Category: Places to Visit

Power Tasting has alluded to the French city of Reims in a number of previous issues, but we have never highlighted it as a Place to Visit.  Perhaps the first thing we ought to say about Reims is how to pronounce it.  Not easy for American mouths, it certainly is not Raymes or Reems as the spelling might indicate.  You need to start with that French “r”, which sort of comes from saying the sound of the letter at the same time you are clearing your throat.  The vowels don’t follow the usual American path either; they’re more like aah, as in “aah, phooey”.  The “m” disappears altogether and is pronounced sort of like “n” as spoken through your nose.  At least the “s” survives intact.

Maybe more Americans would go to Reims if they called it Smith, which the French have a hard time pronouncing correctly.  Americans, at least those who love Champagne wine and medieval splendor should visit Reims, because the city has a lot of both.  If you just want a day trip from Paris for wine tasting and sightseeing, Reims is perfect.  And if you’re looking for a base for touring the Champagne region for several days, Champagne is perfect for that, too.

The Charles de Cazanove winery is five minutes’ walk from the Reims train station. Photo courtesy of the Union de Maisons de Champagne.

Reims is one of the two major centers of Champagne production, the other being Épernay.  The best known grands maisons in Reims are Mumm, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery and Taittinger.  There are many other lesser known houses in Reims, including Lanson, G. H. Martel and Cazanove.  Getting to Reims from Paris is easy.  There’s a TGV train from the Gare de l’Est that will get you there in under an hour.  (TGV means train à grande vitesse, or very fast train.)  Getting around once you’re there is more difficult.  There are taxis at the train station or on-call and Uber works just like at home.

The “Smiling Angel” at the Cathedral of Reims.

Besides tasting the local sparkling wines, the Reims Cathedral is not to be missed.  It was for more than twelve centuries the place where the kings of France were crowned, including Charles VII.  He only got there because Joan of Arc captured the city from the English.  The cathedral that now stands in Reims was built in the 13^th and 14^th centuries.  The entire structure is a model of Gothic glory.  Among the best loved sights are the “Smiling Angel” in one of the entrance arches, the extraordinary rose window and the Chagall windows in the Lady Chapel.  The rose window had to be taken down – very carefully – and stored to preserve it during the First and Second World Wars.  Other windows weren’t so lucky.  That’s why they recruited Marc Chagall to replace the ones destroyed in the second war.

You can drive from Reims to Épernay in under an hour, but don’t.  Drive slowly and admire the gorgeous countryside.  Take small side roads, even get a bit lost, and visit some of the hundreds of Champagne houses between the two cities.  They don’t get the volume of visitors that the big houses do, so they greet you just a bit more enthusiastically.  And tell yourself how lucky you are to be in Champagne.

If someone were to ask “Which is the largest city in Northern California’s Wine Country?”, we wager that most people would say San Francisco.  It is large, with slightly more than 800,000 people.  Sacramento is pretty big, too, with around 525,000 residents.  But the biggest is San Jose, which is nearing 1 million in population. 

San Jose has long been in San Francisco’s shadow, but the advent of the technology industry in the area has begun to give the city its own personality.  Maybe that personality is not as flamboyant or historical and San Fran’s, but if you are tasting in the vicinity, it’s worth a stop.  The most notable nearby winemaking regions are in the Santa Crus Mountains, with 80 wineries, and the Santa Clara Valley, with 60. 

If you’re a sports fan, you probably have heard of the San Jose Sharks in the National Hockey League (there isn’t an NHL team in San Francisco) and the 49ers have SF on their helmets, although their Santa Clara Stadium is closer to San Jose.  These teams mean that San Jose can legitimately call itself a major league city.

San Jose has a museum called The Tech Interactive.  Now, many cities have science and technology museums, but this one is in the heart of Silicon Valley, so it takes on added relevance.  There are more than 100 exhibits, many of which are powered by artificial intelligence (of course).  But it’s not all gee-whiz technology.  Some deal with space exploration and the biology of the human body.

The California Theater.  Photo courtesy of Evergreene Architectural Arts.

As with any large city, San Jose has parks, gardens and art museums, but frankly they aren’t worth a special visit.  These probably exist in your city back home, although it is nice that the San Joseans have cultural activities of their own.  They have a symphony orchestra and an opera company, too, both of which perform at a renovated movie palace now called the California Theater.  Its architecture resonates with echoes of past cinema glories.

Santana Row.  Photo courtesy of Federal Realty Investment Trust.

We have most enjoyed the district known as Santana Row.  It is San Jose’s center, with shops, restaurants, offices and pedestrian walkways.  In some ways, Santana Row is much like the “downtowns” of planned communities around the country. In many ways the explosive growth of San Jose created a need for a place where residential, business and leisure would combine.  And since there is a great deal of money for those working in tech, an invented civic center can be quite enjoyable.  We find Santana Row to be the best reason to pay San Jose a visit.  Unless you’re a hockey fan, that is.

Of course, there’s a wonderful Rhone wine called Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  It comes from the vineyards around a Provencal village called, well, Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  In French, it means “the Pope’s new castle”.  The town was there before the Popes arrived in the 14^th century, due to the Babylonian Captivity that split the Catholic Church over matters of…oh, you probably don’t care.  It seems that the 14^th century Popes didn’t actually live there (they were in nearby Avignon) but one of those Popes built a castle and town has been named for it ever since.  The castle survived for many centuries until more than half of it was destroyed by the German army at the end of World War II.  The remains dominate the village to this day.

The castle ruins atop the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

The village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is located on a hill, with winding streets that lead up to and around the castle ruins.  If you visit Châteauneuf-du-Pape your objective will likely be to go wine tasting; there is no denying the appeal of these fine wines.  But the renowned vineyards and tasting rooms are located in the flatlands around the village, not on the hill itself.  We don’t want to drag you away from wine tasting – never! – but we do recommend that you save a little time to visit the village itself.

You can and should walk up to the top of the hill to see what’s left of the castle.  If you’ve seen Greek or Roman ruins, you know that there is a melancholy poetry to what is left of destroyed ancient buildings, and so it is in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  Moreover, you have the views from there of some of France’s greatest vineyards, stretching out to the horizon.

There are other attractions, such as an old church, a pretty fountain, tasting rooms, wine stores and even a wine museum.  Still, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is just a small French village, with less than 3,000 residents.  But it is a village with money, derived from the wine trade.  So it is a spic and span village, ready to welcome visitors.  It looks very much like the French village you dreamed of, which so few actually are.

Photo courtesy of Booking.com.

If you come to Châteauneuf-du-Pape for wine tasting, complete the experience with a stellar meal.  There is no shortage there of restaurants, cafes, bistros and watering holes.  After a few hours of tasting wine, or maybe the next day, you’ll be ready to settle down with some Provencal cooking and a bottle of, well, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. 

In good weather, you can dine outdoors with those vineyard views and, on a clear day, of the Rhône river just beyond.  Buttery croissants in the morning; pâté and cheese for lunch; local leg of lamb roasted or venison stew for dinner.  Yum!  Of course, this being in the heart of French Wine Country, there is haute cuisine to be had as well.  Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a small village, but it boasts eleven restaurants listed on Michelin’s website.  Almost by definition, all these restaurants have fine cellars to match their cooking.  What more could you ask for a southern French experience?

There was a recent article in the New York Times about the crowds that are overwhelming certain popular tourist locations, such as Dubrovnik and Venice.  So this month’s Places to Visit article isn’t about a single destination, but rather about the crush of visitors in many of the sites that are fun for a day away from wine tasting.  The subject brings up the famous aphorism attributed to Yogi Berra: “Nobody goes there anymore.  It’s too crowded.”

Dubrovnik in the summer high season.  Photo courtesy of the New York Times.

It is clear that wine tasting, as an avocation, is increasing in popularity, which in turn means more people in the wineries.  At the same time, many wineries (especially in California, but also elsewhere) have moved to tastings by appointment, so they are able to control the amount of visitors and limit the staff required to serve them.  All the same, traffic on the main arteries (Route 29 in Napa Valley, Main Street on Long Island’s North Fork, Via Traversa del Monti leading into Montalcino) can get rather busy.  And then if you want to stop for lunch, say, around the square in Healdsburg or in the village of Chateauneuf du Pape, parking is nearly impossible.

Who are all these people?!?!

Well, they’re us…all of us.  The same people who enjoy sampling fine wines where they are made also enjoy fine dining, fine art and many of the finer things in life that make popular vacation spots so popular.  Maybe there has just been an increase in the number of cultured people in society.  Or maybe there are enough people who have the money, time and interest to go wine tasting in the more popular corners of Wine Country.

We think that the travel lust that was suppressed during the pandemic has sprung back.  People are taking the trips they didn’t take in 2020, 2021 and 2022.  We also believe that while the global economy hasn’t been kind to everyone, those who are might be interested in sipping Merlot in California or Bordeaux or Long Island are doing well and travelling more often.

A Napa Valley vineyard in March…out of season.

There are a few things that can be done to avoid the overcrowding.  One is to travel out of season.  If, for example, you would like to combine a trip to the Loire Valley with a few nights in Paris, there are going to be fewer fellow visitors between November and March than when the weather is warmer.  However, it’s not as pleasant to see naked vines nor to exclude sitting in an outdoor café in winter.  There are trade-offs for many things in life.

There is another way of looking at the problem.  There is an austere beauty to seeing vineyards under a coating of snow.  It’s pleasant share Christmas or the first inklings of springtime with the local folks.  You get to feel more alike a local and less like a tourist.  And out-of-season in the vineyards is often the height of the cultural season in cities.  Trade-offs aren’t always bad.

As noted in a previous issue, Vienna was built as the capital of a vast empire across central Europe.  Although Austria today is a small country that has far less impact on world affairs, the architectural glory of that empire is still on display.  Moreover, Vienna was a major cultural capital and it remains so today.  There are actually vineyards within the city limits and others in the nearby suburbs, so wine tasting and touring can be accomplished in one visit.

A visitor to Vienna is struck by the architecture before anything else.  It seems that in the center of the city every building is decorated like a wedding cake, with statues, pillars and Baroque curlicues.  Many of the buildings are as they were in the 19^th century or earlier, but a significant number of them were damaged in World War II.  They have been repaired so seamlessly that it’s nearly impossible to tell that there was ever any harm done.

St. Stephen’s cathedral.

Two churches exemplify Vienna’s architectural glory.  St. Stephen’s cathedral is a gothic wonder of spires, turrets and arched windows.  It was mostly constructed in the 14^th century and has survived many wars since then.  As the German army withdrew from Vienna in 1945, it was spared destruction but was quite damaged as the Soviet army entered the city.  Not far from the cathedral is the less ancient St. Peter’s church, built in the 17^th century.  It’s not a cathedral, but it is a marvel of Baroque and Rococo architecture, especially the interior.

The interior of St, Peter’s Church in Vienna.

Vienna is justly renowned for its cuisine, but surprisingly most of the city’s most famous dishes were imported from other countries in the Austrian empire.  Wiener schnitzel is probably the best known dish, but it’s a take on veal cutlet Milanese.  Goulash is from Hungary and the sausages eaten everywhere are very much like frankfurters.  The original Viennese dish is called tafelspitz, which was popularized by the long-lived emperor Franz Josef.  It’s a slice of rump roast that’s been boiled and simmered in broth until it’s very tender.  It’s served in a copper pot and in its broth, along with potatoes, stewed apples and sour cream mixed with chives.

Typical Viennese desserts.

And of course, there are the desserts that Vienna is famous for.  The best known are apple strudel and Sacher torte, a chocolate cake with apricot filling.  There are some famous coffee shops that we wrote about in a previous issue, but you can get a cup of coffee (or even better, hot chocolate) almost anywhere.  There are bakeries, chocolate stores, ice creameries and cafés all around the town.  The Viennese sure love their sweets.

Vienna was for several centuries the center of classical music.  Haydn, Mozart, Mahler and the Strausses (father and son) called Vienna home.  The city boasts two great classical orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic and the Symphony Orchestra.  If they aren’t performing when you’re there, there are numerous groups performing in concert halls and churches every night.

The entry hall of the Vienna Kunsthistorische (Historical Art) Museum.

The Vienna Historical Art Museum displays great Austrian art as well as works from other places in Europe where Austria ruled.  Visitors are as overwhelmed by the interior architecture as by the art works.

Finally,  there are establishments called heurigers.  Most of them are in the more rural sections in and around Vienna.  Frequently associated with wineries, the heurigers serve lots of wine (beer too) and huge buffets of roasts, sausages and salads.  This isn’t elegant Viennese cuisine but rather hearty buffets.

Someday, you should visit Paris.  And if you’ve already been there, you should go again.  It is a city of great beauty, centuries of history, incredible food and, when the Parisians are in the right mood, joie de vivre.  Of course, you didn’t need Power Tasting to tell you this.  And what does it have to do with wine tasting, anyway?

The answer to that question can be found near the peak of the butte Montmartre, the hill in the north of the city.  The Montmartre sector of Paris is famous for many things: as the hangout for many of the greatest artists and poets of the 19^th and 20^th centuries; the home of the can-can at the Moulin Rouge; the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur (Sacred Heart) that watches over Paris.  We heartily recommend that you visit, have a meal and wander through the winding streets of the sector.

For those of us who love wine and wine tasting, there is a unique attraction there, known as the Clos Montmartre.  It is a functioning vineyard within the borders of the city. 

A little history is in order here.  For most of its existence, Montmartre was not a part of Paris itself.  It was a rural suburb of the city, specializing in wine production.  Keep in mind that winemaking and storage techniques were for centuries not up to our current standards.  That meant that most wine didn’t age very well; in fact it was best to drink it while it was young.  So having vineyards literally just over the hill was quite advantageous.

The Clos Montmartre was attached to an abbey since the 12^th century and was planted then by the Abbess, Adélaïde de Savoie.  The abbey was destroyed in the Revolution but the vineyard kept going.  This continued until 1860, when the French Emperor decided to modernize Paris.  Montmartre was incorporated into Paris, along with other then rural villages.  It became the 18^th Arrondissement of Paris.  Workmen and artists replaced vignerons and the vineyards were ripped out.  In 1933, the local council decided to replant the oldest of them, the Clos Montmartre.  It’s only 0.15 hectares and produces 1,700 bottles a year, which are auctioned off to support community projects in the 18^th Arrondissement.

Getting to the Clos Montmartre is a bit of a trek.  The nearest Metro stop is Abbesses.  Take the stairs (or better, the funicular) to Sacré-Coeur and walk around to the left, then past the Place du Tertre to Rue des Saules.  Keep walking and there you are!

As a tourist, you can get a chance to taste the wine from this vineyard in October, when they hold the harvest festival (Fête des Vendanges in French).  It is worth just walking by to see a vineyard in an urban setting and to reflect on its connection to so much history: the Middle Ages, the French Revolution, the rebuilding of Paris up to the present day.  It is a gentle reminder of the history of wine and its place in the diets and pleasures of Parisians and wine lovers around the world.

Vienna is a city that was built to be the capital of a vast empire, one that had reigned over great swaths of Central Europe for centuries.  Then the Austrians fought on the wrong side in two disastrous World Wars.  The empire disappeared but the imperial grandeur of Vienna remained.  What was a good Viennese to do in these circumstances?  The answer is obvious: stop for a coffee and have some cake.

Dotted throughout the city are cafés and konditorei (bakeries specializing in pastries, as opposed to bread).  Many of them were built more than a century ago and continue to serve strong coffee, often with steamed milk or mit schlag (with whipped cream).  If you want the 50-50 coffee and steamed milk, ask for a mélange. 

Café Central in Vienna, with the usual line of tourists waiting to be admitted.

The most noted of Vienna’s coffee houses is Café Central, located in an elegant building that once housed the Stock Exchange.  The interior seems more like a movie set than any Starbucks would ever dream of.  With its marble columns, vaulted ceilings, globed chandeliers and parquet floor, Café Central looks like a little bit of an idealized 19^th century that just decided not to go away.  Which it is.

The interior of Café Central, with one of its pastry cases and Peter Altenberg waiting up front.

Today you are as likely to hear American accents at the table next to you than German ones.  But there’s an echo of Grand Dukes, intellectuals, revolutionaries, movie stars and spies that you can imagine you can hear.  Andy why not?  Café Central was frequented by many other influential minds of the last century including Stefan Zweig, the novelist; Artur Schnitzler, the dramatist; Sigmund Freud; and Leon Trotsky, who was evidently a demon chess player before he got back to Russia.  One of them, the poet Peter Alternberg, was such a Café Central habitué, that there is now a statue of him sitting by the door, waiting for a table no doubt.

You can get a meal in many coffee houses, including Café Central, but there are better places to eat.  It’s the pastries that are the pride and joy of Vienna.  Chocolate!  Crumble!  Mousse!  Jam! Nuts!  All spun together in miraculous inventions and fantasies of sweetness.  Desserts stand alone as a reason for living in Vienna, so it seems, and it’s very easy for a visitor to get right into the swing of things.

Perhaps the best known Viennese pastry is apple strudel, with its flaky crust and a hint of cinnamon.  Then there’s something called kaiserschmarrn, which translates roughly to “the emperors mess”.  It’s a thick, chopped-up pancake served with powdered sugar and preserves.  Evidently Emperor Franz Josef loved it, as did we.

Service at Café Sacher.

The pastry most closely identified with Vienna is called Sachertorte, invented at and still proudly served at Café Sacher.  It’s a two-layer, dense chocolate cake with apricot jam between the layers and a thick fudgy icing.  Served mit schlag, of course.  Don’t leave Vienna without trying it.

Both Café Central and Sacher are very popular with tourists, so there’s often a long line outside waiting to get in.  It’s worthwhile to make a reservation and skip the line, but it’s not that easy to book a table at the times you might want.  You won’t do badly at any of the hundreds of other cafés in town, but patronizing the best known ones is part of the charm of a trip to Vienna.

There are some mighty rivers in this world that have had historical importance.  There’s the Mississippi, the Nile and closer to home, the Hudson and the St. Lawrence.  In France, there is a river that is long but not mighty, the Loire, with history all along its route.  It rolls along quietly with very limited navigability.  But from the late Middle Ages into the Renaissance, France was ruled from various spots along the Loire.

Many of the castles where the kings and nobles lived in those days are still there, open for public visits.  And oh, by the way, they make wine in the Loire valley, mostly light white wines such as Vouvray, Muscadet and Sancerre.  There are some reds, the best known of which is Chinon.  But about those castles…

There are nearly 50 of them and it seems that you see a château (French for castle) every time you turn a corner. They are hard to miss as you travel around the Touraine region.  (The region is centered on the city of Tours, hence the name.)  We haven’t visited them all but have seen quite a few.  These are our favorites.

Blois Castle, with Francois I’s staircase.  Photo courtesy of France This Way.

• Blois.  This was a royal château, occupied off and on by a number of French kings, the most notable of whom were Francois I and Henri IV.  It’s where Jeanne d’Arc went to be blessed before setting out to war.  Each noble and king added or renovated a little here and there, so the result that can be seen today is massive.  Much of the architecture is Italianate, due to the wars fought by the French in Italy during Blois’ heyday.  Its most famous feature is the spiral staircase erected by Francois I.

The roof of Chambord castle.  Photo courtesy of the Domain National de Chambord.

• Chambord.  While this is the largest château in the Loire valley, it was originally Francois I’s hunting lodge.  Unlike many of the other castles, this one was never really used for defensive purposes.  Architecturally, it is the most decorated, with towers, turrets, buttresses and curlicues that don’t seem to have any particular function.  It is worth walking around the roof, to see all the fanciful additions that make Chambord more beautiful.  The double helix staircase in the interior is said to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

The chapel of St. Hubert at Amboise, where Leonardo da Vinci is said to be buried.  Photo courtesy of the Orange County Register.

• Amboise.  And speaking of Leonardo, his remains are interred at Amboise, another royal château.  He was lured away from France by, yes, Francois I who was a patron of the arts as well as a warrior king.  The history of the castle goes back to the High Middle Ages, when it was quite definitely used for military and defensive purposes.  It looms over the village of Amboise, where we have had some pleasant lunches.

Chenonceau castle. Photo courtesy of L’Indre par Velo.

• Chenonceau.  We have saved the best for last.  Chenonceau spans the little river Cher, with arches allowing the river to pass beneath it.  One of the pleasures of visiting Chenonceau is rowing under the château.  An interesting fact is that the Cher formed the border between Nazi-occupied France in World War II and so-called Free France to the south.  Jews and other persecuted people would enter in the north and escape from the other end of the château.  There are two notable gardens on either side of Chenonceau.  One was built for Catherine de Medici, queen of France and wife of king Henry II.  The other was built for the king’s mistress, Diane de Poitiers; she got the bigger, nicer garden but was forced to give it up when the king died.

Generally, when Power Tasting recommends a place to visit, it’s a location near wine tasting, but not wine tasting by itself.  We make an exception for the Santa Rita Hills, because they’re just so beautiful.

Interestingly, we shouldn’t be referring to the Santa Rita Hills at all.  There is a large Chilean winemaker called Vina Santa Rita and they objected to the use of the same name as applied to wines.  So the official name is Sta. Rita Hills.  We don’t care; we’re sticking with Santa.

The area stretches from the town of Buellton to the east and Lompoc at the western extreme.  It’s roughly 17 miles wide and 10 miles from north to south.  And it’s in Southern California, which means it must be hot, right?  No, Santa Rita Hills has a very unique climate that makes it ideal for the grapes of Burgundy: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

South-facing vineyards, with the Sant Ynez mountains behind them, and fog trying to climb over the mountains.

That climate is made by an ocean and some mountains.  The ocean, of course, is the Pacific, which lies due south of the Hills.  Now, California runs north-south, so shouldn’t the Pacific be west of it?  But just to the west of Lompoc, the coastline hangs a hard left for about 75 miles, putting the Pacific to the south.  Paralleling the coast are the Santa Ynez mountains.  So when cool, moist air rises from the ocean in the form of fog, it is stopped by the mountains.  Some does get over them, of course.  You can see the clouds trying to make it past the Santa Ynez’ in the morning hours.

Because the southerly winds are blocked, there’s nothing stopping the east-west gusts.  Thus the Santa Rita Hills have ideal conditions: lots of sun, but cool and breezy.  The conformation of the Hills creates a valley with spectacular views wherever you look.  Words, even photographs, don’t do justice to the Santa Rita Hills.  We have enjoyed great vineyard vistas around the world: the Côte d’Or, Barossa Valley and Napa Valley closer to home, just to name a few.  The Santa Rita Hills are far less developed than any of those and the vineyards that patch the views make it even more gorgeous.

We should point out that the drive to the Santa Rita Hills is almost as dramatic as the Hills themselves.  There are two ways to get there from Santa Barbara, which is most likely the starting point for most wine tasters, or else from Los Angeles.  One is Route101, which we have written about before.  From Santa Barbara, it runs along the coast until the town of Gaviota, where it makes a sharp right turn.  As you drive, you pass through a gap in the mountains where suddenly the morning fogs lift, as though a curtain is going up.  Those mountain walls are quite a sight themselves.

The other route is via Routes 154 and 246.  The latter is the main drag of the Santa Rita Hills.  There are stunning views of the Pacific through gulleys in the mountains and equally spectacular views of Lake Cachuma on the inland side.  You also pass through the quaint but touristy town of Solvang before reaching the Santa Rita Hills.  We recommend 101 to go and 154/246 to return to Santa Barbara or back to L.A. 

Oh, did we mention that there’s wine in them thar hills?  If you go to admire the scenery, you ought to try some wine.

Philadelphia is still bragging about the Declaration of Independence and the Liberty Bell.  Boston hasn’t gotten over the Tea Party.  Those things happened around 250 years ago.  There is a place in France where they’re still identifying themselves with something that occurred more than 700 years ago: Avignon, in the south of France.

From 1309 through 1417, the Pope decided not to live in Rome but rather took up residence in Avignon.  This all had to do with conflict between the Papacy and the Kings of France and is way too complicated to be explained here.  The point for contemporary visitors is that everywhere you go in Avignon you’ll see the papal insignia of the Triple Crown and the crossed keys. 

The Papal Palace in Avignon, with the cathedral to the left.  Photo courtesy of Horizons Provence.

The most impressive and important site should you visit Avignon is the Papal Palace.  It’s actually two joined buildings, erected by different Popes.  It is one of the largest gothic edifices ever built.  Its massive walls and battlements give witness to the perilous nature of the Avignon papacy, with the constant threat of attacks by the forces of various kings and church factions.  As the center point of medieval western Christianity, the palace, and Avignon more generally, it became the administrative hub of Catholicism.  It was the precursor to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, which was built 100 years after the return of the papacy there.

At the same time, Avignon is very much a living city.  It is famous for its annual festival of the arts.  There are performances in the courtyard of the Papal Palace and in theaters (and in the streets) around Avignon.  Of course, most of the theatrical works are in French, with an occasional Shakespeare or other classic piece presented in English.

Saint Benezet’s Bridge, with the bell tower of the Avignon cathedral behind it.  Photo courtesy of Provence-Alpes- Côtes d’Azur Tourism.

Of course, there’s a cathedral, Notre-Dame des Doms, next to the palace.  Over the centuries, this church has collapsed, been reconstructed, abandoned in the Revolution and restored in the 19^th century.  Its bell tower hovers over the city and it is topped by a golden statue of the Virgin Mary that can be seen for miles around.  There are also gardens worth visiting.  The Doms is the rock on which Avignon was founded.  Visitors can climb up to it from the cathedral, enjoy the greenery and the views over the Rhône and pretend to be Avignonais.

Avignon is the capital of the Vaucluse region, which contains most of the Côtes du Rhône vineyards.  Nearby is a town wine lovers have heard of: Châteauneuf-du-Pape translated as “the Pope’s new castle”.  (One of the Avignon Popes built it as a refuge in case of attack on the palace.)  Avignon is a bustling little city ,  modern amongst all the antiquity.  After seeing the Papal Palace and the cathedral, the best thing to do (other than wine tasting all around the city) is just to walk around, taking in many beautiful sectors and sights.

Finally, don’t miss Saint Benezet’s Bridge, or what’s left of it.  If you remember the childhood song Sur le Pont d’Avignon (on the bridge of Avignon), this is it.  Half of it collapsed centuries ago, but you can still dance there today, if you’d like to.