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It is about 3.5 stars for the visit. It is a big compound, it need 2 hours to finish. Palais des Papes is meaning Palace for the Pope. Six papal conclaves were held in the Palais. It is part of UNESCO world heritage site. The building completed at early 13th century. It was built on the natural rock overlooking Rhône River. This bull has sanctuary, cloister, vegetable garden, grand hall, tomb, and more. This is a castle palace with a lot of stair. Not a handicap friendly access. I like some of the room with historical painting. Some of the has wall paper like paint painting. Overall, I think this palace is empty. Not much to see. The tickets is a combo ticket you can see three different things. It is a city of difficult to find your way.
Walking to the Palais Des Papes, there is so much to see in the square . The cobblestone roads, the cafe/restaurant , it's all so picturesque. Lots of stores down the road too We did this with a group of high school kids and what was great, they could go at their own pace. They give you headphones and tablet. Has a little scavenger hunt too. Tablet would show very cool images of what it would have looked like back in the days. Amazing!!! Lots of walking and areas to sit down too.
We got the audio guide. I hesitate to call it and audio guide because it was visual and audio. Some of the rooms are sparse so the audio guide really helped to create an image of how the rooms were used at time the popes lived there. The guide also had a small game finding coins that would be good for entertaining kids. I was not expecting such a well thought visual/audio guide. But don't let looking at the tablet stop you from also taking in the scenes around you. Obviously it doesn't have air conditioning so it can get warm in there. It's an interesting story from history and well worth a stop when your in Avigion.
This visit was part of a tour supplied conducted by our river cruise operator. I was concerned that this would turn out to be another low-grade touristy walking tour. However, our guide narrated the first-rate tour with all of the histories of the time and place of the Palace of the Popes. Even with a fairly large crowd in the heat of July, we were pleased with the tour and impressed with the history of this historic place. Tip: Wear comfortable shoes. A tour is recommended, otherwise you will miss too much.
Honestly my husband and I usually breeze through museums and historic sights but this palace was such a treat to visit! The audio guide with VR iPad which comes free with ticket is awesome. It allows you to see the palace rooms as they were during the 13th century and explains what each room was used for. There is a also a treasure hunt game built into the guide where you need to discover a coin hidden in each room. Great for kids! We really enjoyed this. We also visited during the "Festival of the Lights" called "Vibrations" when after dark the palace has a light show in the main courtyard and it's truly worth the extra ticket. Loved this day & night!
Boring. I thought this "Palace of the Popes" would be more interesting, but it wasn't. I was glad there was an audio guide that was informative, which bumped this review from 2 to 3 stars. Without the audio guide, this historic landmark would be painfully boring. When you enter, you expect to see something, but you go from one empty room to the next. The Audio guide explains what was in some of the rooms and their purpose, but without visual aides, it's hard to imagine it all. After a while on the tour, I got the idea. This is where the popes went when they got kicked out of Italy. Ok, I was done and was ready to go, but No. There is no quick exit. My husband speaks basic French and asked some of the people who worked there how we could leave and we were always directed to the next room. We ended up getting stuck in this place for over an hour. If you enter, realize it's a commitment to a lot of empty rooms and no quick way out. Also, there are tons and tons of stairs, may more than my bad knee had expected. I know that this is a historic place and if you are really interested in the history of the popes, then you might find this place interesting, otherwise, just check it out from the outside and then move on to the rest of Avignon which is much more interesting. The audio guide makes it almost bearable. I thought maybe this was just my problem with it, but even my travel companions who were really interested in the popes and their history were bored by this place.
There is a huge garden behind Papal Palace that I'm not sure many people frequent but it's really nice. Great views of the bridge and other chateaus in the distance. We didnt see that many people around, which is fabulous since we almost had the garden to ourselves during our visit. There is a large courtyard too, and some water fountains with koi fish. There's even a children's playground there as well. :)
This is an interesting place to visit in Europe. I went on a Mediterranean cruise that stopped in Marseilles, France. I had no idea what excursion I would go in Marseilles, France and my father wouldn't tell me. I guess I had to sit on the tour bus for an hour and fifteen minutes and arrive in Avignon to find out what I would be seeing. The Popes' Palace is a Gothic architecture building from the 14th Century. Pope Clement V wanted to avoid the chaos in Rome. It was the seat of Western Christianity in the 14th Century, but eventually the popes' residence went back to Rome. The palace is very cold and empty. It's hard to imagine what life was like when this palace was used by popes, but it is very simple and austere. It's a fun place to visit especially if you are Catholic. Near this old palace is a bustling area with restaurants.
Had an amazing experience at the castle; the guided audio + digitally visual tour was informative, interactive, and really cool. The castle itself is huge and impressive; with gorgeous frescos chipping away with age and crumbly stone walls holding many secrets. Unfortunately certain towers were under renovation so our tour was a little cut short but we really enjoyed it nonetheless! Definitely a recommended activity/experience during your stay in Avignon!
Listed as a World Heritage Site by Unesco, the Popes' Palace is one of the 10 most visited monuments in France with 650,000 visitors per year. A true symbol of the influence of Western Christianity in the 14th century, this 15,000m2 masterpiece of a monument is the largest medieval fortress and biggest gothic palace of Europe. Walking around the building, I could see the immense size of it...it's huge... I took many pictures of the outside walls and towers, really pretty. Built in less then 20 years starting in 1335, the Popes' Palace is the amalgamation of two palaces built by two popes: Benedict XII, who built the Old Palace to the east and north, and his successor Clement VI who built the New Palace to the south and west. In the 14th century, the Popes' Palace was occupied by 7 popes and 2 popes of the Papal Schism before the return of the papacy to Rome. Occupied by the Legates and Vice-Legates starting in the 15th century then transformed into a garrison until 1906, it has undergone various restoration work since. Most recently, the Trouillas Tower has regained its past appearance. The tower houses the 11 stories of the Departmental Archives and its height of 52 metres makes you dizzy as you look up at it from the terrace of the Utopia Manutention Cinema. read more
It is about 3.5 stars for the visit. It is a big compound, it need 2 hours to finish. Palais des Papes is meaning Palace for the Pope. Six papal conclaves were held in the Palais. It is part of UNESCO world heritage site. The building completed at early 13th century. It was built on the natural rock overlooking Rhône River. This bull has sanctuary, cloister, vegetable garden, grand hall, tomb, and more. This is a castle palace with a lot of stair. Not a handicap friendly access. I like some of the room with historical painting. Some of the has wall paper like paint painting. Overall, I think this palace is empty. Not much to see. The tickets is a combo ticket you can see three different things. It is a city of difficult to find your way. read more
Walking to the Palais Des Papes, there is so much to see in the square . The cobblestone roads, the cafe/restaurant , it's all so picturesque. Lots of stores down the road too We did this with a group of high school kids and what was great, they could go at their own pace. They give you headphones and tablet. Has a little scavenger hunt too. Tablet would show very cool images of what it would have looked like back in the days. Amazing!!! Lots of walking and areas to sit down too. read more
3 years ago
We got the audio guide. I hesitate to call it and audio guide because it was visual and audio. Some of the rooms are sparse so the audio guide really helped to create an image of how the rooms were used at time the popes lived there. The guide also had a small game finding coins that would be good for entertaining kids. I was not expecting such a well thought visual/audio guide. But don't let looking at the tablet stop you from also taking in the scenes around you. Obviously it doesn't have air conditioning so it can get warm in there. It's an interesting story from history and well worth a stop when your in Avigion. read more
This visit was part of a tour supplied conducted by our river cruise operator. I was concerned that this would turn out to be another low-grade touristy walking tour. However, our guide narrated the first-rate tour with all of the histories of the time and place of the Palace of the Popes. Even with a fairly large crowd in the heat of July, we were pleased with the tour and impressed with the history of this historic place. Tip: Wear comfortable shoes. A tour is recommended, otherwise you will miss too much. read more
3 years ago
7 years ago
Honestly my husband and I usually breeze through museums and historic sights but this palace was such a treat to visit! The audio guide with VR iPad which comes free with ticket is awesome. It allows you to see the palace rooms as they were during the 13th century and explains what each room was used for. There is a also a treasure hunt game built into the guide where you need to discover a coin hidden in each room. Great for kids! We really enjoyed this. We also visited during the "Festival of the Lights" called "Vibrations" when after dark the palace has a light show in the main courtyard and it's truly worth the extra ticket. Loved this day & night! read more
7 years ago
4 years ago
15 years ago
Boring. I thought this "Palace of the Popes" would be more interesting, but it wasn't. I was glad there was an audio guide that was informative, which bumped this review from 2 to 3 stars. Without the audio guide, this historic landmark would be painfully boring. When you enter, you expect to see something, but you go from one empty room to the next. The Audio guide explains what was in some of the rooms and their purpose, but without visual aides, it's hard to imagine it all. After a while on the tour, I got the idea. This is where the popes went when they got kicked out of Italy. Ok, I was done and was ready to go, but No. There is no quick exit. My husband speaks basic French and asked some of the people who worked there how we could leave and we were always directed to the next room. We ended up getting stuck in this place for over an hour. If you enter, realize it's a commitment to a lot of empty rooms and no quick way out. Also, there are tons and tons of stairs, may more than my bad knee had expected. I know that this is a historic place and if you are really interested in the history of the popes, then you might find this place interesting, otherwise, just check it out from the outside and then move on to the rest of Avignon which is much more interesting. The audio guide makes it almost bearable. I thought maybe this was just my problem with it, but even my travel companions who were really interested in the popes and their history were bored by this place. read more
There is a huge garden behind Papal Palace that I'm not sure many people frequent but it's really nice. Great views of the bridge and other chateaus in the distance. We didnt see that many people around, which is fabulous since we almost had the garden to ourselves during our visit. There is a large courtyard too, and some water fountains with koi fish. There's even a children's playground there as well. :) read more
A lot of history to learn in this place. It took us about four hours to complete self guided tour. We enjoyed, wish to have more than one cafeteria with outside seating. It definitely worth it your time. Should be your first choice on your stay in Avignon. read more
11 years ago
This is an interesting place to visit in Europe. I went on a Mediterranean cruise that stopped in Marseilles, France. I had no idea what excursion I would go in Marseilles, France and my father wouldn't tell me. I guess I had to sit on the tour bus for an hour and fifteen minutes and arrive in Avignon to find out what I would be seeing. The Popes' Palace is a Gothic architecture building from the 14th Century. Pope Clement V wanted to avoid the chaos in Rome. It was the seat of Western Christianity in the 14th Century, but eventually the popes' residence went back to Rome. The palace is very cold and empty. It's hard to imagine what life was like when this palace was used by popes, but it is very simple and austere. It's a fun place to visit especially if you are Catholic. Near this old palace is a bustling area with restaurants. read more
8 years ago
Had an amazing experience at the castle; the guided audio + digitally visual tour was informative, interactive, and really cool. The castle itself is huge and impressive; with gorgeous frescos chipping away with age and crumbly stone walls holding many secrets. Unfortunately certain towers were under renovation so our tour was a little cut short but we really enjoyed it nonetheless! Definitely a recommended activity/experience during your stay in Avignon! read more
8 years ago
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