It was a very hot day and tired after a visit the the Pope’s palce, I headed for these gardens reached by steps from the cathedral. The guide books recommended them as a pleasant place to drop out.
The gardens were laid out in 1830 to cover the reservoir that once supplied water to the city. They are described as ‘English style gardens’ with trees, and shrubs around an ornamental pond with ducks. And of course every real garden had to have a grotto! There is even a grotto. The statue of Venus with swallows by Félix Charpentier was moved her in 1894 from Place Carnot after public outcry about its nudity.
There is a cafe by the pond and the gardens are popular with families with small children.
The gardens themselves are a little uninspiring but are worth visiting for the views down onto the remains of Pont St-Bénezet and across Avignon. But they are free and there are seats…
I visited here on Day 7 of Burgundy, the River Rhone and Provence, a river cruise with Riviera Travel.
My full account with all the pictures can be found “here.”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/otherholidays/rhone/index.html here.
