Destinations: Avignon, France
Avignon, a city in southeastern France’s Provence
region, is set on the Rhone River. From 1309 to 1377, it was
the seat of the Catholic popes. It remained under papal rule until
becoming part of France in 1791. This legacy can be seen in the massive
Palais des Papes (Popes’ Palace) in the city center, which is
surrounded by medieval stone ramparts.
Destinations From Avignon, France
Arles
Travel by rail from Avignon: 1 hr 18 mins
The amphitheatre and Roman walls of Arles speak of the Provençal city’s Roman past, but the warm influence of rural tradition is apparent everywhere you look. Van Gogh came to Arles in February 1888 in search of some southern colour and a cheap place to work, and he wrote to his friend Paul Gauguin: ‘Perhaps Arles will disappoint you, if you come here in mistral weather; but you wait. It is only in the long run that the poetry of this place penetrates.’
Aix-en-Provence
Travel by rail from Avignon: 1 hr 6 mins
With its 40 fountains and shady gardens, this town is the coolest place in the South of France. The Romans thought so, as did Cezanne. Aix-en-Provence is a town for all ages and all states of mind. It has been popular for more than two millennia: for its sweets, its olive oil, its architecture, its music, its water and, most of all, its douceur de vie. Cathedral St-Sauveur dates back to the fifth century, but embraces several architectural styles including Romanesque and Gothic.
Martigues
Travel by rail from Avignon: 1 hr 18 mins
Martigues calls itself the Venice de Provence (L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue) – that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but colorful houses shoulder-to-shoulder along the boat-lined canals do give the island part of town a Venice “look and feel”. The town sits astride the Canal de Caronte connecting the Berre Lagoon with the Golfe de Fos and the Mediterranean. Although this large town has expanded to suburbs, the old central part is very pretty and very active.
Nimes
Travel by rail from Avignon: 31 mins
Nîmes is a large Roman town of Provence, west of Avignon and Arles, with a wealth of historical and cultural sites. The Roman Arena of Nîmes is the best preserved of the Roman amphitheaters in Roman Provence. The Arena was renovated in 2006-7, improving visitor access and adding audio-guides. The Maison Carrée in the centre of Nîmes was built in 16 BC by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, the original patron of Rome’s Pantheon. One of the best preserved temples anywhere in Rome’s former empire of Roman Provence, the Maison Carrée was dedicated to Gaius Julius Caesar and Lucius Caesar, Marcus Agrippa’s two sons and the adopted heirs of Augustus.
The Pont du Gard
Travel by road from Avignon: 30 mins
The ancient Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard is perhaps the finest example of Roman era engineering outside of Italy. It crosses the Gardon River near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France. The Pont du Gard is the highest of all elevated Roman aqueducts, and, along with the Aqueduct of Segovia, one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance. The aqueduct bridge is part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50-kilometre system built in the first century AD to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes).
Montpellier
Travel by rail from Avignon: 1 hr 8 mins
Montpellier is the 8th largest city of France, and is also the fastest growing city in the country over the past 25 years. Located on the south coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, it is the third-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast after Marseille and Nice. Montpellier is a university town, and one of the rare southern French towns without a Greek or Gallo-Roman heritage. It does have a strong Medieval history, hwever, and some wonderful 19th-century archetecture. It is also known for its great shopping and dining, and has lots of terrace cafés, pretty squares and some great trompe-l’oeil wall paintings.
Marseilles
Travel by rail from Avignon: from 42 mins
Marseilles is a Provencal city with vitality, centered around 26-century-old port, with a dynamic downtown, big parks, a medieval-village-style neighbuorhood, downtown shopping and wonderful seafood. Marseilles often goes unnoticed and unvisited by travelers who choose to spend their time in France either in Paris or along the sunny beaches of St. Tropez, Cannes, and Nice. They are missing out on one of France’s most diverse cities, both in terms of people and activities.
Toulon
Travel by rail from Avignon: 1 hr 35 mins
A typical Mediterranean port town, Toulon has one of the prettiest harbours in France. Located on southern France’s Mediterranean coast, Toulon is lined with sandy beaches and shingle coves. It’s a significant naval base and the harbour is home to submarines and warships, as well as fishing boats and ferries. Rugged limestone mountains form a backdrop to the city, and a cable car shuttles visitors up Mont Faron. The grand Musée National de la Marine exhibits maritime artifacts.
Lyon
Travel by rail from Avignon: from 1 hr 1 min
Lyon, a city in France’s historical Rhône-Alpes region, sits at the junction of the Rhône and Saône rivers. Its center reflects 2,000 years of history, with the Roman Amphithéâtre des Trois Gaules, medieval and Renaissance architecture in Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon), and the modern Confluence district on the Presqu’île peninsula. Traboules, covered passageways between buildings, connect Vieux Lyon and La Croix-Rousse hill.
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