Avignon - City Card
Eating
Budget: Tapalocas is a great tapas place with seating for about 160 guests. A huge selection of tasty hot and cold tapas, from moules, sardines, chorizo with lentils, aubergines in tomato sauce, squid and tortillas to dessert tapas like lemon tart, Basque cake and crème catalane, is on offer. 15 rue Galante, tel: (04) 9082 5684. www.tapalocas.com.
Mid-range: La Fourchette, this well established restaurant offers a varied menu at reasonable prices. La Fourchette is particularly popular with business people who come here for classic French fare and friendly service. The wine list features mainly local wines. Closed Saturday and Sunday. 17 rue Racine, tel: (04) 9085 2093.
Luxury: La Mirande, set in La Mirande hotel's Cardinalice room, this restaurant continues to set the standard for haute cuisine in Avignon. Classic French cooking with some southern elements and some modern twists takes place in the kitchen here. For those who want to try the delicious recipes at home, there is even an on-site cooking school. 4 place de la Mirande, tel: (04) 9014 2020. www.la-mirande.fr
Drinking
The lively nightspots are situated around place de l'Horloge, place du Palais, trendy rue Carnot and place des Corps-Saints and all become frenetic during the Avignon Festival. Licensing hours are not strict in France and bars stay open quite late, some past midnight, while some clubs are open well into the small hours. The legal drinking age in France is 16 years and the average price of a drink while out and about in Avignon is €4. Dress codes and admission requirements to clubs are not an issue in Avignon, where smart-casual rules the day.
Bars: Bars with a buzz include Pub Z, 58 rue de la Bonneterie. Open until 0130, the bar is owned by a rocker, enamoured of zebras, which dominate the decor. A medley of arty types hang out amid the mirror-lined walls and modern sculptures of Le Grand Café, located at cultural hub La Manutention, 4 rue escalier Ste Anne, where decent food is served. Esclave Bar, 12 rue du Limas, is a popular gay bar and disco.
Clubs: Avignon is not a clubbing centre, although there are some small venues, such as the eclectic Red Zone, 25 rue Carnot (website: www.redzonebar.com), which plays anything from salsa to house and is open 1900-0300. Bokao's, 9 bis boulevard quai St Lazare (website: www.bokaos.fr), has a chill-out café as well as dancefloor and VIP area. The biggest clubs are located around a 10-minute drive from Avignon and include Le Privé Club, route de Tavel in Les Angles (website: www.leprive.fr), a techno and house venue in an old quarry. (Le Privé Club is currently closed for refurbishment - check their website for the latest news.
Live Music: AJMI Jazz Club at La Manutention, 4 rue escalier Ste Anne (website: www.jazzalajmi.com), is a popular jazz venue on Thursday night. Rock is played at Le Bistroquet bar, Quartier du Mouton, on Ile de la Barthelasse, while regular concerts are held at Les Passagers du Zinc, 23 route de Montfavet.
Things to Do and See
Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes)
This palace-fortress looms above Avignon. The immense courtyard in front, lined with cafés and restaurants, is the impressive setting for the Avignon Festival, while the battlements offer wonderful views. The palace was built over 30 years, during the reign of three popes.
A guided tour (in French only) through the ‘Secret Palace', with a chance to see St Michel Chapel and rooms that are normally closed to the public, is available every Saturday (1230) and Sunday (1030) from September to June. On the whole, however, it is best for visitors to make a trip to the Palais des Papes in the afternoon, when it is cooler and there are fewer tourists.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1900 (Mar-Jun and Oct); daily 0930-1745 (Nov-Feb); daily 0900-2100 (during the Avignon Festival); daily 0900-2000 (Jul-Sep).
Admission charge.
Musée du Petit Palais (Little Palace Museum)
Located on the northern end of place du Palais, the Little Palace Museum was built for Cardinal Béranger Frédol between 1318 and 1320. www.petit-palais.org
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 0930-1300 and 1400-1730 (Oct-May); Wed-Mon 1000-1300 and 1400-1800 (Jun-Sep).
Admission charge.
Pont St Bénezet (St Bénezet Bridge)
‘Sur le pont d'Avignon on y danse, on y danse ...' the melody of the 19th-century song still draws visitors to the famed bridge that is formally known as the Pont St Bénezet, after the shepherd whose heavenly vision and determination led to the bridge being built. Spanning the two channels of the River Rhône and the island in between (Ile de la Barthelasse), the bridge was built between 1177 and January 1185. Originally made of wood, it had to be continuously rebuilt, as it was the only crossing, providing a link between the Mediterranean and Lyon, an important trade hub in the Middle Ages. The river finally won the day, washing away the bridge in the mid-1600s. Today, only four of its original 22 arches and the tiny Chapelle St Nicholas remain. This delicate Romanesque chapel, dedicated to St Nicholas, patron saint of barge men, should not be missed. A small museum, situated beneath the ticket office, offers images of the bridge in former centuries.
6 rue Pente Rapide
Tel: (04) 9027 5116.
Website: www.palais-des-papes.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1900 (Mar-Jun and Oct); daily 0930-1745 (Nov-Feb); daily 0900-2100 (during the Avignon Festival); daily 0900-2000 (Aug-Sep).
Admission charge.
Shopping
The main shopping street is rue de la République, which is home to Monoprix department store, FNAC and others. Chic boutiques line rue Joseph-Vernet, which runs east off rue de la République, opposite the main tourist office. Rue St Agricol is lined with various little boutiques, including designer outlets Christian Lacroix Boutique at number 10 and Donna at number 35. The pedestrianised area (rue des Fourbisseurs, rue des Marchands, rue du Vieux Sextier and rue de la Bonneterie) allows for a leisurely, traffic-free shopping experience.
Avignon is an ideal town for buying presents. Provençal specialities include olive oil, lavender, brightly printed fabrics, sugared fruits, chocolate and fig or melon jam. Lovers of the mustard yellow and olive green of Provençal pottery will be spoilt for choice at Terre et Art, 29 rue des Fourbisseurs, or Terre et Provence, 26 rue de la République. A good selection of regional wines can be found at La Cave du Bouffart, 14 rue des Fourbisseurs and Découverte des vins de France, 1677 route de Morières. A market with 40 stalls selling local and regional food and wine is open Monday to Saturday at Les Halles d'Avignon, place Pie. For a souvenir in silver or gold, shoppers should head for Vincent Joaillier, 12 place du Change, a jewellery design shop founded in 1897.
In addition to the Tuesday and Sunday morning covered market at Les Halles, south of place Pie, there are colourful outdoor markets at the Rempart St Michel (a food market on Saturday and Sunday) and place des Carmes (a flower market on Saturday and flea market on Sunday).
Department stores are open Monday to Saturday 0900-1900, while smaller shops close 1200-1400 and Monday morning. Sales tax varies between 5.5% (food) to 19.6% (luxury goods). Visitors from outside the European Union can claim a tax refund upon departure for each purchase over €175. Global Refund (tel: (01) 4161 5151; website: www.globalrefund.com ) can provide further information.
Cost Of Living
33cl bottle of beer - €2
One-litre bottle of mineral water - €0.90
36-exposure colour film - €7.50
City-centre bus ticket - €1.30
Adult football ticket - From €15
Three-course meal with wine/beer - From €15
Key Phrases
Yes - Oui
No - Non
Hello - Bonjour
Goodbye - Au revoir
Please - S’il vous plaît
Thank you - Merci
My name is … - Je m’appelle …
How are you? - Comment ça va?
I’m very well - Ça va bien
I feel ill - Je ne me sens pas bien
How much does it cost? - Combien est-ce que ça coûte?
Do you speak English? - Est-ce que vous parlez anglais?
I don’t understand - Je ne comprends pas
Where is …? - Où est …?
Entrance - Entrée
Exit - Sortie
Danger - Danger
Open - Ouvert
Closed - Fermé
Toilets - Toilettes
Doctor - Médecin
Hotel - Hôtel
Restaurant - Restaurant
Beer - Bière
Wine - Vin
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