Avignon and its history

City walk to discover Avignon, the unmissable Saint-Bénezet bridge and the Palais des Papes, but also all the lesser known historical monuments that are worth a visit.

Technical sheet

93296
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.43 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 46 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 48 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 56 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 16 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Reach the car park of the Camping la Bagatelle, below the Pont Daladier.
The departure is described from the banks of the Rhône for the beautiful view of Avignon, but it can be done from other car parks in the city.

(S/E) With your back to the Rhône, turn left towards the Pont Daladier and take the stairs up to the right. Once on the bridge, turn left onto it and head towards the town.

At the end of the bridge, cross over to the protected crossings opposite and head towards the ramparts, following them for a few metres on the right as far as the Porte Crillon. Take the Rue Folco de Baroncelli which runs alongside the Place Crillon on the left, then the Rue du Limas on the left. Continue until Place Georges Pompidou, go back on Rue du Limas and turn right into Rue Limasset.

Opposite, the Poterne Georges Pompidou allows you to cross the ramparts to find yourself outside the city. Turn right towards the Pont Saint-Bénézet(1). Look over the second arch for the Chapelle Saint-Bénézet, and above it the Chapelle Saint-Nicolas. Pass under the bridge and continue on the pavement to the Porte du Rocher.

Go through the gate to return to the city centre and follow Rue Ferruce. After the car park, it becomes pedestrianised and turns left, making a small "S" right/left to arrive at Rue de la Grande Fusterie. Opposite number 63, turn left under the porch into Rue Puits de la Reille, continue straight ahead and climb the stairs of Rue Pente rapide which lead to the Place du Palais des Papes.

On the left is the Musée du Petit Palais, turn right and walk down the square, admiring on your right the Ancien Hôtel des Monnaies which stands opposite the entrance to the palace. Turn left towards the stairs of the main gate of the Palais des Papes(2), go up them and then continue straight ahead on the road that goes around the palace on the left (Montée Jean XXIII). 50m further on, turn right to pass in front of the departmental archives, then after a few steps, reach the square in front of the Basilica Notre-Dame des Doms, which overlooks the square.

Opposite the basilica, go left and pass the gate to the Jardin des Doms, a drinking water point is just on the left. Do not take the road opposite (Montée des Moulins), nor the one furthest to the right, but between the two, the one that passes to the right of the war memorial and zigzags up to the garden.

Go around the small lake on the left, pass to the left of the statue of Félix Gras, continue opposite, pass the statue of Jean Althen to arrive at different viewpoints on the Rhône and Villeneuve les Avignon. By following the fence on the left after the statue, it is possible to go down to the esplanades which offer new angles of view on the Saint-Bénézet Bridge and on the Popes' vineyard.

Turn around and go back to the statue of Jean Althen, go around it to the left and take the steps down to the left towards the large esplanade and its orientation table. Continue to the right of the esplanade, with the low wall on your left, towards the palace. Go down the wide staircase and after the last step, turn immediately left to find the St. Anne's Stairs which go down behind the palace.

Pass through two gates, then after the Théâtre des Doms, take the street on the right which leads to the Cour Maria Casarès at the back of the Palais des Papes. Turn left to pass under the small porch that gives access to the Verger Urbain V. Cross it and take the paved street on the right which leads to the Place de la Mirande.

Turn right into the small Rue de la Peyrolerie which winds through the rock at the foot of the palace. At the top of this street, turn left into Rue Jean Villard, which leads to the Place de l'horloge. At the beginning of the square, the Theatre/Opera is enthroned and to its left the Hôtel de Ville topped by the clock tower and its Jacquard. Walk down the square to the left and at the bottom of the square turn left into Rue Favard. After the arcades, turn left onto Rue de l'Arc de l'Agneau which leads to Place Saint-Pierre and its eponymous basilica.

Pass under the porch on the left of the building to reach the Place des Châtaignes. Turn left towards Rue de la Banasterie, at number 13 you will find the Hôtel de Madon de Châteaublanc. Continue past the old prison, now a museum, to find the Chapelle des Pénitents Noirs.

Continue along the street which becomes, after the postern, the Rue du Rempart de la Ligne. Opposite the Porte de la Ligne is the former Grenier à sel(4) which has become a theatre. Turn right into Rue Palapharnerie, then right into Place Saint-Joseph and left into Rue des 3 Colombes. Continue for about 100 metres and turn right onto Rue et Place des Trois Pilats which leads to Rue Sainte-Catherine.

Follow it until you reach the Théâtre du Chêne Noir in place of the Church of the Convent of Sainte-Catherine. A little further on, turn left into Rue Armand de Pontmartin, which leads to Place Carnot. Continue to the left towards Place Jérusalem and its synagogue, pass it to arrive at Place Saint-Jean le Vieux where the tower of the city is located, on the right admire the vegetal wall on the façade of the Halles.

Continue to cross the Place Pie between the bars to find the small Rue Saint-Jean le Vieux which runs opposite on the left of the square. It leads to Place de la Pignotte, at the end of which stands the Chapel of the Visitation(5) in poor condition. Turn left into Rue Paul Saïn and you will soon see Notre-Dame de la Conversion on the right.
At n°23bis is an unnamed chapel, continue along the street until you reach Rue et Place du portail Matheron. Turn right towards Rue de la Carreterie, after 100m you can see the Augustins Bell Tower on your right, the last remnant of the convent of the same name.

Arrive at the Place des Carmes and its covered market, go round it to the left to find the Convent and Cloister of the Carmes in the middle(6). Go back to Rue de la Carreterie and turn left, continue until the next street on the right (Rue Guillaume Puy) which you must take. It leads to the Place Louis Pasteur, go left onto Rue Notre-Dame des 7 Douleurs and its church which is not very visible.

Continue along this street until the edge of the ramparts, where it becomes Rue du 58ème RI. Pass the Porte Thiers and continue to follow the street inside the ramparts for 200m. At the second crossroads, turn right into Rue des Teinturiers(7), famous for its paddle wheels. At the intersection with Rue Guillaume Puy, the house of the IV de Chiffres is on the left, continue along Rue des Teinturiers, past the Chapelle des Pénitents Gris and then the Bell Tower of the Cordeliers Church.

Turn left into Rue des Lices, where at no. 62 you will find a former Jesuit convent which houses the Saint-Joseph high school and a little further on the right the former Aumônerie Générale. Turn right into Rue Pétramale and enter the square of the same name just after the intersection with Rue du Crucifix. (It is possible to continue along Rue Pétramale, but the narrow pavements make this passage unpleasant).

Cross the square and the Théâtre des Halles to exit onto Rue du Roi René, which you must take on the left. Follow it to the Place Saint Didier and then turn right into the Rue des Fourbisseurs. At the fork in the road, turn left onto Rue de la Principale as far as the square of the same name, on which the Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs stands.

Make a U-turn, turn right into Rue Piot and then left into Rue de la Saraillerie, which returns to Place Saint-Didier. Turn right to admire the Collegiate Church of Saint-Didier(8), retrace your steps and turn right into Rue Laboureur, which passes in front of the Livrée Ceccano, home of the media library.

Continue along this street, which meets Rue des trois Faucons, turn right and go straight on to Place des Corps Saints. Go to the Chapel of Saint-Michel and continue to the Church of the Celestines(9). Turn around and find Rue Agricol Perdiguier on the left. Opposite n°25, go through the small gate on the right which allows you to enter the square and see the Temple Saint Martial. Continue straight ahead to cross the square, go around the temple to the right, then exit to find Rue Henry Fabre.

Turn left, pass the entrance to the temple and join the Cours Jean Jaurès. Turn right onto Rue de la République until you reach the Musée Lapidaire, formerly the chapel of the Jesuit College. Turn around and retrace your steps, walk past the Tourist Office and turn right into Boulevard Raspail. At the intersection with Rue du portail Boquier, turn left and back to see the Chapel of the Noviciat de Saint-Louis. Continue along Boulevard Raspail for 100m and turn right into Rue Saint-Charles, the contemporary museum and its art school.

At number 4, you will find the former Chapelle Saint-Charles. Continue along this street until you reach Rue Joseph Vernet, which you must turn left. Continue along this street until you reach the Chapelle de l'Oratoire, then turn right into Rue Saint-Agricol to see the Collégiale Saint-Agricol(10).

Come back and continue along Rue Joseph Vernet, at n°18 also go back and forth on Place de la Plaisance passing under a porch and continue to the Post Office. Turn left into the small Rue Mazan which leads to the Place Crillon and its Comédie building. Turn left towards the Porte Crillon, then cross the bridge to find the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 18 m - Camping la Bagatelle car park - Rhône (le)
  2. 1 : km 1.11 - alt. 19 m - Pont Saint-Bénezet
  3. 2 : km 1.77 - alt. 29 m - Palais des Papes
  4. 3 : km 3.51 - alt. 21 m - Basilique Saint-Pierre d'Avignon
  5. 4 : km 4.18 - alt. 20 m - Grenier à sel
  6. 5 : km 5.29 - alt. 19 m - Chapelle de la Visitation
  7. 6 : km 5.63 - alt. 20 m - Cloitre des Carmes
  8. 7 : km 6.51 - alt. 19 m - Rue des Teinturiers
  9. 8 : km 7.75 - alt. 20 m - Collégiale Saint-Didier
  10. 9 : km 8.16 - alt. 19 m - Eglise des Célestins
  11. 10 : km 9.52 - alt. 19 m - Collégiale Saint-Agricol
  12. S/E : km 10.43 - alt. 18 m - Camping la Bagatelle car park

Practical information

The circuit passes through several parks which have opening and closing times that vary according to the season.

Square Agricol Perdiguier
Opening: 7.30 am
Closing: January 5.30pm; February 6pm; March 7pm; April and May 8pm; June, July and August 9pm; September 8pm; October 6.30pm; November 6pm; December 5.30pm.

Garden of the Doms++
Opening at 7:30 am
Closed: January and December 5.30pm; February and November 6pm; March 7pm; April-May and September 8pm; June, July and August 9pm; October 6.30pm.

JArdin Pétramale
Opens at 7.30am.
Closing time according to season: January 5.30pm; February 6pm; March 7pm; April and May 8pm; June, July and August 9pm; September 8pm; October 6.30pm; November 6pm; December 5.30pm.

In the nearby area

Le Pont Saint-Bénézet
La Chapelle Saint-Bénézet et au-dessus d'elle la Chapelle Saint-Nicolas
Le Palais des Papes
Le Musée du Petit Palais
L'Hôtel des Monnaies
La Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms
Le Théâtre-Opéra
L'hôtel de Ville et son jacquemart
La Basilique Saint-Pierre
Façade de l’Hôtel de Madon de Châteaublanc
La Chapelle des Pénitents Noirs de la Miséricorde
Le Grenier à sel
L’église du Couvent Sainte-Catherine
La Synagogue d'Avignon
La Chapelle de la Visitation, dite aussi du Saint-Sacrement.
Chapelle de la Congrégation des Hommes
Le Cloître des Carmes
Le Clocher des Augustins
Notre-Dame des Sept Douleurs
La Rue des Teinturiers
La Maison du IV de Chiffre
La Chapelle des Pénitents Gris
Clocher de l’Église des Cordeliers
Ancien couvent de jésuites
L’Aumônerie Générale
La Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs
La Collégiale Saint-Didier
La Chapelle de Saint-Michel et de Tous les Saints
L’Église des Célestins
Temple Saint-Martial
L'ancien Noviciat des Jésuites (Musée Lapidaire)
La Chapelle Saint Charles
La Chapelle de l'Oratoire
La Collégiale Saint-Agricol.
L'Ancienne Comédie d’Avignon
Historique des rues d'Avignon

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 31 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
alainhourlay
alainhourlay

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Very nice walk taking in all the sights of Avignon, really very good and very interesting culturally with all the descriptive panels in front of the historic buildings.

Automatically translated

sgourdin
sgourdin

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A very complete circuit, even if some parts are less interesting than others, but you have to make the connections...

Automatically translated

doumé69
doumé69

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very comprehensive tour of Avignon within its walls, well done to the initiator.

Automatically translated

renat-34
renat-34

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

We've added Philippe le Bel's tower to our tour of Avignon.

Automatically translated

les sem
les sem ★

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Hello Slinky
Another hike full of discoveries, just the way we like them, off the beaten track and allowing you to discover places you wouldn't have known about otherwise. It's pleasant at this time of year because the weather is fine, not too hot, and the tourist season hasn't started, so it's relatively quiet.
Small correction: the gateway to the Place Crillon is the Porte de l'Oulle and not the Porte Crillon at (1) .
I'll take this opportunity to start the translation.
Thanks again!
Véronique

Automatically translated

A-Marie de Chap
A-Marie de Chap
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

We came to Avignon for a weekend and didn't know the town at all, so this circuit was a great help: we knew where to park (and what a view of Avignon!) and we didn't waste a moment setting off on the circuit. A complete tour! Thank you very much for this tour.

Automatically translated

Mustromb68
Mustromb68

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Interesting visit to Avignon, very good tour. Walk to remember

Automatically translated

Ropa
Ropa

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Ideal for discovering Avignon.

Automatically translated

Martine Feg
Martine Feg

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

a tour of Avignon with lots of places to discover
gives a good idea of the city.
I'd recommend it.

Automatically translated

marion.claude
marion.claude

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice itinerary to discover the best of Avignon. We let ourselves be guided all afternoon and were delighted.

Automatically translated

Vaunier
Vaunier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 02, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

The perfect way to discover this magnificent city
Thank you

Automatically translated

Muriel_1202
Muriel_1202

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A very pleasant walk to discover Avignon and its sights, history, theatres, etc. The locals are pleasant and always ready to help.

Automatically translated

gise13
gise13

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Magnificent !!!!
We started the walk at 9am from this car park with a splendid view and very few people at the start.
A big THANK YOU for this complete visit where all the most beautiful monuments were present
Well done

Automatically translated

fourcet
fourcet

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

We did a large part of the tour starting at the foot of the Avignon ramparts. This tour is very pleasant and gives a parish specific to Brittany.
Thanks to the author

Automatically translated

legrand1062
legrand1062

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice itinerary. Recommended for discovering Avignon. We enjoyed the peace and quiet of the city in early autumn.
The idea of parking near the Bagatelle campsite at the start of the walk and at the end to enjoy the view of the city was very nice.

Automatically translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of the author. Do not copy them without permission.