Villeneuve-les-Avignon, the village across the Rhone from Avignon

Villeneuve-les-Avignon is a town on the western shore of the Rhone River, across from Avignon. Although monks had been living in the area since the sixth century, it was really King Philip IV who founded the town when he built the massive Fort Saint-André atop Mount Andaon back in the 1300s.  When the popes moved to Avignon in the 1400s, the cardinals chose Villeneuve-les-Avignon as their preferred local getaway.  The monastery here flourished until the French Revolution, when it was converted into housing for local residents as they seized independence from the clergy. 

Our first stop was my #1 destination in Villeneuve-les-Avignon,  St Andre Jardin/gardens.  The gardens are located inside the Benedictine and royal abbey of St-André, which was built in the 10th century. After the revolution, it fell into disrepair. A gentleman purchased in 1919 and gave it to two women.  After making the ground level of the abbey habitable, they focused their energy on the gardens. The gardens are magnificent and terraced and follow the Tuscany Resistance, Provencal, and Mediterranean styles of architecture. They are considered to be among the most beautiful gardens in France and offer superb views of the city of Avignon and listed as a Historic Monument.  

There's even a contemporary ceramic garden.  It is a cool, quiet place to contemplate the creative efforts of the artists.

Flowers from this garden are at the end of this post, there were so many! 

Next stop which is part of the complex is the Fort Saint Andre. Built in the 12th century, this national monument was built to assert the power of the kingdom of France against the papacy in Avignon. 

Since we had the multiple admissions card for Villeneuve-les-Avignon, we continued and visited La Chartreuse. This Carthusian monastery owes its beginnings to Pope Innocent VI. After his election in 1352, the then cardinal donated his lands and a private residence. His tomb has been restored in the church.  One of the most spellbinding features of the church is the collapsed apse which happened  in the 19th century and was never rebuilt. It is now open to the sky and the Saint André Fort and gives the church an eery feel.

Always a delight to see a pollinators hotel

Lunch at Macellin Boulanger, Patissier, Chocolatier, Confiseur

   

Lunch: veggie pizza, caramelized onion tarte, pain au chocolate and almond paste, 2000 mille fleur . brought home the raspberry flan that every patron picked up during our lunch and these interesting "cookies" they are not, and I can't spell the word they are, with crunch outside, dried orange and dough not sweet inside. My fav. 

Flowers from Saint Andre Jardin / Garden

Getting there 
The bus leaves Avignon Poste regularly and cost E1.40, only cash or  bus pass accepted.  Alternatively, it's  2.5 km walk to tourist Info, It's a beautiful walk  that we did  2 days ago when we visited Park La Colline des Mourgues & Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Consolation https://www.grayhairedglobetrotter.com/2025/10/park-la-colline-des-mourgues-chapelle.html

Multiple admission ticket

  Villeneuve-les-Avignon has its own tourist card (excluding sights in Avignon which is another card option). You can pick it up at the ticket windows of any of the paid attractions, or at the Tourist Information office beside the bus stop. Ticket for monuments and musuem in Villeneuve includes La Chartreuse-CNES, le Fort Saint-André, l'Abbaye Saint-André, la Tour Philippe-le-Bel et le Musée Pierre-de-Luxembourg. the cost is E20 in Oct 2025