Avignon

walk the largest Gothic palace in the world — the great ceremonial halls, the frescoed chapels and the pope's private chambers

step onto the four surviving arches of the medieval "pont d'Avignon," out over the Rhône, and see why the river won

climb the garden bluff above the palace for the classic Rhône panorama — the broken bridge, the river islands and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon

the "city of cardinals" on the far bank

two poles of Avignon art — the Petit Palais's superb early-Italian and Avignon-school paintings by the papal square

Avignon is a core call on the Lyon–Provence–Arles run

~1,800 shows across every courtyard, cellar and café

the papal wine — big, sun-baked Grenache-led reds from the galet-strewn vineyards the Avignon popes planted

Gigondas, Vacqueyras and the lace-rock Dentelles beyond Châteauneuf — a fuller vineyard day of villages, tastings and Provençal lunch

a 26-room 18th-century mansion literally in the shadow of the papal palace, with a Michelin-starred kitchen, a candlelit chef's-table cellar and a walled garden

the river turning gold below the garden terrace, the broken bridge in silhouette, then a quiet Provençal table in the walled lanes

the covered market's plant-wall façade opens onto Provence on a plate — the cheeses, olives, tapenade, charcuterie and Rhône produce