Where to see Roman ruins in France: A cruise through ancient Rome

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 7 years ago

Where to see Roman ruins in France: A cruise through ancient Rome

By Kerry Van Der Jagt
Pont du Gard aqueduct: The genius of Roman engineering in France.

Pont du Gard aqueduct: The genius of Roman engineering in France.

As fans of Monty Python's Life of Brian know, aqueducts are one of the things the Romans gave to us. What isn't well known is that some of the best-preserved Roman aqueducts, as well as amphitheatres, theatres, temples and arches, can be found in France.

"Julius Caesar brought Gaul under his control during the 1st century BC," our local guide Elizabeth explains. "The Romans liked it so much they stayed for the next 500 years."

My itinerary is shorter – 10 days cruising the Rhone and Saone rivers from the Cote d'Azur to Paris aboard Avalon Waterways' Poetry II – but I also like the idea of travelling through ancient Rome with a French twist.

The 60-arch Arles Amphitheatre was built in 90AD.

The 60-arch Arles Amphitheatre was built in 90AD.

We have our first encounter in Arles, the city on the edge of the Camargue marshes, which Julius Caesar established as a Roman colony in 46BC. Best known as the city where Vincent van Gogh painted some of his most famous works, Arles is also crammed with Roman relics, and not just on land, but also in the river.

Elizabeth says that a few years ago scuba-diving archaeologists found a life-sized marble bust of Julius Caesar dating from around 46BC. "Not too far from where you are docked," she says matter-of-factly, as if such things are fished out of the Rhone River every day. As well they might, considering Provence is renowned for having the finest collection of Roman ruins after Rome itself.

Leaving the river behind Elizabeth leads us through a section of the old city wall, down cobbled laneways and past colourful three-storey houses to the steps of the amphitheatre. Thought to have been built in 90AD, just after Rome's colosseum, it boasts 60 arched entrances (so the various classes wouldn't bump into each other) and was capable of holding 20,000 spectators.

The Royal Suite on the Avalon Poetry II.

The Royal Suite on the Avalon Poetry II.

While chariot racing and Christian slayings were the order of the Roman day, today the amphitheatre hosts Camargue bullfighting. Course carmarguaise is a bull-friendly spectacle where the perilous aim is for the fleet-footed raseteur to snatch a colourful tassel off the bull's horns.

Advertisement

Given the city's prominence during Roman Gaul we don't have to walk far before stubbing our toes on another UNESCO-listed ruin, many of which have been reused or repurposed. There's the crumbling 2000-year-old theatre, which now hosts plays and concerts during the summer months, a 4th-century obelisk, now a water feature (on the morning I visit a man is cooling his overheated pooch in it) and a well-preserved set of public baths built during the time of Emperor Constantine.

Romans and Dutch painters aside, Arles' modern treasures are just as gratifying.

Triumphal Arch at Glanum.

Triumphal Arch at Glanum.

It is mid-summer and our visit coincides with the annual photography festival – Les Rencontres d'Arles – where hundreds of artworks are strung everywhere, from modern warehouses to ancient walls. Home also to France's national school of photography, a contemporary art museum, the independent music label Harmonia Mundi and a thriving summer arts festival, Arles moves to its own creative beat.

Later that day while some passengers opt to explore more of the town, I sign up for an excursion to Saint-Remy- de-Provence to visit the infamous asylum where van Gogh spent one year. But not before bumping into those marauding Romans once again.

After driving through postcard-perfect Provencal countryside, with its fields of sunflowers and quaint cottages with sherbet-coloured shutters, we see it – the remains of the Roman city of Glanum – as unexpected as finding a gladiator in a Parisienne patisserie.

Avalon Waterways' river cruise ship Poetry II.

Avalon Waterways' river cruise ship Poetry II.

Glanum was colonised by the Romans in the 1st century BC, destroyed by barbarians in 260AD and subsequently abandoned and forgotten until 1921, when excavations brought it back to life. Today its well-preserved Triumphal Arch (20AD) and Mausoleum (30 to 20BC) stand at the side of the busy D5 road, open (unfenced) and available to anybody at anytime.

While others rush on, impatient to catch up with van Gogh in the Saint-Paul Asylum (within walking distance), I hang back until I have the place to myself.

Alone, I admire the sculptures on the mausoleum with its battle and hunting scenes, dragons and sea monsters, the reliefs hinting at what was important to those who came before us, while nearby the Triumphal Arch stands as solid as the day it was built.

I learn later that while van Gogh was in the asylum, he painted Olive Trees with the Alpilles in the Background (Saint-Remy, 1889) never knowing that Glanum lay buried beneath the olive trees he was painting. It is these layered connections of time and place that continually spin this traveller's mind.

The Romans follow us into Avignon where we are offered a choice of two tours – an excursion to the Pont du Gard, one of the finest Roman aqueducts ever constructed, or wine tasting in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, one of France's premier wine regions. For me it's an easy choice, I'll pick wine over water any day.

We can thank the Romans for the wine, who, following in the footsteps of the 4th-century BC Greeks, established vineyards while using the Rhone River as their highway through France. "I came, I saw, I conquered – and planted grapes" is probably closer to Julius Caesar's message.

Later, while listening to my fellow travellers talk about the grace of the Pont du Gard's architecture and the genius of its engineering (one passenger thought it equalled the Eiffel Tower in grandeur) made me wish I had taken both tours. And there's the rub – there are so many choices, you can't do it all.

On another afternoon I ditch the shore excursions altogether, deciding that my comfortable cabin is more appealing than a tour of a medieval castle or olive farm. Spacious and contemporary, with wall-to-wall sliding glass doors that turn the entire living space into an open-air balcony, the cabins are like a plush, yet movable hotel room.

Launched in 2014, the 64-cabin Poetry II is part of Avalon Waterways' fleet of modern river cruise ships, which, together with the newly launched Avalon Passion and Avalon Imagery II, brings the fleet to 16 ships, including 12 revolutionary Suite Ships (offering two entire decks of all-suite accommodation).

Food is also a highlight. Not only do we enjoy five-course a la carte dinners and tapas-style tasting menus, but executive chef Goncalo Pegado surprises us daily with little treats from the regions we are travelling through. One day it's Valrhona chocolate, the next it's peach tarts from Viviers. When the afternoon tea bell rings, I drool like Pavlov's dog.

In Vienne we face more options – join an included tour or do our own thing. By skipping the onboard dinner I manage both. A walking tour showcases the Temple of Augustus and Livia, while my own after-dark excursion introduces me to the bars along the Cours Marc-Antoine Brillier in Vienne. Both leave their marks.

Cruising north towards Paris we'll find traces of Romans time and time again, everywhere from Lyon's theatres to Burgundy's wines. The Romans may have given us aqueducts (and wine, never forget the wine) but the pleasure of a cruise like this is in finding ancient artefacts set out like a trail of breadcrumbs amid papal palaces and magical medieval towns, together with some of the best food in Europe. If there's a better way of soaking up the history of a region, I'm yet to see it.

FIVE OTHER PLACES TO SEE ROMAN RUINS

ARLES

​Musee Departmental de l'Arles Antique is an archaeological museum housing fine mosaics and ancient sarcophagi (stone coffins).

arles-antique.cg13.fr/

VIVIERS

​The Pont romain de Viviers is a classic Roman bridge crossing the Escoutay River on the right bank of the Rhone.

VIENNE SAINT-ROMAIN-EN-GALl

A three hectare archaeological site and museum on the right bank of the Rhone musees-gallo-romains.com

LYON

The Grand Roman theatre is the oldest Roman theatre in France, completed in 17BC with seating for 10,000 people. en.lyon-france.com

PARIS

The Crypte Archeologique is a subterranean site and museum housing the remains of Gallo-Roman Paris. crypte.paris.fr

TRIP NOTES

MORE INFORMATION

avalonwaterways.com.au, france.fr

CRUISING THERE

Avalon Waterways offers an 11-day itinerary between the Cote d'Azur and Paris, Burgundy and Provence, which includes a seven-night cruise on the Rhone and Saone rivers. Departures in 2017 are priced from $5201 per person twin share, including all on-board meals, wine and beer at dinner, gratuities, transport, entrance fees and a daily program of excursions and activities. Book by August 31, 2016, for Early Bird savings. Phone 1300 230 234; see avalonwaterways.com.au

GETTING THERE

Cathay Pacific operates several flights a day from Sydney and Melbourne, via Hong Kong, to key European gateways, including arrival and departure points for Avalon Waterways' cruises; see cathaypacific.com.au

Kerry van der Jagt was a guest of Avalon Waterways.

Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter

Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.

Most viewed on Traveller

Loading