The capital of the Vaucluse region is a magnet for tourists. Its history, historic remains and cultural heritage are equalled only by the opulence demonstrated each year at the famous festival.

“Sur le pont d’Avignon, on y danse tous en rond”...the song that made the ‘City of the Popes’ famous had premonitory overtones. Centuries later, it is still dance and theatre that keep Avignon in the news! Every year in July, the theatre festival takes the town to the height of artistic creation. For several weeks, the twin events, the “in” and the “off”, turn the town into a vast artistic stage, adding to its already outstanding cultural heritage. Built close to the River Rhone, the formerly Roman Avenio has always exploited its strategic position. An example of this is the famous Saint-Bénezet bridge. Once joining the two banks of the river, it is the oldest structure to have been built on the Rhone between Lyon and the Mediterranean. Floods carried away its twenty two arches and today it offers up its shortened profile for the admiration of visitors.

But it was the Popes that brought nobility to the town. Tired of Roman quarrels, Pope Clement V returned to his Provençal roots. From 1309 to 1377, seven more Popes succeeded him in Avignon, building a renowned Episcopal fortress: the Palais des Papes, which is, of course, the focal point of any visit to old Avignon and houses a number of architectural remains within its walls.