You can see what the Romans liked about Vienne, literally. The amphitheatre on the banks of the Rhône used to seat 13,000 in their day, and the view from the top, built into a steep, steep hillside shows what southern France is all about. 

In this pretty town – 20 miles south of Lyon, 150 miles north of the Riviera – the river makes a sharp bend, cosseted by hills with a wealth of south-facing slopes now, as then, covered with vineyards. 

The Romans

Vienne was a major Roman town and harbour on the Rhone, the gateway to the heart of France from the Mediterranean. The centre stage is the amphitheatre, often called Theatre Antique, a semi-circular stone giant built into steep south-facing Mont Pipet around 50AD. It once seated 13,000 and still accommodates 8,000 with river views for plays and music, including the annual Jazz à Vienne festival.

Look down from the hilltop, accessed by a narrow, snaking road crowned by little Notre Dame de Pipet church.