Our Blog - Avignon

This day we spent the whole day in Avignon itself. We started with the Palais du Papes, or the Popes Palace. This dates back to when there was a rift between the Popes and the leaders of Rome and so the Popes left Rome and moved their Papalcy to Avignon. They built a couple different palaces, ending with this huge one. It was first built as a fortress and then built on later, so there is an old and new section of it. There is also a cathedral next door and a park on a cliff where you get great views of the river. We also took a boat trip on the river and got to see the Palais du Papes from the water, as well as the Pont d'Avignon, which is no longer a full bridge over the river and a tower built by Phillip the Fair. In walking around Avignon (the old town) there are a few great buildings from an architectural viewpoint, including our own hotel, which is in a building in the "second empire" style.