The palace is massive and rich in history. The rain didn't deter visitors like me to wander from one place to another! You will spend hours admiring frescoes, relating the narrated stories to rooms etc.It's worthwhile to buy a ticket to visit both Popes Palace and Saint Benezet bridge. The view from bridge is breath-taking!
We probably could not be criticised for thinking that the Pope lives in Rome, the Vatican, to be precise! Well during the period 1309 and 1378, they didn't. They lived here in Avignon, and rather grandly, a befits a senior member of the Catholic Church. It seems there was a bit of a falling out between the French Monarchy and Rome, so a total of seven Popes vacationed in Avignon in the thirteen hundreds.Enough history, this is majestic and, if you go to Avignon, DO NOT MISS THIS!
The immensity of this structure, inside and out, and its place in history put Avignon towards the top of our list of places to see in Provence. The audio guide, along with several visual presentations in many rooms, allowed me to capture the history of this structure and the nine popes that resided here during a trying time in the history of Catholicism. My self-guided tour through the Palace, combined with a Petit train ride through the city and a relaxing lunch/dinner made for a wonderful day trip.
The 14th Century Palais des Papes is a remarkable structure of ramparts, cavernous rooms and narrow stairways. One can spend hours exploring its structures and absorbing its atmosphere and its history. Not to be missed. Make sure you get an audio guide. And do visit the shop.
not much to see there, we wer fortunate that we saw the Great Light show there "illuminations de Avignon" or something to that effect at night but that is, as I understand it, only a seasonal thing- If thwey have it when you're there- do it.
What an amazing place. The sheer size and grandeur of the palace makes it a must for any visit to Avignon. An audio guide is an essential element and makes the visit all that more interesting. Sharing a guide saves money and is fine if you visit during a quiet period which we did. The views from the top tower are surperb so check the weather first to try and make sure it is a sunny day. Using the Avignon pass saves a few euro off the price.
It is probably not a surprise that going first thing on a cold January morning, we would have the run of the place. We paid for the palace and bridge family combo. A pretty good deal since it was only 2 euros more. My wife got the audio guide for 2 euros, and we set off exploring all through the palace. Great visit, and the gift shop has a very interesting entrance.
The tour of the palace was good but the real show stopper was the "Les Luminessences" that we saw one evening. So glad we took in the show. Definitely worthwhile! It was advertised as a monumental spectacle and it was!
It is just a 15 minutes away from a highway so don't loose opportunity to visit it . Huge complex of buildings on the bank of the Rhone river where popes used to live . Made of white stones both worth to stay 1 hour or whole day . Beautifull place for wal in any time of the year. Don't miss it !!!
Nice place, nice view, nice landscape. There is some stalls in front so you can check some stuff. The place is huge and magnificent.