My first visit was in 2005 with my sister, arriving from Carcassonne via the train. I loved it then: “it has the elegance and history of Paris – Avignon was the seat of the Catholic Church in the 13th century, has the charm and friendliness of a small town, and is on the curve of a spectacular river.” We stayed in a camp ground (Camping Bagatelle) if memory serves, looking directly out at the famous bridge.

I enjoyed visiting the **Palace of the Popes then – it was basically empty, but the audioguide helped to make the experience worthwhile. It’s huge (the biggest Gothic palace in the world, designed to house 500 people), and home to 10 popes in the 14th century. Fast forward to 2024, we were less charmed with the city (though it’s beautiful), and certainly less so with the Palace, both due to the hordes of crowds. There’s better, though not great, technology available now on iPads for visitors at the palace, with slightly clugey digital recreations to show you what the spaces were originally like.

We had a decent, casual lunch at **Chez Lisette in the middle of town: salads and a good burger.

On this latest visit, we stayed in quite elevated lodging in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon: **Hôtel Le Prieuré Baumanière (a Relais & Châteaux property). It was very elegant, with expansive, landscaped grounds and large, comfortable rooms. Dinner in the garden was formal and good – not great, but good. I’d recommend the experience, but we’d likely stay somewhere less expensive next time. Maison Orsini looked like a good option. 

Villeneuve-lès-Avignon was a nice discovery – it’s more like the Avignon I remembered, with great architecture, a towering fort (Fort Saint-André – to do next time), and lots of darling restaurants. It’s not nearly as crowded, and has a nice feel, within walking distance of Avignon itself. Once linked to Avignon by bridge, it’s not a particularly “new” place. In 1292, Philippe le Bel decided to make the village a key operational base for the Kingdom of France, building a fortress that controlled access to the Pont d’Avignon bridge: the Philippe le Bel Tower (still standing). Then, during the time of the Avignon Papacy, the city became a vacation destination for the cardinals.