Gîtes and Villas near Avignon

Avignon sits on the Rhône in Provence, a walled town that served as the papal seat in the fourteenth century. The Palais des Papes — the vast Gothic fortress-palace where seven popes lived — still dominates the skyline, while the half-ruined Pont Saint-Bénézet (the Bridge of Avignon) stretches partway across the river, familiar from the children's song.

Beyond the ramparts, Avignon is a practical base for exploring Roman ruins, hilltop villages, and Provençal markets. The gîtes near Avignon put you within reach of the Luberon, the Alpilles, and the dramatic limestone landscapes where Van Gogh painted.

About Avignon

Avignon became the centre of Christendom in 1309 when Pope Clement V moved the papal court from Rome. Over seven decades, successive popes built the Palais des Papes, turning a modest episcopal palace into a formidable complex of chapels, state rooms, and fortifications. The town thrived on pilgrims, diplomats, and artists, and though the papacy returned to Rome in 1377, Avignon kept its prestige — and its walls.

Today the old town is compact and walkable, with narrow streets opening onto café-lined squares. The ramparts are mostly intact, and the covered market, Les Halles d'Avignon, anchors daily life with stalls selling olive oil, cheese, and early-season fruit. In July the Festival d'Avignon fills every courtyard and cloister with theatre, drawing an international crowd.

Staying in self-catering accommodation here means you can shop at the market, cook with Provençal produce, and explore the surrounding countryside at your own pace. The Rhône valley vineyards, the antique dealers of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, and the Roman aqueduct at Pont du Gard are all within an easy drive.

Things to do near Avignon

The Palais des Papes is the obvious starting point — a UNESCO-listed monument where you can walk through the pope's private apartments, the grand audience hall, and the frescoed chapels. The Bridge of Avignon, formally Pont Saint-Bénézet, survives as four arches jutting into the river; a small chapel clings to one pier.

Twenty-five kilometres northeast, the Pont du Gard is a three-tiered Roman aqueduct bridge striding across the Gardon gorge, built in the first century to supply Nîmes with water. You can walk across the lower tier or swim in the river below. The Carrières des Lumières, in a former limestone quarry near Les Baux-de-Provence, projects immersive art shows onto the rock walls — recent programmes have featured Klimt, Van Gogh, and Cézanne.

The Monastery Saint-Paul de Mausole in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is where Van Gogh spent a year and painted some of his best-known works; the cloisters and the view towards the Alpilles remain much as he saw them. Nearby, the Site Archéologique de Glanum preserves the ruins of a Hellenistic and Roman town. The Sunday market at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is one of Provence's largest, spilling along the canalside with antiques, textiles, and food stands.

Food & drink

Provençal cooking here centres on olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and herbs from the garrigue — thyme, rosemary, savory. Tapenade, anchoïade, and aïoli appear on most tables. In summer, ratatouille and soupe au pistou; in winter, daube de bœuf cooked slowly with red wine and orange peel.

Les Halles d'Avignon, the covered market open Tuesday to Sunday mornings, is the place to buy ingredients: goat's cheese from the Luberon, honey, olives in a dozen varieties, and seasonal fruit — cherries in June, melons from Cavaillon in July. Côtes du Rhône vineyards surround the town; Châteauneuf-du-Pape is fifteen kilometres north, Gigondas and Vacqueyras to the east. Most domains welcome visitors for tasting, though it's wise to telephone ahead.

Getting there

Marseille Provence airport is 66 kilometres south, with flights from London, Bristol, and other British cities. The autoroute A7 runs past Avignon, connecting to Paris (via Lyon) and the Côte d'Azur. If you're driving from Britain, it's around 1,100 kilometres from Calais — manageable in two days with an overnight stop.

Avignon has a TGV station with direct trains from Paris Gare de Lyon (roughly two hours forty minutes) and from London via the Eurostar to Paris. The closest ferry port, Caen/Ouistreham, is 703 kilometres northwest — a long but straightforward drive down through Normandy and the Loire valley.