A Tasty Suggestion
Book well in advance for a memorable meal at the Restaurant Christian Etienne. Situated right next to the famous Palace of the Popes, the restaurant is named after its master chef and is housed in a stately 1180 mansion dripping in history.
Christian Etienne himself is a master chef, but also prides himself on being a chef of Provence. He was born in Avignon and learnt his love of creative cooking at the apron strings of his mother and grandmother. His menus are packed with local flavours and the specialities of Provence - olive oil, garlic, vegetables, tomatoes, truffles and aromatic herbs.
He mixes tradition and innovation to create sensational seafood, impressive lamb and exceptional sorbet. There are also extensive vegetarian options.
The staff are attentive and knowledgeable, the welcome is genuinely warm and the dining room is a magical place with painted ceilings and frescoes. Plus there is a stunning summer terrace that opens onto the most beautiful of views.
For more information visit
www.christian-etienne.fr
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SEPTEMBER 2008: The 10k Cite des Papes run lets visitors and city dwellers see a different side to their city. Or if you’re not feeling too energetic you can always take a seat at one of the many cafes along the route and cheer from the sidelines. To find out more go to www.avignon.fr
…and here are more great things to do and see in and around Avignon…
JANUARY 2009: Horse Passion is a five-day equine event which sees horse enthusiasts from all over the world flock to the city to watch top class show jumping and polo. To find out more about this event see www.cheval-passion.com/
MARCH 2009: The Avignon Motor Festival is held at the Parc des Expositions and has over 900 different motor cars on show. More than 250 different exhibitors attract some 16,000 visitors every year. To find out more go to www.avignon-motor-festival.com/
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Take the Avignon shuttle
Avignon is easily explored on foot but there is also now a shuttle boat service which runs from the foot of Avignon’s bridge to the Allées Pinay, a new promenade area on the lush green island of Barthelasse. The new boat, the Ville d’Avignon, is the quietest and most ecologically-friendly way to cross the river and, what’s more, it’s free. It operates every 15 minutes, seven days a week from 10am to 8pm in July and August and from 2pm to 6pm in June and September when you can also take a round trip by bus and boat between Avignon and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon via Barthelasse
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Ever since the 14th century when the Popes arrived, Avignon has been awash with churches, chapels and convents and more places for eating and drinking than you could cover in months. But most of us know it best for its 12th century bridge, thanks to the children’s ditty. Sur le pont d’Avignon. In fact it’s only half a bridge, the Avignons got tired of repairing it in 1660 and now only four arches remain.
Far more thrilling is the Palais des Papes, a golden Gothic palace and the largest in Europe, splashing gargoyles all over the city and alongside the Rhône. This is a massive attraction, with huge stone vaults, battlements, and sluices originally intended for dousing attackers in hot oil.
In the 14th century Avignon was known as a second Rome and it’s easy to see why. There’s the Pope’s Tower, Treasury, Papal Vestiary, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-des-Doms and a host of chapels.
But the town’s also great for shopping. Stroll along the medieval streets of Joseph Vernet or St Agricol for fashionable boutiques and luxury gift shops, invest in Provençal ceramics, terracotta figures and the local chocolate delicacy Papalines, or the olives, honey and Cotes du Rhône wines.
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Start at the Palais des Papes and the Pope’s Tower. Looting during the Revolution stripped the interior of many frescoes and lavish furnishings, but it’s hard not to be impressed with the way the Palace rolls on, chamber after chamber. Grab an audio guide for the full history. Take a look at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-des-Doms and then go behind the cathedral to the Rocher des Doms park. In addition to the ducks and swans on the river, it has a sundial in which your shadow tells the time.
Head back to place de l’Horlorge for lunch beside the imposing Hôtel de Ville and clock tower, then spend the afternoon poking around the quartier de la Banasterie and place des Carmes, a maze of tiny streets. If you’re an art lover, visit Collection Lambert, for modern pieces, or Musée Calvert for 17th century works. End the day with a look at the town’s famous bridge, Pont St-Bénézet, and a stroll around Avignon’s ancient low wall which still forms a complete loop around the old city.
If you’d prefer a guided tour, the tourist office organises walks at dusk from the beginning of June to the beginning of September at 7.30pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, tel: 04 90 27 50 00 for reservations. Starting at the St Bénezet bridge, the walk goes through the Garden of Doms to the Palace, stopping at panoramic points for views of the Rhone river, finishing with dinner in the sumptuous rooms of the Palace of the Popes.
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Avignon has plenty of pleasant, good value hotels in the heart of the city, but during the festivals in July finding a room can be impossible. Also book well ahead if you’re planning a trip in August, the peak holiday season, as rooms can be booked up by March.
Visit flybehotels.com for options like the Hotel de l’Horlorge, right on place de l’Horlorge with all is trendy restaurants and shops close by. Or try Hotel Danieli, situated within the old city walls featuring stone balconies and frescoes. Prices start at around £120 per room for two nights in June.
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By road: Avignon Caumont Airport is 8 km southwest of the city. Take the N7 straight into town. Contact Flybe’s car rental partner Avis for the best available car hire rates. www.flybe.com/avis
By rail: There are no rail bus/coach links from the airport to Avignon.
By taxi: There are plenty of taxis outside the main airport terminal. It takes 20 minutes to the city and costs around €15.
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TCRA operates buses around the city on avenue de Lattre de Tassigny. Tel: + 33 (0) 4 32 74 18 32, www.tcra.fr. Office open Mon-Fri 8.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-6pm. Tickets cost €1, sold on the bus, carnet of 10 costs €7.80. Maps available from tourist office.
Boat shuttle: Navette Fluviale. Tel. + 33 (0) 4 90 80 80 00. Follow signs to right of Pont d’Avignon for a free shuttle across the Rhone from mid-Feb to Dec. Information from tourist office.
Taxis: Radio Taxi, porte de la République. Tel: +33 (0) 4 90 82 20 20, 24 hours a day.
Bike rental: Aymard Cycles Peugeot, 80 rue Guillaume Puy. Tel: +33 (0) 4 90 86 32 49.
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Villeneuve-lès-Avignon is an easy day trip from the town. Either take bus 11 or the bateau bus boat for scenic views along the Rhône to the town. Villeneuve sits on a hill and offers excellent views over Avignon. Originally home to dozens of cardinals and papal court attendants in the 13th century, it can almost match Avignon for impressive buildings and monuments. The 10th century abbey of St André is one of the largest monasteries in France and houses the Chartreuse-Centre National Ecritures du Spectacle which stages a programme of arty performances throughout the year.
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Running: If running is your thing, each February, the Tour des Remparts takes place. This is an 11km (7-mile) race held with a route through central Avignon and around the medieval ramparts. Then in September there is a similar 10km race. Many locals turn out to run, jog or even walk the route and experience the city in a very different way.
Horse riding: Horse lovers should flock to the Parc des Expositions for the Cheval Passion event held in January (16-20 in ’08). The event includes showjumping, stunning displays of horses and horsemanship, competitions and exhibitions.
www.cheval-passion.com
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Peter Mayle’s book, A Year In Provence, was a witty and warm-hearted account of buying an ancient farmhouse in this area of France and it is one of many influences that have inspired others to follow suit.
Property prices in France are not as cheap as they were a decade ago but there are still bargains to be found and when you consider France has seen average property price increases of 80 per cent since 1997, buying here can be a healthy investment as well as a pleasure.
However, the Avignon area is not the cheapest. Provence is, in fact, the second most expensive place to buy a house in France after Paris but it does offer some splendid choices.
A three-bedroom villa near Avignon with a large garden and pool was recently on the market for just under £270,000, while just 29 kilometres from Avignon and close to Baux de Provence, a brand new one-bed apartment was on the market for just over £100,000.
There is a wealth of websites offering to help you find your dream property such as www.frenchpropertylinks.com or www.francophiles.co.uk
France’s legal system is very different from the British one, and it is advisable to use the services of an English-speaking solicitor.
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Before entering any of the following attractions, pick up a Pass Card from the Avignon Office de Tourisme. Full price admission will then be charged only for the first attraction, after that you’ll be given a reduction of between 20 and 50 per cent for entry to the others.
Palais des Papes - Open daily Apr-Jun & Oct-Nov 9am-7pm; Jul-Sep 9am-8pm; Nov-Mar 9.30am-5.45pm. Tel: +33 (0) 4 90 27 50 74. The largest Gothic palace in Europe. A massive structure, built as a fortress with huge battlement walls, stone vaults and sluices. Start at the Pope’s Tower, where you’ll find the Treasury, then work your way around with the help of an audio guide. The Palais rolls on chamber after chamber.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame-des-Doms - Open daily 8am-6pm. A Romanesque church behind the Palais and behind that is Rocher des Doms park with views over the river to Villeneuve and a tranquil oasis for a walk.
Petit Palace - Open every day except Tuesdays. Tel: +33 (0) 4 90 86 44 58. Contains an impressive collection of Italian paintings including works by Botticelli, Carpaccio and Giovannie di Paolo.
Pont St Bénézet - The 12th century bridge immortalised in the children’s song Sur le pont d’Avignon, was built across the Rhone river between 1177 and 1185 as a short-cut for pilgrims and merchants travelling to Spain or Italy. In the 17th century its restoration was halted and now only four of the original 22 arches survive.
Place de l’Horloge - The city’s main square with imposing Hôtel de Ville, Clock Tower and the Opéra.
Musée Calvet - Open every day but Tuesday, 10am-1pm & 2-5.30pm. Tel: +33 (0) 4 90 86 33 84. An 18th century former hotel, exhibiting art from the 17th to 20th centuries.
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For opera, drama and classical music book at the Opéra d’Avignon (+33 (0) 4 90 82 81 40). Rue des Teinturiers is lined with theatres featuring matinées and late-night performances. Visit Théâtre du Chien qui Fume (+33 (0) 4 90 85 25 87), Théâtre du Balcon (+33 (0) 4 90 85 00 80) or Théâtre du Chêne Noir (+33 (0) 4 90 82 40 57).
If you’re in Avignon for the festivals, bars, restaurants and shops stay open until the early hours; any other time of year head to the bars on cours Jean Jaurés and rue de la République which stay packed well into the night. The Cubanito Café, rue Carnot, offers Cuban and salsa dancing and for jazz, visit Extramuros (+33 (0) 4 32 74 22 22) for big bands and brunch on Sundays. One of the newest dance clubs is Bokao’s, 9 bis boulevard St Lazare, decked out with lanterns and palm trees, Red Zone, 25 rue Carnot, is popular with students for salsa and R&B while Gambrinus, 62 rue de la Carreterie has six beers on tap and a further 60 different beers in bottles plus a range of delicious snacks.
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Although tourism is vital to Avignon’s economy, it has a diverse range of businesses, including packaging, construction, agriculture, metals, precision instruments, food and the production of its côntrolée wines. The town has over 7,000 companies, many situated in the new Courtine business site which spreads across 300 hectares around the TGV train station.
The town’s major employers are local government, SNCF Railways, EDF Electrics and the university.
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The gastronomy of the Provence-Côtes d’Azur region is quite distinctive from the rest of France. This is at least partly due to its mountainous terrain and lack of dairy herds. Unlike other regions, Provençal cuisine uses very little milk and relies on garlic, olive oil, olives, tomatoes and the famed herbes de Provence.
If you’d like to discover the secrets of a perfect onion tart, sauce blanche or an accurate salade Niçoise or coq au vin, enrol in one of Avignon’s popular cookery classes. Some of the most famous chefs in town will be on hand at the beautiful La Mirande Hotel where le Marmiton cookery classes take place several times a month. Contact Florence Biscarrat (+33 (0) 4 90 85 93 93) for details or visit www.la-mirande.fr. Le Jardin de la Tour also organises classes on demand (+33 (0) 4 90 85 66 50) or www.jardindelatour.fr
Alternatively, if you’ve booked a villa and a fancy evening to remember, Adm concepts, (+33 (0) 4 90 85 46 41), will send round their chef Didier Mariani to whip up a dinner party for eight or a splendid spread for up to 50.
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