Six of the best: French river-cruise ports

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This was published 7 years ago

Six of the best: French river-cruise ports

By Brian Johnston
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ARLES

This fine port town of beautiful beige limestone on the Rhone River in sunny Provence is famous for its impressive Roman amphitheatre and associations with Van Gogh, who lived here and daubed many of its cafes and streetscapes before he cut off his ear and shot himself. Narrow alleys are a cool haven against the sun, and squares with yellow awnings and green shuttered houses are straight from an Impressionist canvas. Yet Arles has a much earlier history, too. It was founded in the 7th century BC, and its magnificent Roman amphitheatre stages bullfights and operas. See arlestourisme.com

TAIN L'HERMITAGE

This wine town doesn't just provide one of the prettiest settings of any river-cruise stop in Europe (hilly vineyards, a backdrop of Alps) but two other treats: Cotes du Rhone wine, which you can try at cellar doors, and Valrhona chocolate, founded here in 1922 and often visited on shore excursions. You also get a double dose of sightseeing, since just across a pedestrian iron bridge lies Tournon, a larger town with a lumpen castle and good shops. On the hillside above, a walking track links medieval defence towers, providing delightful views of the Rhone valley. See hermitage-tournonais-tourisme.com

ROUEN

The very enjoyable capital of Normandy on the Seine River was heavily bombed in World War II, but its old town, with its medieval chapels and gargoyle-studded courthouse, is impeccably restored and centres on a flamboyant, statue-covered cathedral, repeatedly painted by Monet. Even better, the old town hosts the city's main contemporary shopping district, providing a lively, lived-in buzz. Street markets tempt with Rouen duck, pear tarts and foie gras. Don't miss the church dedicated to St Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake here in 1431: ugly on the outside, bewitching with stained glass inside. See rouentourisme.com

AVIGNON

Avignon is a splendid place to start (or finish) a Rhone River journey. Medieval popes put the Provencal town on the map by building a mighty fortress where they squabbled in exile for most of the 14th century. The feudal pile is surrounded by a pleasant, square-filled town of interesting boutique shops and cheerful cafes, all enclosed in walls and towers. Thrusting partway across the river is a half-collapsed medieval bridge, the subject of a famous French children's ditty. Shore excursions might take you to fabled wine village Chateauneuf-du-Pape or the superb Pont du Gard Roman-era aqueduct nearby. See avignon-tourisme.com

STRASBOURG

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The seat of the European Parliament, straddling the borders of French and German culture, has a certain gravitas but combines it with a delightfully flower-filled, medieval town centre and cheerful atmosphere. Canals are overlooked by gabled houses, cafes and sausages stands. The Gothic cathedral facade is magnificent and the rococo Palais de Rohan has a superb decorative arts and painting collection. Cruise in December and lively Christmas markets smelling of gingerbread are an added bonus. Technically speaking, river-ships actually dock at Kehl which, although it's on the German side of the Rhine River, is practically a Strasbourg suburb. See otstrasbourg.fr

LYON

The Rhone and Saone rivers have a happy meeting in central Lyon, overlooked by a redeveloped riverside district of flamboyant contemporary architecture and the excellent, eclectic Musee des Confluences. In contrast, the Presqu'ile district is grand and 19th-century, St Georges quiet and medieval, Fourviere peppered with Roman ruins and topped by a white basilica. Meanwhile, St Jean crams in a thousand years of architectural styles and the hundreds of eateries that give Lyon its reputation as France's gastronomic capital. Lyon encourages loitering and long lunches, is more bohemian and less busy than Paris, and not yet swamped with tourists. See lyon-france.com

Brian Johnston has travelled courtesy of several river-cruise companies.

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