Avignon ramparts

The ramparts of Avignon, an almost intact enclosure

Before the Saint-Michel gate, you measure the exceptional nature of Avignon: the city is one of the rare French cities to have kept all of its ramparts. The Avignon audio-guided tour stops here to evoke these fortifications inscribed on the World Heritage list.

More than four kilometres of fortifications

Built in the fourteenth century to protect the city, the ramparts of Avignon still extend today over more than four kilometres. They once had seven gates and thirty-nine towers allowing the surroundings to be watched. Their history goes back to Roman times, with a first enclosure in the first century. Classified on the World Heritage list, they almost entirely surround the historic centre, a rare fact in France.

What to see

You admire the Saint-Michel gate, the walls, the towers and the gates that almost entirely surround the centre of Avignon. This rare fortified ensemble, classified on the World Heritage list, frames the city of the Popes. It is a stop for lovers of history and heritage, to be walked along the ramparts.

Practical information

The ramparts surround the historic centre of Avignon, reachable on foot, notably from the Saint-Michel gate. They are public structures, freely visible from the public space, with no ticket office. You walk along them during a stroll around the old town; they extend over more than four kilometres.

What is the particularity of the ramparts of Avignon?

Avignon is one of the rare French cities to have kept all of its ramparts, which extend over more than four kilometres and are classified on the World Heritage list.

When were the ramparts of Avignon built?

In the fourteenth century to protect the city; they had seven gates and thirty-nine towers, and their history goes back to Roman times.