palais des papes

karthik0410

Avignon is a lovely town with so much history and the palace is one of the highlights.The palace is beautiful and striking from the outside. I was impressed with how wealthy the popes must have been and how much influence they had to have this prestigious place built for them.It is well worth getting the audio guide for 2euros extra as there are a lot of rooms without furniture & the empty walls might leave you disinterested after a while.

Desmondperry5

We probably could not be criticised for thinking that the Pope lives in Rome, the Vatican, to be precise! Well during the period 1309 and 1378, they didn't. They lived here in Avignon, and rather grandly, a befits a senior member of the Catholic Church. It seems there was a bit of a falling out between the French Monarchy and Rome, so a total of seven Popes vacationed in Avignon in the thirteen hundreds.Enough history, this is majestic and, if you go to Avignon, DO NOT MISS THIS!

ki0g

Nice place, nice view, nice landscape. There is some stalls in front so you can check some stuff. The place is huge and magnificent.

163MartinW163

The 14th Century Palais des Papes is a remarkable structure of ramparts, cavernous rooms and narrow stairways. One can spend hours exploring its structures and absorbing its atmosphere and its history. Not to be missed. Make sure you get an audio guide. And do visit the shop.

AlanONYC

not much to see there, we wer fortunate that we saw the Great Light show there "illuminations de Avignon" or something to that effect at night but that is, as I understand it, only a seasonal thing- If thwey have it when you're there- do it.

MichaelS13

It is probably not a surprise that going first thing on a cold January morning, we would have the run of the place. We paid for the palace and bridge family combo. A pretty good deal since it was only 2 euros more. My wife got the audio guide for 2 euros, and we set off exploring all through the palace. Great visit, and the gift shop has a very interesting entrance.

PapaJohnHokie

Due to the historical significance, it's worth a visit. The entrance fee is high considering there is not much inside. The building and the few displays are impressive, I was just expecting more. Go with the right level of expectations and spend time in the gardens around the area, which are very nice and scenic.

Jule2008

it's one of the most famous thing to do in Avignon, great view of the city from the top, very windy during winter, but less people.

903jamese

What an amazing place. The sheer size and grandeur of the palace makes it a must for any visit to Avignon. An audio guide is an essential element and makes the visit all that more interesting. Sharing a guide saves money and is fine if you visit during a quiet period which we did. The views from the top tower are surperb so check the weather first to try and make sure it is a sunny day. Using the Avignon pass saves a few euro off the price.

315BettyL315

The tour of the palace was good but the real show stopper was the "Les Luminessences" that we saw one evening. So glad we took in the show. Definitely worthwhile! It was advertised as a monumental spectacle and it was!

mediterania_1

It is just a 15 minutes away from a highway so don't loose opportunity to visit it . Huge complex of buildings on the bank of the Rhone river where popes used to live . Made of white stones both worth to stay 1 hour or whole day . Beautifull place for wal in any time of the year. Don't miss it !!!

MarcH882

I visited the Palais des Papes in November 2014. Avignon is very quiet and romantic in these days. No Festival, great! I visited the palace for the first time and actually was disappointed. It is a complex building with nothing but empty bare rooms. The audio guides are great and explain well the history of the buildings: many popes added extensions, broke down other parts, parts burned down, army's took possession of the buildings, interiors were destroyed and dismantled. This is the whole history in a nutshell. The staff though is very helpful and very friendly. An example for other museums. The entrance fee is slightly on the high side (over 10 euro's). My advice: visit this as part of the visit to the historic part of the town which is fantastic and spend your time rather on dancing on the "Pont d'Avignon". The bridge has a great story in itself!

TheresaWWM

The palace is massive and rich in history. The rain didn't deter visitors like me to wander from one place to another! You will spend hours admiring frescoes, relating the narrated stories to rooms etc.It's worthwhile to buy a ticket to visit both Popes Palace and Saint Benezet bridge. The view from bridge is breath-taking!

pedrowei

for 12€ entry fee, you can have a look into an old palace with huge rooms. very few decorations. you need to be a big fan of such things. i found it boring and definitely not worth the entry fee.

DeniseB63

The immensity of this structure, inside and out, and its place in history put Avignon towards the top of our list of places to see in Provence. The audio guide, along with several visual presentations in many rooms, allowed me to capture the history of this structure and the nine popes that resided here during a trying time in the history of Catholicism. My self-guided tour through the Palace, combined with a Petit train ride through the city and a relaxing lunch/dinner made for a wonderful day trip.