Bastide de Bellegarde, Avignon

• Brian, the owner-host, is a huge part of the experience, offering thoughtful hospitality, local recommendations, plenty of stories and insights, and gourmet dinners.
• You'll be in a quiet, rural setting on Barthelasse Island, giving you a more authentic Provence experience while staying relatively close to Avignon (10 minutes by car).
• The historic bastide is beautiful, with exposed beams, stone walls, fireplaces, antiques, and carefully collected objets d'art displayed throughout.
• Suites are individually decorated, with sizable floor space and sitting areas. The Lucques Suite's furnished terrace overlooks the gardens and pool and is a great option if you're visiting during the warmer months.
• The grounds exude Provençal charm from the old plane tree-lined drive up to the manor to the gardens, terraces, and sun-bed-framed pool.
• You'll have access to free bikes to cycle around the island or into Avignon.

• The secluded setting means you'll likely want a car, especially for dinners out (and away from Brian's exceptional cooking) or for exploring farther afield.
• There's a multi-night minimum stay requirement often in effect.

Authenticity

Bastide de Bellegarde is a private Provençal country house with a generous host at its center. The century-old bastide remained in the hands of a single family for most of its history before Irish owner Brian Kenna restored it in the late 2010s, filling it with antiques and art he personally sourced over the years. The result is highly personal and atmospheric, with exposed beams and stonework, fireplaces, curated furnishings, and a relaxed set meal dining experience that reflects Brian's passion for hospitality, food, wine, and storytelling.

Location

Set on Barthelasse Island, Europe's largest river island, Bastide de Bellegarde is a quiet countryside stay that covers 6 acres (2.5 ha) of manicured grounds and is just outside Avignon, home to the Pont d'Avignon and Palais des Papes landmarks, about a 10-minute drive or a 15-minute bike ride away. You'll want to plan on having a car or using taxis/ride-hailing services, though bikes are readily available and are a great way to explore the island with its many vineyards and orchards, wineries and distilleries, and unobstructed views of Avignon. Parking and an electric vehicle charging station are also available.

Rooms & Bathrooms

The bastide has five suites, each individually decorated in a Provençal palette of lavenders, terracotta ocher, olive, and sage, with pops of brighter accents. Everything—furnishings, textiles, displayed art—is eclectic and personally selected by Brian, with an in-room welcome tray a thoughtful perk. Rooms vary in size, sleeping two guests, yet the larger Deluxe Suite Bouteillan, with two separate bedrooms, can accommodate four people (though the entire bastide can be rented for groups of 15). For a large, furnished terrace, book the Lucques Suite, which overlooks the garden and pool beyond its pony wall. Bathrooms are slightly more contemporary with vessel sinks and slate finishes, showers and/or bathtubs, and separate toilets. Rooms on the upper floor are accessible only by stairs. 

Amenities

Guests can spend quiet days by the outdoor pool, wander the grounds, relax on the terrace, borrow bikes, or enjoy a drink by the fireplace from the armoire-hidden honesty bar or one served from the wetbar. All meals are prepared by Brian, with breakfast (included in the room rate) of fresh fruit, flaky pastries, and local products served, while dinner is a highly-rated affair thanks to Brian's table d'hôte menus, wine pairings, and the in-season regional ingredients he uses to prepare his French-influenced dishes and cheese boards. You can customize your meal with advance notice and even schedule a cooking class. 

Family-Friendliness

Families are welcome at the bastide with the Deluxe Suite Bouteillan as the strongest option. It has two separate bedrooms, outfitted with a double bed and two twin beds, and a bathroom with both a tub and a shower, and two separate toilets. Parents with kids in tow will also have access to the pool, grounds, bikes, and cozy shared living spaces.