Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Avignon: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a wine-producing commune 18 kilometers north of Avignon in the southern Rhône Valley, named for the ruined summer palace built here by Pope John XXII in the 14th century during the Avignon papacy. The appellation's roughly 3,200 hectares of vineyards grow 13 permitted grape varieties, with Grenache dominant, on a distinctive terroir of large round galets roulés—smooth river stones deposited by the ancient Rhône—that retain daytime heat and radiate it back onto the vines at night. The hilltop village of fewer than 2,200 residents contains over 30 domaines and négociant cellars open for tasting. is just one of many options in Avignon. Major attractions worth considering include Nimes, Avignon Cathedral (Cathedrale Notre-Dame des Doms), and Eglise Notre-Dame des Sablons.