Plan your visit
Tour Philippe-le-Bel is a window into France’s royal and medieval past. Locate it on the map, book a room nearby in a click, or add it to your travel list to build your itinerary.
About Tour Philippe-le-Bel
At Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, across the Rhône from the city of the Popes, the Tour Philippe-le-Bel is a fine 14th-century fortified tower that once guarded the French end of the famous bridge of Avignon, the Pont Saint-Bénézet. Built when the river marked the border between the kingdom of France and papal territory, the tower controlled this strategic crossing and asserted royal power in the face of the Popes. Climbing its old spiral staircase to the top rewards visitors with a magnificent panorama over the Rhône, the Pont d'Avignon and the great Palace of the Popes beyond. Historic, strategic and offering one of the finest views of Avignon, the Tour Philippe-le-Bel is a striking medieval monument and a superb vantage point, a rewarding stop just across the river from the papal city.