Vienne Walking Tour

Explore a Rich Roman Past On Foot:

Get to know Vienne and its rich Roman past during a leisurely walking tour. Meet your guide at the pier and set off to explore the city’s historic attractions. See the spectacular amphitheater built into the hillside, one of France’s best-preserved Roman theaters; it hosted up to 14,000 spectators during its heyday. View the Temple of Augustus & Livia, an incredibly preserved 1st-century structure that has been out of use only since the late 19th century. Then visit the enormous Gothic Cathedral of St. Maurice, built over almost 500 years. You may also spend time exploring an old Roman neighborhood, today’s Garden of Cybele, whose grounds are dotted with fascinating Roman remains. Afterward, enjoy free time to browse the shops or relax at a pavement café or salon de thé before returning to your ship.

When Viking Buri docked in Vienne, our cabin had a front row seat on the town with traffic right outside our cabin. This is definitely one of the differences between ocean and river cruises!

Our Cabin Is Almost on the Street

As we walked toward the start of our walking tour, we enjoyed the flowers in the median, views across the river, and distant views of the ruins of Château de la Bâtie.

Flowers, a Bridge, and a Castle

We learned that Vienne is famous for two things: Roman architecture and jazz. I was surprised to discover that Vienne is said to have the most exceptional Gallo-Roman remains in France. Because Tim and I once again joined the leisurely group, we missed the visit to the Roman amphitheater, which was a shame. However, we did stop at the Temple of Augustus and Livia, which I was most looking forward to visiting. One of the best-preserved Roman remains in France, the temple was built on the orders of the Roman emperor Claudius and turned into a “temple of reason” during the French Revolution. It was impressive.

Temple of Augustus and Livia

We moved on to the Archaeological Gardens of Cybèle, a site that preserve the remains of the administrative center of this Gallo-Roman city. It seemed like everywhere we turned in Vienne, there was another trace of its Roman past.

Archaeological Gardens of Cybèle

We also visited Saint-Maurice Cathedral, an imposing medieval structure. Although I appreciated the evolution of the architecture from Romanesque to Gothic, it was the elaborate ornamentation that most intrigued me. Sculpted capitals were unlike any I’ve seen, as was the frieze that depicts signs of the Zodiac.

Saint-Maurice Cathedral

On the way back to the ship, we passed by the Saint-Pierre Archaeological Museum, housed in the former church of Saint-Pierre. The museum is closed for renovations, but we could still see numerous architectural fragments in the church yard.

Saint-Pierre Archaeological Museum

Tonight’s dinner was one of the best so far, and the food on Viking Buri continues to be very good to excellent, especially the desserts. Once again, I failed to take any photographs.

Tim and I have made it a point to sit with different people almost every night. Although most of the guests are from the United States, we have especially enjoyed meeting several couples from Canada, England, and Australia. It’s been nice to hear their stories.