Idyllic Rhône

Located on the SE coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, Marseille is France's largest commercial port, and is also the largest French city on the Mediterranean coast. It serves as a gateway to the lush fertile region of Provence and all its cultural contributions to gastronomic excellence, impressionistic art, and ancient architecture. This cosmopolitan city with 300 days of sunshine a year, clear blue skies and the down-to-earth warmth of its residents, boasts a trading history that goes back more than 2,500 years. Read more about Marseille, France

The Rhône forks into two branches just upstream of Arles, forming the Camargue delta. It is the largest commune in Metropolitan France in terms of territory, and has more than seven times the area of Paris. Established by the Greeks in 600 BC, Arles was developed by the Romans who built a canal joining Arles to the Mediterranean Sea. Read more about Arles, France

Avignon is a town in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in SE France, located on the Rhône River just north of its junction with the Durance River. Strategically situated high above the Rhône and encircled by medieval ramparts, Avignon's walled old town is a warren of cobbled streets, lantern-lit passageways and architectural treasures. Bathed in the extraordinarily brilliant Provencal light, this former papal enclave has long attracted artists and painters as well as those in search of a cultural change. Read more about Avignon, France

The small walled city of Viviers is a town in the mountainous Rhône-Alpes region in SE France, and is located on the west bank of the Rhône River, 80 km north of Arles. Due to its sheltered location, the city has been able to keep its old world charm to this day, with important Roman remains as well as Medieval and Renaissance buildings. Indeed, the Gallo-Roman bridge, built between the 2nd and the 3rd century on the right bank of the Rhône, spans eleven arches, while the ancient city Alba la Romaine from the 1st Century is today an archaeological site covering 30 hectares of Gallic-Roman ruins and famous vineyards. Read more about Viviers, France

Vienne is a town in the Rhône-Alpes region in SE France, located on the north bank of the Rhône River, and 30 km south of Lyon. Vienne became a major urban centre, ideally located along the river which was at that time a major means of communication. Originally a Gaullic capital, it was transformed into a Roman colony in 47 BC under Julius Caesar. Read more about Vienne, France

Mâcon, during WWII a major centre for the French Resistance, is a town in the Burgundy region in eastern France, located on the west bank of the Saône River. With buildings painted burnt sienna, buttermilk and rose, Mâcon has a distinctly Mediterranean atmosphere. To get a feel of this town, head for the terrace of the café in the Maison de Bois, a house covered in elaborate wooden carvings normally reserved for interiors. Read more about Macon, France

Lyon (or Lyons) is the capital of the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France, located at the junction of the Rhône and the Saône Rivers, between Paris and Marseille. The city is known for its historical architectural landmarks at the Historic site, so that UNESCO recently listed Vieux Lyon, including the Croix-Rousse and Presqu'île areas, as a world heritage site. This is well deserved as the Gothic and Renaissance district is famous for its maze of narrow streets with quaint cathedrals, churches and buildings of historical importance that feature architecture from the 12th century to modern times. Read more about Lyon, France

Lyon (or Lyons) is the capital of the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France, located at the junction of the Rhône and the Saône Rivers, between Paris and Marseille. The city is known for its historical architectural landmarks at the Historic site, so that UNESCO recently listed Vieux Lyon, including the Croix-Rousse and Presqu'île areas, as a world heritage site. This is well deserved as the Gothic and Renaissance district is famous for its maze of narrow streets with quaint cathedrals, churches and buildings of historical importance that feature architecture from the 12th century to modern times. Read more about Lyon, France