logo
ic_menu

Palais des Papes, Avignon

Place du Palais, Avignon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Description

The Palace of the Popes (Palais des Papes) is located in Avignon and is Europe's largest medieval Gothic building (15,000sqm of floor space). It was built in the 13th century and became the residence of the Popes in 1309 during the Avignon Papacy that lasted until 1376 and then by the antipopes Clement VII and Benedict XIII until 1403. It actually consists of two buildings: the original palace and the new one built under Pope Clement VI with artistic contribution by students from the School of Siena (Italy). After that period, it remained under papal control but slowly lost it glory and was sacked during the French Revolution in 1789-91. The complex was then used as military barracks and turned into a museum at the start of the 20th century.

Access & Transport

The Palace is easy to spot in the center of Avignon, 200m south of the Rhone river and the Pont Saint Benezet, and 1km north of the train station. Avignon is 45km northeast of Nîmes (A9/N100), 100km northwest of Marseille on the A7 and 220km south of Lyon on the A7. There are also trains to those cities but the High-Speed train (TGV) station is 4km from the historic center of town. Note that due to the substantial number of steps, the visit of the monument is not accessible to people with reduced mobility.

Instructions & Recommendations

We suggest combining this activity with a visit of the Palace Gardens and/or the Pont Saint Benezet (best known as the Pont d'Avignon) and an exploration of the town of Avignon.

Meta review

The palace is extremely famous and one of the country's most visited monuments, so it is little surprising to see that many consider it as an unmissable sight in town, pointing out its history backed by comprehensive details available on the "histopad" (a tablet providing details about each room) and its impressive exterior. There is fair percentage of reviewers though who were a little underwhelmed by the lack of interior decoration and art (besides some murals) and disappointed that many rooms such as the kitchens or towers were not open to visitors. There are also many comments regarding the number of steps which could be problematic for elderly people.

Environmental & Social

We deem this activity marginally negative from an environmental perspective (heating/lighting). Preserves the town's cultural and architectural heritage.

Conclusion

The Palais des Papes is an arresting sight and dominates the skyline of the historical center of Avignon. The interior is however not of the same calibre (it probably was, in the 14th century) and, considering the rather expensive ticket price, we are a little on the fence as to whether it is worth it. Let's say it probably depends on how many monuments are already included in your itinerary, whether you are pressed for time, and whether learning more about the Avignon Papacy is of personal interest.

Key positive

Interesting background history

Imposing edifice(s)

Key negative

Lack of furnishing and decoration inside

Entrance fee is a little expensive

Suitability

Suitable for all ages but best for children aged 10 and above. Not accessible for visitors with reduced mobility because of the many flights of stairs

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

June 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Closing of the ticket office 1 hour before

av. transport time:0h 20m

est. visit time:1h 30m

Regulated hours

Start of Season 1:Mar, 01

Season 1

MONDAY09:00 - 19:00

TUESDAY09:00 - 19:00

WEDNESDAY09:00 - 19:00

THURSDAY09:00 - 19:00

FRIDAY09:00 - 19:00

SATURDAY09:00 - 19:00

SUNDAY09:00 - 19:00

Start of Season 2:Nov, 04

Season 2

MONDAY10:00 - 17:00

TUESDAY10:00 - 17:00

WEDNESDAY10:00 - 17:00

THURSDAY10:00 - 17:00

FRIDAY10:00 - 17:00

SATURDAY10:00 - 17:00

SUNDAY10:00 - 17:00

Pricing
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Senior
60 - 99
€10
Adult
18 - 59
€12
Child
8 - 17
€6.5
Infant
0 - 7
€0
Reduced price for students is €10. Price for Palace + Bridge or Palace Gardens is €14.5

We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience. For a complete overview of all cookies used, please see MORE INFORMATION.