Avignon, France

Twenty-five kilometres southwest of Carpentras AVIGNON, great city of the popes, and for centuries one of the major artistic centres of France, can be dauntingly crowded in summer and stiflingly hot. Away from the main tourist drag the old town is often remarkably unkempt and somewhat intimidating, with a laissez-faire approach to rubbish collection at odds with its UNESCO World Heritage status and an intrusive graffiti problem that leaves even the prettiest facades disfigured. But it's worth persevering for its spectacular monuments and museums, countless impressively decorated buildings, ancient churches, chapels and convents. During the Festival d'Avignon in July and the beginning of August, it is the place to be.