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Avignon. The town most famous for a kids' play song in French, so well-known that even most English people have heard of it.

Sur le pont
d'Avignon
On y danse
On y danse
Sur le pont
d'Avignon
On y danse
Tous en rond

And this is the translation:On the bridge of Avignon, there we dance, there we dance. On the bridge of Avignon, there we dance all in a circle.

But Avignon is known for weightier aspects. The Avignon papacy was perhaps the height of this city's fame and renown. In the short span of just 73 years, seven different popes made Avignon the seat of the Roman Catholic church. Those popes were Pope Clement V, Pope John XXII, Pope Benedict XII, Pope Clement VI, Pope Innocent VI, Pope Urban V, and Pope Gregory XI.

When the Frenchman Clement V took over as Pope, he decided not to leave France to move to Rome and instead transfered the seat of the Church.

But Avignon, like the rest of our society, has moved on since the Middle Ages, and now it is a popular travel town.

To be sure, visitors do come to Avignon to see the UNESCO -certified World Heritage sites (including the Saint-Benezet bridge - you know, the bridge the children sing about, and the "Palais des papes" , which is Palace of the Popes in English and is home to some very popular summer time exhibitions for visitors to enjoy).

Avignon is also known these days as a cultural center (it was named European Capital of Culture in 2000), where the well-known Festival of Contemporary Theatre was born. Opera, live theatre and dance are the most popular forms of artistic expression in this city. Somewhat surprisingly, it is in winter that culture really blossoms in Avignon. In January, it is Cheval Passion, a festival totally built around the love of horses, with live shows. In February, it is the “Hivernales de la danse” (a contemporary dance festival). In May,the town welcomes Alterarosa in the Palais des papes, a rose festival that boasts 20,000 visitors and brags about unveiling of new breeds of roses never before seen. And the traditional Christmas market is always a huge draw.

Is Avignon easy to reach? If you were to draw a triangle between Rome, Paris and Madrid, you would see that Avignon is in dead-center. Under three hours from Paris on the TGV train, an hour from Lyon and half an hour from Marseilles (and the alluring French Riviera - ooh-la-la), Avignon makes a welcome day trip, and a more than worthwhiel2- to three-day stay.

are there and restaurants? There are plenty of both. Don't forget, You are in France, so if you like French cooking, you will enjoy Avignon. But this is also Provence, so the pallet is decidedly "provençal". Provence is pretty much the farthest part of France from Paris, and with the Riviera serving as a metropolitan center in its own rite, the cuisine also carries its own mark.

no matter the season, no matter the reason, Avignon has something for you.