{"id":27404,"date":"2017-08-26T09:19:50","date_gmt":"2017-08-26T15:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/?p=27404"},"modified":"2017-09-01T10:04:36","modified_gmt":"2017-09-01T16:04:36","slug":"rhone-river-excursions-amawaterways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/2017\/08\/rhone-river-excursions-amawaterways\/","title":{"rendered":"Rhone River Excursions On AmaWaterways"},"content":{"rendered":"

So why choose to river cruise the Rhone? For argument’s sake, let’s say that you’ve narrowed your choices and that you’ve settled on France for your river cruise. You could do the Seine, which is lovely, setting off on your journey on a gorgeous evening from beneath the Eiffel Tower for an adventure that takes you to Normandy and back. See It\u2019s Time To Return To France.<\/a>\u00a0You could cruise Bordeaux, a beautiful city that serves as the hub for wine-inspired excursions by bike, hike and motorcoach. See\u00a0AmaWaterways \u2018Taste Of Bordeaux\u2019.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Rhone is for those who love Provence. In fact, a\u00a0Rhone River cruise delivers you to the epicenter of this fascinating region of France. I\u00a0 experienced the Rhone on AmaWaterways during a weeklong voyage from Lyon to Arles. Come along and explore with me some of\u00a0AmaWaterways’ curated excursions that will help you get the most from your cruise on the Rhone.<\/p>\n

Start In Lyon<\/h3>\n

I arrived from Paris via TGV, about two hours, and found my ship, AmaCello, docked at\u00a0Quai Claude Bernard<\/em> in Lyon.\u00a0Cabins would not be available until 3 p.m. so AmaWaterways had organized a fun cooking class in the center of Lyon.<\/p>\n

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Exploring Lyon. \u00a9 2017 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Lyon is, in fact, the perfect gateway to a Rhone discovery. France\u2019s third-largest city, Lyon is richly historic. During a walking tour, I explored this beautiful city crossing bridges and strolling along old Roman roads past gorgeous buildings and expansive squares. I discovered remnants of Lyon\u2019s ancient Roman past as well as the city\u2019s contemporary beauty.<\/p>\n

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AmaCello cruising up the Saone River in Lyon. \u00a9 2017 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Explore The Medieval Village, Oignt<\/h3>\n

After a day in Lyon, we cruised the next morning through Lyon and up the Saone River, where we docked for an excursion to the beautiful hilltop village of Oignt. I found Oignt to be a golden opportunity to appreciate France\u2019s medieval architecture. Limestone rich with iron oxide give the buildings in Oingt their trademark yellow hue.<\/p>\n

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Oingt, France. \u00a9 2017 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Within sight of the village, I discovered the earth\u2019s jewel-toned wines at a gorgeous vineyard where the owners told us about wine production and then invited us for a wine-tasting.\u00a0The glasses were brimming with fresh-from-the-vine goodness, one of the true pleasures for those who cruise the Rhone.<\/p>\n

The Roman City Of Vienne<\/h3>\n

Our next stop was Vienne, which served as an urban center of the Roman empire during the reign of Julius Caesar. A hike to the summit of Mont Pipet provided the perfect panorama over the famed Roman Amphitheater.<\/p>\n

Later, I pedaled with a small group for 16 miles into the surrounding countryside to Condrieu. The guided bike tour along the Rhone was gorgeous and invigorating.<\/p>\n

A Turn In Tournon<\/h3>\n

In Tournon, I walked across the pedestrian bridge leading to the town of Tain L\u2019Hermitage to hike among verdant, vineyard-strewn hills. Here, the vines are sunkissed by southern rays and graced by the beauty of the Rhone Valley.<\/p>\n

In Tournon, it\u2019s all about tastes and the wonderful aroma of wine. On another excursion from the town, a local expert took my palate on a decadent journey, balancing the wine\u2019s notes of berries and cloves with the sweetness of chocolate.<\/p>\n

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Evening in Tournon. \u00a9 2017 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Train lovers could not to better than to chug along on a steam locomotive through a gorge and up to a mountaintop to a small village. I enjoyed watching the engineers shovel coal into the boiler to turn the train around before beginning a beautiful journey back down the mountain.<\/p>\n

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Engineers for our train journey. \u00a9 2017 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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Steaming along. \u00a9 2017 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

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Friendly vendors of honey. \u00a9 2017 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Ageless Avignon<\/h3>\n

In Avignon, the highlights are a walking tour of the famed medieval bridge that stretches only halfway across the river and a stroll through the Pope\u2019s Palace \u2026but for those who want to continue epicurean exploration, look no further than the city\u2019s covered market, Les Halles.<\/p>\n

The labyrinth of cheese wheels, mounds of shellfish, olives, and herb-infused specialties serve as key ingredients for a cooking lesson in Proven\u00e7al fare.<\/p>\n

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AmaCello in Avignon. \u00a9 2017 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Another must for the Francophile food lover: a visit to Grignan Village, with its beautiful castle, and then onto a local truffle farm to uncover how cute tuber-sniffing canines help harvest these tasty morsels.<\/p>\n

Artists In Arles<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s no wonder that artists were so enamored by this region of Provence.<\/p>\n

From Arles, we visited an old quarry where masterpieces are projected on a cave-like quarry fa\u00e7ade in an unforgettable exhibition of sight and sound.<\/p>\n

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Cave Art. \u00a9 2017 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Perhaps no artist conveys the beauty and emotion of Provence like Vincent Van Gogh. During an artist\u2019s tour, I visited the the Saint-Paul Asylum where the self-admitted patient painted some of his famous works.<\/p>\n

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Van Gogh checked himself into the asylum in Saint Remy. \u00a9 2017 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Later I pedaled through Arles to discover the city\u2019s ancient Roman remnants, including a Roman coliseum and the city\u2019s new Roman Museum.<\/p>\n

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In Arles. \u00a9 2017 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n

Another excursion from Arles is to Les Baux, an ancient fortress carved into the side of imposing rock cliffs. The fortress survived a turbulent past until it was destroyed in 1483. Now in ruins, Les Baux has been brought to life by archers, blacksmiths and siege weapons designed to defend this [once] mighty castle.<\/p>\n

Wrapping Up The Rhone<\/h3>\n

For those who appreciate world-class wine, there\u2019s no place like the Rhone. <\/i>Yet the charms of this region stem far beyond vineyards, with Proven\u00e7al traditions revealed in its cuisine and crafts, art and architecture.<\/p>\n

A journey along the Rhone indulges the senses with a variety of experiences, undoubtedly underscoring the river\u2019s singular appeal.<\/p>\n

Want To Go?<\/h3>\n

Check out\u00a0AmaWaterways’ seven-night voyages on the Rhone, billed as the Colors of Provence<\/a>. with cruise-only rates as low as $2,149 per person. Pre- and post-cruise extensions to Barcelona and Paris are available for an additional fee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So why choose to river cruise the Rhone? For argument’s sake, let’s say that you’ve narrowed your choices and that you’ve settled on France for your river cruise. You could do the Seine, which is lovely, setting off on your journey on a gorgeous evening from beneath the Eiffel Tower for an adventure that takes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[76,6,542,377,22,24,41,517,367,50,23,258,473,474,2720],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27404"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27404\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}