When I arrived in Lyon, to begin my trip through Provence, I was ready to do some sightseeing on foot. My plans involved visiting historic sites, shopping for French products, and leisurely sipping wine at a vineyard or enjoying a meal at a café.
How I traveled through Provence was a way I didn’t think of at first—by taking a cruise. I did so with Viking, a Norwegian cruise company which offers river and ocean cruises throughout the world.
Viking Cruises
Our Viking “Lyon & Provence” cruise was an eight-day voyage along the Rhône River, departing from Lyon and ending in Avignon. In Lyon, I boarded the Viking Hermod, a four-deck cruise ship within the Viking Longships fleet.
What I liked most about my Viking cruise was that it focused on immersing us in all that this region of French is often noted for, especially with food and wine.
On board, Viking Hermod’s restaurant featured crêpes Suzette, Salade Lyonnaise and other traditional French dishes in daily menus.
Excursions highlighting history, culture, culinary and nature across our itinerary’s ports of call were all part of our schedule. In between dockings, we also had time to wander around on our own. These French destinations were included along our Viking itinerary.
Lyon
Lyon is known for many histories. It is referred to France’s gastronomy capital, and Anthony Bourdain visited the city and dined for a “Parts Unknown” episode with a famous Lyon native, Chef Daniel Boulud.
The city is also known for silk production, dating to the 15th century when Louis XI of France establishment its manufacturing. Silk scarves can still be purchased in Lyon from various shops.
It is also the birthplace of Antoine de Saint Exupéry, the author of “The Little Prince.” It’s easy to spot reminders of this connection through stores selling the book or statues or cutouts of its boyish main character on view.
I took all of this in through a familiarization tour of Lyon, showing our group some of the city’s highlights. Our outing took us to the Basilica of Notre Dame, located atop the majestic Fourvière Hill. Along with heading inside this beautiful basilica, take in the incredible surrounding panoramic views from an adjacent outlook point.
Nearby this church is Vieux-Lyon, Lyon’s Old Town. This Renaissance era-district is full of narrow alleyways and cobblestone streets connecting to bakeries, restaurants, shops and other buildings.
It’s here that we come across Lyon specialties. Coussin de Lyon, a pale green-colored marzipan with a dark green middle strip and flavored with chocolate ganache and curacao liquor. Amid trying other baked treats, the Brioches aux Pralines Roses have bits of pink color amid a buttery, flaky and sweet texture.
Another food tour had us stopping at Café Bourbon, a bouchon noted for homestyle cooking and a good wine selection; Café Comptoir Abel, a Lyon institution where we tried pate en croute with lentils; and Louis Simart Chocolatier, with a fine assortment of ganaches, pralines and other chocolates.
The Beaujolais Region
On our next day, one of our excursions brought us to Beaujolais, a major wine production region in France that’s speckled with towns and villages. It’s got a strong viticultural legacy, too.
At our first stop in Beaujeu, we browsed in and out of patisseries and a local vendor shop at a visitor’s center called La Maison du terroir beaujolais.
Our next stop was for a tasting at Château de Nervers in Odenas, a family wine estate with a 18th -century castle amid its vineyards. The property incorporates a tasting room of the estate’s robust wines.
Vienne
South of Lyon, this French town of Vienne has a strong Roman history, as our walking tour showed us why at the Roman Temple of Augustus and Livia.
Vienne’s Saint Maurice Cathedral is a medieval architectural gem. Another wonder is the Roman Theatre, a still-in-use outdoor amphitheatre dating between 40 and 50 AD. It is located at the base of Pipet Hill with amazing overhead views of Vienne.
On my way back to the port to board Viking Hermod, I came across Chocolaterie Mr. Coco. This charming confectionary sells chocolate bars and boxes full of ganaches in bright colors and wonderful flavorings.
Tournon-sur-Rhône, France
In southern France, Tournon-sur-Rhône is small river port village above the Rhône known for the Sequin Bridge. One experience that visitors can do here is take a ride on the Train des Gorges, a meter-gauge steam train. The roundtrip excursion goes through the Doux Valley, amid a countryside full of woodlands, valleys and streams and through a tunnel.
The trip departs from the Tournon St Jean station and ends at the Colombier-le-Vieux/Saint Barthélémy-le-Plain station. At this stop, passengers disembark where they can witness an amazing feat. This locomotive is manually turned around to head right back to its starting point. It’s definitely a moment to watch!
The Tournon St Jean station has attractions including a museum and gift shop and an outdoor concession stand where you can purchase products such as a chestnut spread.
Arles
This town has a rich Roman history and provided artistic inspiration for Vincent Van Gogh, who lived and painted here from 1888 through 1889 until suffering from a nervous breakdown. Despite his illness, Van Gogh produced noteworthy paintings during his time in Arles, which many scenes in his work.
We went on a side trip to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a village where Van Gogh was a patient at a hospital for mental health treatment. This destination was also where the French seer and astrologer Nostradamus is from; his home is also pointed out. If shopping for souvenirs, Lilamand is a confectionary known for their delectable jellied fruits and calissons.
Another excursion brought us to do an olive oil tasting at Moulin à Huile Saint Jean, a four-generation, family-owned mill in the French village of Fontvieille.
Avignon
Our endpoint in Avignon was bittersweet. For part of the 14th century, this riverside city was the seat of the Catholic popes, having nine of them in residence.
That history is told at the Palace of the Popes (Palais des Papes), one of the world’s largest and most significant Gothic palaces. Visitors can go on a tour inside this fortress and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Our walking tour in Avignon also brought us to Les Halles d’Avignon, a beloved indoor food market. It’s a shopping delight as visitors can purchase fruits, vegetables, cheeses, wines and other locally sourced or produced staples.
My final Viking excursion involved a farewell sampling of French wine within Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a village known for this type of production. Our tour of the family-owned winery, Bouachon Le Pavillon, took us along their vineyard and cellars and ended with a sampling of two reds and one white. I bought their Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition, a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, from the gift shop, along with a basil and strawberry-scented candle.
I would never consider that a Viking cruise was such a great way to see Provence and Lyon and their surrounding French regions. Or that I would see, eat and drink all of their splendors!
Provence River Cruise – Pin For Later:
This Provence Cruise Review was written by Michele Herrmann for EuropeUpClose. As customary in travel writing, the cruise was hosted by Viking Cruise and the stay and experiences were free of charge. This has not influenced their opinion and the content of this article.