It’s the season to discover the beauty of lavender now！You can bathe in the sun and smell the fragrance of lavender, which is the most pleasant thing. And of course, you will have a great deal of excellent photos. What else can you do when you are in Provence? Here is the list of the 10 most popular tourist attractions or things in Provence.
1. Palace of the popes / Palais des Papes
This 15,000-square-meter home is made up of old and new royal palaces. The first palace was a grim architectural fortress commissioned by Benedict XII in 1334. The great Prince Clement VI felt that his residence was too serious, so he asked Jean de Louvres to establish a new palace in 1342. The exterior did not change much and the interior was decorated by the team of artists like Simone Martini and Matteo Giovannetti.
Address：6 place du Palais-des-Papes, 84000 Avignon
2. Saint – Bénezet bridge / Pont Saint – Bénezet
Actually, the famous song “Pont d’Avignon” sings about this bridge which is about 900 meters long and has 22 arches that extend to the Philippe-le-Bel tower in Villeneuve-lès. On one of the bridge’s piers, St-Nicolas Church has two superimposed refuge.
Address：Rue Ferruce, 84000 Avignon
3. Small Palace museum / Musée du petit Palais
The uniform of the ancient Cardinal Arnaud de Via was purchased by the Pope in 1335 to install the bishop. It now has paintings from the Small Palace Museum. The Campana collection is a collection of Italian canvases from the 13th to the 16th centuries and is a treasure. Something couldn’t be missed: Virgin and children, Botticelli’s former works; “transi” forms the base of the Cardinal Lagrange tomb in the Romanesque and Gothic sculptures(late 14C); Avignon’s paintings and sculptures; a shark altar composed of Enguerrand Quarton (1450-1455).
Address：21 place du Palais-des-Papes, 84000 Avignon
4. The Avignon Festival / La Fête d’Avignon
This year’s Avignon Festival (the 73rd Avignon Festival) opens on July 4 and ends on the 23rd. If you are an enthusiast for dramas and theaters, don’t miss this prosperous event!
5. The rock garden / Rocher des Doms
It’s a beautiful garden with a wide variety of plants, close to the Palace of the Popes. You will admire the beautiful views of the Rhône, Saint-Bénezet bridge, Philippe-le-Bel tower and Saint-André Castle, Ventoux and Alpilles.
Address：2 Montée des Moulins, 84000 Avignon
6. Lavender
It’s better that you take a group tour if you don’t have a car or you don’t know how to drive. In the tourist office of Avignon, you have different circuits to the lavender garden, some circuits include also the surrounding towns. Almost among those circuits are valuable for their prices.
7. Verdun Grand Canyon / Les Gorges du Verdon
Generally, the Verdun Grand Canyon is always included in the different lavender routes. It is the largest canyon in Europe with breathtaking views. It is also an ideal place for family swimming or water sports. You can also rent a boat to enjoy the beautiful surrounding scenery.
8. Gordes
Gordes is a large stone castle, which is truly spectacular and magical. If you look from afar, the mountains and buildings are all in one piece. These houses are like the ones that are hand-set on the rock wall. The layers are clearly and unequivocally releasing their own styles. The surrounding houses, in turn, overlap the fortress freely and casually, and overlook the earth with the high-rise arms on the ground.
9. The Red Clay City/Roussillon
In ancient times, the French called it “red mountain”, which vividly interprets the unique meteorite landform. As a mining ground for pigments and raw materials, the Red Clay City is famous in the Roman era. It was once a world-class meteorite producing place. The houses here are all based on local materials. All the houses are red outside. From a distance, it is a red fortress built on a red cliff. It is relatively more beautiful in the yellow-based town of South France and it’s known as “Colorado in Provence.”
10. Museum of the lavender / Musée de la lavande
If you are very interested in the production of essential oil of lavender, the museum of the lavender is strongly recommended. You pay 9€ for the museum and you will learn a lot of the historical usages of the lavender. The museum is equipped with free commentators with 9 languages, including French, English, German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Chinese. There is a souvenir shop behind the museum where you can buy a lot of products of lavender cheaply if you are a fan of lavender products.
When you travel in the area of Provence, you will definitely post your beautiful photos or share the great scenery with your family and your friends. Don’t hesitate to rent a pocket Wi-Fi with you when you travel around, which will help you reduce your cost of travelling and ameliorate your travel experience.