Sauna Saint Michel is the gay sauna in Avignon, and it describes itself as the only one in the whole of the Vaucluse. The building has been a sauna for about twenty years and has traded under more than one name in that time, which is why older listings still carry the previous ones.
Inside there is a dry sauna, a hammam and a jacuzzi, along with private cabins, a video room and a darkroom with glory holes and a sling. There is a bar, a smoking area, showers and changing rooms. Towels, shower gel and condoms are handed out at no extra charge.
The house says plainly on its own site that it makes no distinction of gender and that men, trans people and cross-dressers are equally welcome. Naturist days are run regularly, and the sauna works with local LGBTQ+ associations on anonymous testing sessions. Entry is over-18s only and the premises are wheelchair accessible.
Finding the door takes a moment. The address is on Boulevard Saint-Michel, but the entrance is off Avenue Saint-Ruf between numbers 3 and 5, at the end of a dead end. Avignon Centre station is a short walk away.
