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Le Colbert hotel is in a quiet street typical of Old
Avignon near the Place des Corps Saints. It is located in the historic
centre, one street away from the Avignon Tourist Office and the Cours
Jean Jaures, next to Agricol Perdiguier Square, close to the southern
ramparts of the city via the main access from the Porte de la République,
opposite Avignon Central SNCF station.
Visitors with cars can park 3 minutes'
walk away from the hotel in the new Jean Jaures covered car
park, which is open 24/7.
A short walk from Le Colbert hotel will take you to the Palais des Papes,
the convention centre and the famous Pont d'Avignon; these are all UNESCO
architectural sites.
On leaving Le Colbert Hotel, you can follow routes marked with arrows
on the ground or book a guided tour for conference attendees at the Tourist
Office. Alternatively, the town map is great for finding museums and collections
(Collection Lambert from 24 October 2009 to 31 january2010, Untitled
1, Fondation Angladon from 18 June to 11 November 2009, Doisneau
artist portraits, Petit Palais Museum from 20 June to 31 October
2009, Avignon-Sienne artistic heritage of Simone Martini, Lapidaire
Museum, ancient art with new Greek rooms, Fondation Louis Vouland
collection
of decorative art, paintings and Provence artists, Maison Jean
Vilar exhibitions, etc.), churches (Saint Pierre, St Didier, etc.), art
galleries (Pharos gallery: paintings
and sculptures in Avignon and Provence, Atezart Avignon gallery,
Luc Hautbout gallery (Avignon
of art prints, lamps and unique pieces) and all the historic
monuments (Ramparts...) in the historic heart of Avignon (Virtual
visit of sites in Avignon centre from Le Colbert Hotel);
you can easily reach the Avignon covered market - a genuine Provence market
- to find local products at the 40 different stalls and the amazing "wall
of vegetables"
.From the Hotel Colbert, you can wander through highly picturesque little
streets, such as the pebbled Rue des Teinturiers, with its water wheels
over a branch of the Sorgue river, go on an organised tour, follow the
Promenade des Doms, Promenade Joseph Vernet, Promenade de la Carreterie,
and stop at the little squares along the way (Place des Corps saints,
Place des Châtaigners, Place des Carmes, etc.) for a coffee or to sample
typical Provencal food at one of the restaurants.
People generally travel on foot inside the ramparts, but if you prefer
to go by vehicle, here are few options that are preferable to going by
car:
---"Velopop": free bikes available 24/7 at a number of points. The nearest
is 2 minutes from the hotel above the Jaures car park
---"Balladines": vehicles that take a maximum of 7 people and go from
the squares and main shopping streets in Avignon centre, including the
Place des Corps Saints, which is only 50 metres from the Hotel Colbert
---"Vélo cité Avignon": a rickshaw service, where a rider ferries up to
three people - either inside or outside of the city walls of Avignon
There's lots to see - either under your own steam or by booking one of
the many organised visits and tours of the area starting from the Tourist
Office or le Colbert hotel:
Villeneuve les Avignon, la Chartreuse, Fort Saint-André or visit to the
west : the villages of Tavel, LePont du Gard, Uzes, Nimes, to the south:
Arles, Fontvielle, Beaucaire, Tarascon, Les Beaux de Provence and Saint
Rémy de Provence, to the south/East: L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue, crossed by
many branches of the Sorgue river, its famous Provençal market, brocante
markets, antique shops, the Fontaine de Vaucluse, Gordes, Roussillon,
Ménerbes, Oppède, to the North/east; Chateauneuf du Pape, Orange, Vacqueyras,
Séguret, Vaison La Romaine, Malaucène, Le Barroux, Bédoin, Le Mont Ventoux,
Beaume de Venise and Carpentras, etc., tours of the Côtes du Rhône vineyards
(Virtual
tour round Avignon from Le Colbert Hotel)
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