Best known for its fairy-tale Pont St-Benezet Bridge, Avignon, France is at the epicenter of Provence region’s understated yet elegant charm. It is a treasure trove of art, architecture (with splendid palaces and fortresses lining up its majestic landscape) and religion. From getting the world to congregate at its annual performing arts festival to playing surrogate care-taker to thousands of students who grace its well-known universities, Avignon multitasks with aplomb. The vivacious city has combined several classic and contemporary features to snowball into a power-packed holiday destination, which offers a wholesome and off-beat travel experience to tourists who are willing to explore its quiet beauty.

My visit to Avignon allowed me the opportunity to review a number of restaurants and a functional hotel as well. When the few and far between accommodation options in town are overcrowded with tourists, Mercure- Cite des Papes makes for a safe stay. It isn’t anything fancy, just clean and well-located with a helpful staff at your disposal. For heading to an award-winning fine-dining restaurant, check out my review of Christian Etienne. If you want a conventional French gourmet menu to be served in style, look no further than La Mirande. Avoid heavily publicized restaurants like Numero 75, which fails miserably to live up to its hype. Read all my restaurant and hotel reviews for Avignon below.

Best known for its fairy-tale Pont St-Benezet Bridge, Avignon, France is at the epicenter of Provence region’s understated yet elegant charm. It is a treasure trove of art, architecture (with splendid palaces and fortresses lining up its majestic landscape) and religion. From getting the world to congregate at its annual performing arts festival to playing surrogate care-taker to thousands of students who grace its well-known universities, Avignon multitasks with aplomb. The vivacious city has combined several classic and contemporary features to snowball into a power-packed holiday destination, which offers a wholesome and off-beat travel experience to tourists who are willing to explore its quiet beauty.

My visit to Avignon allowed me the opportunity to review a number of restaurants and a functional hotel as well. When the few and far between accommodation options in town are overcrowded with tourists, Mercure- Cite des Papes makes for a safe stay. It isn’t anything fancy, just clean and well-located with a helpful staff at your disposal. For heading to an award-winning fine-dining restaurant, check out my review of Christian Etienne. If you want a conventional French gourmet menu to be served in style, look no further than La Mirande. Avoid heavily publicized restaurants like Numero 75, which fails miserably to live up to its hype. Read all my restaurant and hotel reviews for Avignon below.