Avignon city guide

Avignon, on the leafy banks of the Rhône, is probably best-known these days for the children’s song – Sur le pont d’Avignon and all that. But for several decades in the 14th century it was the capital of Christendom, after Pope Clement V moved his court here to avoid the chaos in Rome. The legacy of that papal schism can be seen today in the city’s Unesco-protected architecture, including the vast Palais des Papes. And nearby Châteauneuf-du-Pape, site of a now-ruined castle built by a later pope, still produces acclaimed red wines.