La Mirande and Avignon
📍 Avignon, France
Sundress || Similar Sandals || Sunglasses || Earrings
The final stop on our Provence road trip made sense logistically and was highly recommended by many of my fellow travelers. Avignon is one of the larger cities in the region and is full of incredible dining and history. After being on the road for nearly two weeks, we wanted to slow down and relax the day before our travels back to the United States. Our hotel, La Mirande, was the perfect place for just that. As one final send off for our wonderful French vacation, here’s how we spent the day in Avignon and at the La Mirande hotel.
Explore Within the Medieval Walls
We arrived at the Avignon Train Station to drop off our rental car fairly early. Our first greeting to this historical city was our Uber getting nearly stuck in the tiny streets within the medieval walls. We checked in at La Mirande, dropped off our bags, and began our day. One of Avignon’s claims to fame is that it was the seat of the papacy between 1309 and 1377. Although the pope’s presence has long since transferred to Naples and the Vatican, its influence remains. The Palais des Papes, the former papal residence, takes up most of the historic square and is the most visited site in Avignon. La Mirande is just across the street, and we were greeted by incredible palace views from our hotel room. The Palais des Papes also offers an extensive public garden and park with stunning views of the Rhône.
Check In To La Mirande
After an entire morning of exploring Avignon, we looked forward to checking in at our hotel. The site of La Mirande once hosted a cardinal palace in the 14th century. During the 17th century, ruins were used to create a hotel, and it has been one ever since, although under a few different names. Currently owned by the Stein family, they conducted extensive research to recreate the aesthetic of an 18th century aristocratic residence. I may not be an expert on that particular point in European history, but I think they did a spectacular job! Each room, both the private rooms and common spaces, are filled with stunning fabrics and vintage wallpapers. However, even with that grandeur, it still wonderfully lived in, like we were coming home to a family estate instead of a luxury hotel. That truly is a testament to how wonderful the staff and I could recommend La Mirande solely on them alone.
Relax With Afternoon Tea
One of the elements I was looking forward to most at La Mirande was their afternoon tea service. Although the hotel was at full occupancy, we felt we had the entire place to ourselves and sincerely enjoyed having a cocktail in the atrium. We sat in the salon for tea time and indulged our sweet tooth with their beloved cheesecake and marble pound cake. The doors to their courtyard were open, letting an incredible breeze wander through the room. This room, in particular, gave me so much interior inspiration. I couldn’t help but take hundreds of photos of the antiques, fabrics, and patterns used throughout the hotel. Afterward, we went back to our room and took our sweet time getting ready for dinner.
Dinner at a Michelin Starred Restaurant
When you visit La Mirande, you not only enjoy a luxury hotel, but you can also take advantage of a Michelin starred restaurant just steps away. For our last evening in France, we had a table for two on the garden terrace. The cuisine is described by Chef Florent Pietravalle as ‘light and tasty,’ using organic produce and regional wines. Everything about this meal was suburb from start to finish. There’s not one thing I would change about the entire experience.
And just like that, our trip to France was over. The twelve days, split between Paris and Provence, were magical. It felt like a second honeymoon for David and me. The icing on the cake was the final night in Avignon and our stay at La Mirande. Thank you so much for following along on my European adventures, and stay tuned for some Manhattan content.
Love from France,
Katie
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