the world's largest Gothic palace and a world-famous bridge.
Avignon is one of the most historically resonant cities in southern France, best known as the seat of the Papacy from 1309 to 1377, when seven successive popes chose to reside here rather than in Rome. The city's medieval walls (remparts), built in the 14th century, enclose one of the finest medieval city centres in France. The Palais des Papes, the vast Gothic palace complex built by the popes, is the largest Gothic building in the world. The ruined Pont Saint-Bénézet (the "Bridge of Avignon"), famous from the nursery rhyme "Sur le Pont d'Avignon," extends into the Rhône just four of its original twenty-two arches. Avignon hosts France's most famous theatre festival, the Festival d'Avignon, every July. The city and its historic district are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Did you know? The Avignon Papacy (1309-1377) was so controversial that the poet Petrarch, who lived nearby in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, called Avignon "the Babylon of the West" and denounced the corruption of the papal court with furious elegance.
How long should you spend at Avignon?
Plan about ~180 min at Avignon. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Avignon worth visiting?
Avignon is one of the 12 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Provence, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Provence
Hear the story of Avignon
Preview the Provence tour free in the Gingerguide app.