Palais des Papes, Avignon

Palais des Papes

A giant 14th-century Gothic palace from the Avignon Papacy, when popes resided in Avignon. It is the largest medieval palace in Europe and, together with the broken bridge and the old town, a World Heritage site.

The Palais des Papes was built between 1309 and 1377, when seven popes resided in Avignon. It covers 15,000 square meters, with walls 3 meters thick, and is the largest Gothic palace in Europe. In 1995 it was inscribed as a World Heritage site together with the old town of Avignon and the Pont Saint-Bénézet. The palace has two parts: the austere Old Palace of Benedict XII and the lavish New Palace of Clement VI. The visitor route passes more than 20 rooms, including the pope's private bedroom (with blue-background grapevine and bird-and-beast murals on the walls), the Chamber of the Stag (with hunting murals), the Great Chapel, the banquet hall and the Great Audience Hall, which is 24 meters high. Most of the furnishings were looted during the French Revolution. The Histopad tablet guide, included with admission and available in Chinese, uses augmented reality to recreate how the rooms once looked, and it is a highlight of a visit. Tickets cost about €12, and the combined ticket with the bridge costs about €14.5. Opening hours are 9:00 to 19:00 (10:00 to 17:00 from November to February, and until 20:00 in July). Booking online during peak season lets you skip the queue. After your visit, climb to the palace terrace for views of the Rhône and the Fort Saint-André on the opposite bank. Leave the palace, climb the steps to the Rocher des Doms (Rock Park), then walk down to the Pont Saint-Bénézet (the bridge from the French children's song “Sur le pont d'Avignon,” with only four arches remaining). Every July, the Avignon Festival turns the square in front of the palace and the Cour d'honneur into main stages, with more than 1,500 performances across the city. Getting there: the palace is a 15-minute walk from Avignon Centre train station. A shuttle train runs from the TGV station to Avignon Centre in 5 minutes.

Palais des Papes, Avignon

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