Avignon, city of the popes

Avignon is at the crossroads of provence and languedoc, near the mediterrenean on a route between spain and italy.

Discovery of the old town  You'll visit the Palace of the Popes and the famous St Benezet bridge, whose song is sang by children all over the world.  Free time for lunch on your own in the town center.  Stroll the shopping streets in the pedestrian area, Joseph Vernet and St Agricol streets, the district of la Balance and the large Republic avenue. in addition to the large variety of well stocked luxury shops, you will find Provencal materails, ceramics and pottery, terra cotta figurines (santons), handicrafts, and other specialities of the region.

Villeneuve-lez-avignon  On the other side of the Rhône river, Villeneuve lez Avignon, medieval and royal city, 14th c cardinal place of residence, represents with its monuments an important heritage.  To be discovered : the Carthusian monastery, ND church and its cloister, Philip the Fair tower, St Andrew abbey and fort, Pierre de Luxembourg museum and its occidental master pieces, as well as Les Angles a very picturesque village, about 1 km away from Villeneuve.

Chateauneuf - du- pape  The village looks over the plain of Comtat and the 3 000 hectares of vine fields. The village is almost completely dedicated to its world famous wine "Châteaunef du Pape" which is also part of the similarly famous Côtes du Rhône. In the center of the village you will find a number of wine tasting cellars from the different domaines.  Wine tasting.

Cruise with a stop in arles  Sailing upstream along the town walls, you will be able to admire the "Rocher des Doms", the "Pont St Benezet" and Villeneuve Hills.  Back downstream, after the confluence of the River Durance, you will see the Aramon village on the right banck and the hills of "La Montagnette" on the left one. Then passing through the large lock of Vallabregues dam, you get to Beaucaire and Tarascon with its castle, both offering a wonderful view, after which the River Rhone becomes slighty wilder and greener. You will then arrive in Arles, with its ancient monuments overlooking the curve of the river, landing at quai Lamartine near the city centre.  Visit of Arles.

Avignon museums  The Calvet museum, in a sumptuous 18th century former private home, displays a wide range of art.  The Petit Palais, built during the time of the popes, is now devoted to Italian painting and Avignon art from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.  The Angladon-Dubrujeaud museum is home to 19th and 20th century masterpieces and other art works collected by the family and displayed in their home.  The Collection Lambert, contemporary art museum, opened in 2000 in an 18th century mansion.

L' isle - sur - la - sorgue  This compact medieval town is built on the islands of five branches of the Sorgue river, 7 km downstream from its source at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.The imposing Notre-Dame-des-Anges church in the center of the "vieille ville" was a Collegial church in 1222. Rebuilt in the 17th century, three sides still show signs of its age; the front is refurbished, and includes a lovely clock showing the time, date and phases of the moon. The church is surrounded by cafés and shops, and the many shopping streets radiating out from this center have mouth-watering smells and window displays.

Saint rémy / les baux de provence  St Rémy was the birth-place of Nostradamus, and much later Van Gogh lived here. St Rémy is known for it's aromas of wild herbs and was built close to the Roman village of Glanum following its destruction by Teutons.Glanum still boasts a magnificent mausoleum and commemorative arch, and it's still worth a visit.  The area of Les Baux-de-Provence gave its name to Bauxite, the ore from which we get aluminium. The village is built on top of a 200 metre high outcrop, and overlooking the village are the ruins of the fortress. The Lords of Les Baux claimed descent from King Balthazar of biblical fame (a likely tale). From its powerful position Les Baux was a key stronghold for anyone with designs on Provence.  Visit of Cathedrale d'Images, located in the old pits of the Baux-de-Provence. Here, shows are produced on a 4000 m2 surface of white stone, and 45 audiovisual projection sources animate the place from top to bottom. Each year a different show is proposed.