Our trip in France, after we left Alsace, continued in the region of Rhône-Alpes, which (as you will see in my future posts) is full of contrasts! But I wouldn't mess with our journey's chronology, so let me tell you about the first object visited after we reached our temporary home in the village near Lyon. Ladies and gentlemen, please say warm "Hi" to Vienne!
Vienne is a fairly small city on the banks of the river Rhône. It has a long history (here's a Wikipedia article for you!) and long history is one of the main aspects that I am interested in when visiting new place. In France, old cities can also have Roman architecture which is exactly the case of Vienne! There are few objects from Roman period and we have visited the Temple of Augustus and Livia, the Gallo-Romain Theater and the Gardens of Cybèle.
It is not easy to spot the temple, so mark its place on your phone or get a map in advance. Surrounded by old buildings, it hides in the old town of Vienne. I loved its compact looks, and tall, beautiful columns. It's a real hidden gem that is worth to see!
The Gardens of Cybèle offer not only a cool shade during the hot day, but also amazing views of ancient Roman buildings and a piece of Roman road (you see me standing next to the ruts cut in stone, I guess, by thousands of ancient vehicles). This park is also full of rose bushes and I had a real pleasure of sniffing them all!
Vienne is also famous for its "Jazz à Vienne" festival which takes place in the Antique Theater. This theater can easily seat 7000 people and the most incredible thing is that it is still used almost for this same purpose as in Roman times!
Vienne is also famous for its Cathedral of St Maurice and many other examples of Gothic architecture. We noticed many bridges over Rhône and lots of tiny, narrow streets that you can explore! So, if you have a chance, don't miss this charmingly cozy city!
P.S. We came to Vienne on Sunday and that was a serious miscalculation because many places were closed, so don't repeat this mistake!
Stay tuned for more posts!
Photos © Vincas Razma, Asta Skujytė-Razmienė
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