fort saint-andre

Wonderful medieval fort in Villenueve-les-Avignon overlooking the entire area. We walked along the inner wall through well maintained gardens, visited a small chapel & up the turrets to the upper walkway. Many rooms to explore. The Number 5 Bus takes you to the start of the walk through a beautiful neighborhood to the base of the fort. Well worth the small entrance fee. Great views.

Very cool fort, with the towers and ramparts in great condition. the gardens in the abbey are nice too.

We ventured to the fort via the Chartreuse. It was a bit steep, but the view from the fort overlooking the palais des papes is spectacular. The Italian gardens & olive groves are very pleasant.

....but was not disappointed. Breathtaking views awaited. Incredible architecture, history, gardens, peacefulness. Lovely woman at the admissions desk; and later upon leaving, delightful man filling in for her. Not to be missed in Villeneuve-les-Avignon.

The fort is a great experience, away from the tourist masses of Avignon (don't miss the opportunity to stroll though Villeneuve-les-Avignon itself, similarly tourist-free). It can get very hot and dry up there so bring a drink, but the view from the towers is breathtaking.

Walls are in good shape and its a relaxed visit in your own time. The views of Avignon from up here are spectacular, a climb up and wander along the ramparts is well worth it.

Just across the river from Avignon is Villeneuve-les-Avignon, where you will find Fort Saint-Andre. Built in the 13th and 14th century it was commissioned by Philipe le Bel in 1292. It is a bit of climb but you will not be disappointed on reaching the top. A magnificently preserved fort, containing the small Belvezet Chapel, which is lovely due to it's simplicity. Take your time to wander around here, as there is much to cover. If you are the type of person who needs to know details, it might be worthwhile doing a bit of reading before visiting as information is very light on. It is also worth visiting the gardens of Saint-Andre Abbey if you have time.Unfortunately when we visited there had been light rain, which hampered the views, that said, on a fine day it is easy to imagine the views that would be had, as previous reviews have stated. We arrived early morning and saw about six other people in the time we were here. It is nearly a 4km walk according to Google Map from Gare d' Avignon Centre), however, if you are short on time, as we were, there is bus#5, which leaves regularly from Avignon and takes 10 minutes. We arrived by train to Gare d' Avignon Centre and caught the bus at the stop called Avignon Poste. Walk through the gates of the wall just across from train station and the stop is on this street. In Villeneuve-les-Avignon get off at the stop Office de Tourisme and the fort is a short walk from here. The bus is line #5 SAINT LAZARE > VILLENEUVE. For the bus timetable and route go to - www.tcra.fr

With the masses of history to be had in Avignon itself, it's easy to see how and why nowhere near as many visitors get across to Villeneuve-les-Avignon.However, it is an absolute must! This fort is extremely well preserved and also has some lovely gardens and an abbey to walk around and explore. There are magnificent views across to Tour Philippe le Bel, the city of Avignon and also down over the town of Villeneuve-les-Avignon itself. It's a lovely place to soak up the sun in a quieter environment than Avignon itself.After visiting the fort, walk back down through the historic part of the town, visit Colline des Morgues and enjoy the gardens and views, and then have a drink in the old square. It has a very much more relaxed feel that Avignon, as it is only a small town, but has a definite charm that should not be missed.

Hard to believe people actually fought and died over who was the real Pope but this is the heart of the home of the 100 years of the "French Pope".

We have just enjoyed a truly memorable afternoon visiting Fort Saint Andre and the village itself. We are staying in Avignon and, Having admired the view of Villanueve les Avignon from across the Rhone, we investigated taking a bus over to the village, however, perhaps because it's Sunday, we couldn't seem to quite catch on to when to expect a bus to come along, so decided to take the easy option and called for a taxi which cost about 13 EU each way. You could walk each way depending on time and inclination!!! The Fort is a must see and apparently free on Sundays and surprisingly, doesn't seem to be justly promoted. It is an uphill walk up to the fort and not wheel chair or stroller friendly once there After spending 2 or 3 hours of investigating,We enjoyed the surprise bonus of wandering into a little square where we enjoyed a drink while listening to a live musician and a very smooth vocalist singing easy-listening Frank Sinatra to an appreciative Sunday afternoon audience of no more than about 25 people. What a treat.

Well worth a visit this is a superbly maintained fortress with brilliant views. But not all your visitors are from France! His site nes to follow the example of the Chatreuse and have more in-depth information in multiple languages. And closing for lunch - really? So last century!

The fort is opposite the historic town of Avignon in the rival town of Villeneuve-lez-Avignon (not really a “new” town as it was built by the royals in medieval times to combat increasing papal power opposite). The fort can be visited by walking across from Avignon over 2 bridges, past the tower of Philippe le Bel (interesting in itself) and up the hill- this all takes about 40 minutes of solid walking. The walk will takes you through the Jardins Pompidou and the medieval town of Villeneuve but it is a steep climb at the end. Alternatively you can take the bus (number 5, cost 1.30 euros each way), but will still need to finish with a steep climb. The fort is only open in the afternoons out of season after 2 pm. It is not busy inside (we were the only people) nor is it expensive (the Avignon PASS applies here too). The site is interesting but has little information, which would have been helpful- the folded pamphlet gave little info beyond a very small map and some basic information which children would be happy with. The castle has amazing views and is in a good state meaning you can see a lot of structures. The wall walk is particularly nice. No food or drink is available on site and the town is a good 5 minutes steep climb so take your own water!

First of all, Villeneuve is a relatively undiscovered jewel in this area. The town square is lovely and you can feel a certain French quality of life in the place. A must if you want to escape the crowds over the river.My four year old son and I really enjoyed exploring the fort - a steep climb up but manageable for my boy. What is lacking are enough information posters around to give the visitor enough context about the significance of the building. The views are, as you might expect, superb.

Visting Fort Saint-Andre was the perfect thing to do on our first day in Villeneuve-les-Avignon. I am a big fan of ruins and historic sites and I was surprised at the size of the fort and by how much I could walk through (and on top of). When buying our tickets we also received the Avignon pass, which is free and provides discounts at the sites and museums in Avignon and Villeneuve les Avignon. The Pass is good 15 days and is good for the whole family (5 persons max). It was a beautiful day and we had so many great and varying scenic views of both the cities and of the fort.

I love being up high, and this is about as high as it gets in this part of France. Be warned, there are plenty of steps, but the views are worth it. The tiny Bellevue Chapel is a gem. Buy a combined ticket with Chartreuse for the best value.