City Areas
The main areas to visit in Avignon are of course those around the Palais des Papes, in the La Balance quarter. This is the main and most attractive part of the city and two of the main attractions can be found here: the Palais de Papes and the Saint Benezet bridge, on which the famous song “Sur le Pont d’Avignon” is based.
La Balance
It’s worth at least an hour to walk through the Quartier de La Balance, where the Gypsies lived in the 1800s. Over the years, La Balance had grown seedy, but since the 1970s, major renovations have taken place.
Start at Place du Palais, going along rue de La Balance, detouring, if possible, into the historically evocative rue de la Grande Fusterie and the rue des Grottes. The main interest here is the restoration of the old town houses with their renewed elegant facades, many graced with mullioned windows. In the district are some of the ramparts that used to surround Avignon, stretching for 4km. Built in the 14th century by the popes, these ramparts were partially restored in the 19th century by that busy restorer of medieval monuments, Viollet-le-Duc. The most intriguing section is along rue du Rempart-du-Rhone, leading east to place Crillon. After a look, you can return to place de l’Horloge via rue St-Etienne.
