I was in southern France visiting a friend for a month staying in a little village called Saint Mitre Les Remparts, which is just about an hour from Avignon. I had the freedom and flexibility to pop around and visit places at my leisure, and when you stumble onto a place as gorgeous as Avignon having that freedom to stay as long as you want is key.

Exploring the medieval city center I felt like a little kid watching A Kid in King Arthur’s Court. It was like stepping back in time to Europe of the Middle Ages and I could almost see the people, horses, and carriages riding through the ancient town. From medieval streets and houses, to private mansions from the Renaissance, to the ancient Pope’s Palace, you will be enchanted from the moment you arrive.

Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Palais de Papes, or Pope’s Palace, was the residence of seven Popes from 1309 to 1377 and serves as a testament to the wealth and power of Christendom during the Middle Ages. The Palace of the Popes is the biggest Gothic palace in the world with over 15,000 square meters of living space. That is the equivalent to four Gothic cathedrals put together.

Visitors have access to the grounds and over twenty rooms in the palace, including the papal apartments and their priceless frescoes. I took my time to soak up each and every room wondering what it would have been like to live during the height of its power and prestige.

The grand scale, ornate carvings, and what was left of the wall painting made it easy to take your mind back in time and feel the full experience. What conversations were had in these halls. What kind of men and women lived and worked here. And how did all this shape Europe and the wider world in which we all now live. Every year this grand palace welcomes over half a million visitors and is among the 10 most-visited monuments in France.

Beside the Pope’s Palace, one of the other iconic sites of Avignon is the Saint Bénézet Bridge. The ancient bridge was built in the 12th century and destroyed several times in its long history which was finally abandoned in the 17th Century. There also remains a fascinating legend associated with the bridge.

As the story goes, in the year 1177 the shepherd Bénézet was instructed by angels to build a bridge over the Rhône River. The town’s founders and citizens mocked the idea. However, Bénézet was endowed with the strength to raise a giant lump of rock, which the townspeople recognized as a sign from God. This was furthered by the fact that the bridge took only eight years to build. Today the bridge remains in partial ruins but you can still walk parts of the once mighty bridge.

Besides a historic wonder, Avignon is also known as a center of the arts and culture. The city hosts a huge variety of festivals and events throughout the year, from the popular International Jazz Festival and the Epicurean Festival in the summer to a lovely traditional Christmas market in December.

Many people base themselves in Marseilles or Nice or Monaco while visiting southern France, but if you want a different experience that is more centrally located to explore wider Provence I would recommend staying in Avignon instead. This gorgeous little ancient city packs quite a punch!