UNESCO lists The Historic Center of Avignon as a World Heritage Site. The award recognizes the 13th- and 14th-century papal palaces and cathedrals massed inside Avignon's remarkably intact 14th-century walls. But visitors have always loved Avignon. In fact, this small city, set above a lazy bend in the Rhône, has attracted appreciation since the Stone Age. Maybe the first Neolithic settlers chose the heights of The Rocher des Doms to be safely above the Rhône's fertile flood plain; we're romantic enough to hope they also liked the view. Today, the Rocher des Doms is a scented formal garden overlooking the Pont St. Bénézet, with extensive vistas of the surrounding country, reaching as far as the Alpilles, Mt. Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail. This is a genuinely seductive place. And since many of its narrow, winding streets are for pedestrians only, it manages to be peaceful yet lively and entertaining at the same time. The hardest part of beginning a tour of Provence in Avignon is deciding when to leave. In a region saturated with Roman monuments and the echoes of Roman culture, Nîmes is the most Roman of cities. The well maintained state of its ancient monuments and public buildings is due to the fact that several of them have been in virtually continual use since Roman times. The Amphitheater, built by the Romans in about 40 or 50 BC, is still the main venue for all kinds of festivals and spectacles. The classical, colonnaded Maison Carrée, once a Roman temple, has been the town hall, a private home, a stable, a monastery, and a church before its current incarnation as a museum. For years, Ferne Arfin has been playing in Provence, a place where Van Gogh spent his most prolific years painting. She draws from her experience to tell you about the people, their culture and the way of life. Covering every town, village and city in the region, this book takes you sightseeing in Avignon, Nimes and beyond, shopping, to the best beaches. Comprehensive background information - history, culture, geography and climate - gives you a solid knowledge of each destination and its people, with details on the museums, historic sites and local attractions. Places to stay and eat; transportation to, from and around your destination; practical concerns; tourism contacts - it's all here! Detailed regional and town maps feature walking and driving tours. This guide is extracted from our full Adventure Guide to Provence & the Cote d'Azur, though with additional details.