Rick Steves Likens This Riverside City In The South Of France To A 'Medieval Fairy Tale'

Whether you're looking to surprise your special someone with a vacation that makes them feel like royalty or you're simply looking for a getaway that's full of historic charm, Rick Steves has you covered. He suggests visiting Avignon in the South of France.

As one of the world's most iconic European travel experts, Rick Steves has had the opportunity to visit enchanting villages all over the world. He's been traveling internationally since he was a young teenager, and his passion for travel was so immense that he was able to build a prosperous business convincing other people to travel the world right along with him. Over the years, he's hosted a popular travel-themed television series, written tons of best-selling guidebooks, and even started a group tours company that takes thousands of travelers to Europe each year. His Rick Steves' Europe website is an excellent one-stop shop when you're planning a trip. When he highlights a specific destination on his blog, you know it's going to be good.

Avignon is no exception. It's located along the banks of the winding Rhône River, and Rick Steves likens it to "the backdrop of a medieval fairy tale". If you want to feel like you've stepped into your favorite storybook, visit this picturesque village on your next trip to France.

Avignon is a beautiful little city in southeastern France with a population of just under 500,000 people. It's located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur région. Most international travelers who are visiting France fly into Paris, which is home to two of the country's largest airports. Getting to Avignon from Paris is easy. There's a direct train that will take you there in about two and a half hours. One-way train tickets start at $12. Alternatively, you can fly into Marseille Provence Airport from major cities across Europe. Marseille is the perfect home base for exploring the French Riviera, and it's just 30 minutes from Avignon by train. According to Rick Steves, there are so many incredible destinations around Provence, and Avignon should definitely be on your list. He calls a visit to the city "time well spent".

You can explore gorgeous architecture, dine on French food, and wander the streets for hours. "Today this walled Provençal town is a youthful place full of atmospheric cafés, fun shops, and numerous hide-and-seek squares ideal for postcard-writing and people-watching," Rick Steves wrote. He suggests taking your time to explore the back streets, which are "home to pastry shops, earthy cafés and galleries, and cobbled lanes lined with trees and streams." Visiting the Les Halles market is also a must.

There are plenty of lovely accommodations to choose from throughout the city. The prices for three-star hotels range from about $90 – $150 per night. For something more luxurious, book a room at Hôtel La Mirande. The five-star hotel is located in a palace from the 1400s. The rooms are luxuriously decked out in 18th-century-inspired finery. Room prices start at around $600 per night.

Avignon has a rich history that dates back at least 5,000 years. Rick Steves wrote that, "it was the Catholic Church that put Avignon on the map". In the 1300's it became the official residence of the Catholic Pope because the church believed that it had a more central location than Rome, and because the new French Pope felt like it was a safer place to live. "Along with clearing out vast spaces for public squares and building a three-acre papal palace, the Church erected more than three miles of protective wall (and 39 towers), mansions for cardinals, and residences for its bureaucracy," Rick Steves wrote. During that time, Avignon's population more than tripled. The Pope no longer resides in Avignon, but much of the fabulous architecture remains intact. Today, the Pope's Palace is one of the most visited historic sites in France and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year.

Before visiting the Palace, Rick Steves suggests carving out time to visit the Petit Palais Museum, which he says "helps your mind furnish and populate that otherwise empty building and captures art and life during the Avignon papacy. You'll also see bits of statues and tombs — remnants of exquisite Church art destroyed during the French Revolution." 

After enjoying the historic sites, take a hike so you can see the city from a bird's-eye view. Steves suggests hiking to the "Parc de Rochers des Doms for a panoramic view of Avignon, the Rhône River Valley, and the St. Bénezet Bridge," on his website. The glorious bridge dates back to the Middle Ages. Avignon will surely make you fall in love with the South of France.