Page 226 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

TRIP HIGHLIGHT
20 Rhône Valley 2 Vienne
France’s Gallo-Roman
heritage is alive and
well in this laid-back
riverfront city, whose
Food and history are recurring themes on this back streets hide a
multifaceted meander down the Rhône, from trio of jaw-dropping
ruins: the 1st-century-BC
the fabled eateries of Lyon to the Gallo-Roman Temple d’Auguste et de
museum at Vienne, the nougat factories Livie, with its splendid
Corinthian columns; the
of Montélimar and the ancient theatre at Pyramide du Cirque, a
Orange. As you work your way downriver to 15.5m-tall obelisk that
once pierced the centre
Provence, you’ll also encounter imposing hilltop of a hippodrome; and the
fortresses, slow-paced southern villages and 1st-century-AD Théâtre
Romain (%04 74 85 39
one of France’s prettiest river gorges. 23; www.musees-vienne.
fr; rue du Cirque; adult/child
€3/free; h9.30am-1pm
& 2-6pm Tue-Sun), which
relives its glory days as a
performance venue each
Lyon’s skyscrapers backed summer during Vienne’s
TRIP HIGHLIGHT by the distant Alps. two-week jazz festival
1 Lyon With its illustrious (www.jazzavienne.com).
Across the river,
This strategic spot at the history and renowned a treasure trove of
gastronomy, France’s
confluence of the Rhône third-largest city merits at Gallo-Roman artefacts is
and Saône Rivers has least a two-day visit. Sup- displayed at the Musée
been luring people ever plement a walking tour Gallo-Romain (%04 74 53
since the Romans named (p230) of Lyon’s quint- 74 01; www.musees-gallo-
it Lugudunum in 43 BC. essential sights with a romains.com; D502, St-
Climb Fourvière hill west visit to Croix Rousse, the Romain-en-Gal; adult/child €6/
of town to witness the 19th-century silk-weaver’s free; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun).
successive waves of hu- district where Jacquard
man settlement, spread looms still restore fabrics 5 p229
out in chronological for France’s historical The Drive » Follow the D386,
order at your feet: a pair monuments, and don’t D1086 and D86 for 48km south,
of Gallo-Roman theatres leave town without eating threading the needle between
in the foreground, Vieux in at least one of the city’s the Rhône and the pretty
Lyon’s medieval cathedral incomparable bouchons mountains of the Parc Naturel
on the Saône’s near (small bistros). Régional du Pilat. At Sarras
banks, the 17th-century cross the bridge to St-Vallier,
hôtel de ville (town hall) 54 p45, p229 then continue 32km south on
on the peninsula between the N7 through classic Côtes du
Rhône wine country around Tain
the rivers, and, beyond The Drive » Shoot 33km down l’Hermitage into Valence.
the A7 to Vienne, enjoying close-
the Rhône, modern
up views of the Rhône en route.
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