The ancient fortified city of Avignon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has plenty to offer visitors in the way of history, life, youth, art, music and activity. The city is well known for its famous Pont Saint-Béneze (the bridge made famous in the ditty ‘Sur le pont d'Avignon, on y danse, on y danse...'), the Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes) where the Popes lived for much of the 14th century, and the Festival d'Avignon in summer with its programme of dance, music and theatre.

You can wander the narrow, winding cobbled streets inside the fortified walls for days without tiring of them, but once you've had enough culture, Avignon also has a great shopping area with pedestrianised streets without automobiles - southeast of the Place de l'Horloge, rue des Marchands, rue Rouge and the adjoining streets are full of interesting shops. Quiet streets, secluded courtyards and secret gardens, cosy pavement cafés and fantastic restaurants frequented almost entirely by locals make Avignon the perfect place for a romantic weekend away.

If you can bear to tear yourself away from the town, various boat tours are available along the Rhone, either local (including dinner-dancing) or to Arles, Tarascon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape and the Camargue.