Collection Lambert

After a day among medieval stones, the Collection Lambert comes as a surprise. It occupies the Hôtel de Caumont and the neighbouring Hôtel de Montfaucon, two grand eighteenth-century town houses at 5 rue Violette, and inside them is one of the finest collections of contemporary art in France. The museum grew from the personal collection of the Paris gallerist Yvon Lambert, who first opened it in Avignon in 2000 and later donated it to the French state. It holds work by major figures of the postwar and contemporary scene, among them Cy Twombly, Sol LeWitt and Nan Goldin, and the display changes regularly, with themed exhibitions that put the permanent collection in dialogue with guest artists. The white rooms contrast beautifully with the carved doorways and courtyards, and the whole museum is small enough to see in a relaxed ninety minutes. Visitors who think they do not like modern art often find that this one wins them over, because it is intimate, thoughtfully hung and never overwhelming. The museum changes its exhibitions through the year, so each visit can feel different.

The museum's story is one of unusual generosity. Yvon Lambert built one of the first great private contemporary collections in Europe, and his decision to place it in Avignon in 2000 helped make the city a year-round cultural destination rather than a July-only stage. The donation to the state in 2012 secured the collection's future, and a major expansion in 2015 added rooms for the growing display. Exhibitions are built around themes and artists, often including work from the collection beside new commissions, so repeat visitors always find something different.

Plan around the hours. In autumn and winter the museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, opens from midday or afternoon on weekdays and from late morning at weekends, and the last admission is half an hour before closing, so check the day's schedule on the museum's visit page before you walk over.

Admission is a modest sum, with reduced rates for students and young visitors. Plan about an hour and a half for a relaxed visit, and treat the shop and the courtyard as part of the experience. Cameras are usually allowed without flash, but each show has its own rules.

Fit it into the day by pairing it with a morning at the palace and a lunch in the old town, because the rue Violette is in the heart of the pedestrian streets, a few minutes from the Place de l'Horloge. It suits adults and teenagers best, though children on a guided family workshop can enjoy it too. It is also a useful shelter on rainy days and in the quiet midwinter months, when the lavender and the festival feel far away and the museum is calm and uncrowded.