Vaison-la-Romaine

Vaison-la-Romaine is in Vaucluse. The city is best known for its beautiful Roman remains including a single-arch bridge, and for its medieval city and its cathedral. What is unusual about a visit to Vaison is that you are able to see 2,000 years of history before your eyes — ancient, medieval and modern — in a single glance.

By plane
Vaison la Romaine is accessible via the Avignon-Caumont Airport, which is mainly served by low-cost airlines. The other nearest airports are Marseille Provence Airport and Nîmes-Garon Airport.

By train
The nearest TGV station is Gare d'Avignon TGV, and other lines, the Orange.

By bus
Several bus lines connect Vaison la Romaine cities with the regional (bus line):
 * Ligne 1-2: Orange - Avignon
 * Ligne 4: Orange - Vaison la Romaine – Nyons - Buis-les-Baronnies
 * Ligne 3-1: Orange - Valréas
 * Ligne 14: Pays Voconces and Vallée du Toulourenc
 * Ligne 3-2: Malaucène - Valréas
 * Ligne 3-4: Vaison - Bollène
 * Ligne 18: Arles – Tarascon – Avignon

By car
Vaison la Romaine is accessible by RD975 from Orange and exit of Highway A7 and Highway A9 #21 - Orange Centre, as well as the RD 938 from Carpentras.

Get around
The city does not have bus service. It is not extensive, and the modern and ancient parts are easy to walk. The medieval part is a little more strenuous to walk through, as it is on a hill dominated by the medieval castle. A tourist train from the tourist office offers a motorized guided tour that lasts 35 minutes and costs 4.50 €.

See
Two of the most interesting aspects of the town are its geography and its ruins. The Roman ruins and the modern town are in the valley on the banks of a river which is crossed by an ancient bridge from the 1st century AD.

The medieval town is high on a rocky cliff. The valley floor was safe from attack in Roman and modern times. In the Middle Ages, attacks were frequent, and the town retreated uphill to a more defensible position.

The apse of the Church of St. Quenin, dedicated to Saint Quinidius, seems to date from the eighth century; it is one of the oldest in France. As a whole, the cathedral dates from the 11th century, but the apse and the apsidal chapels are from the Merovingian period.



Do
Walk through the medieval city to the ruins of the castle. Please note that the narrow streets up are steep and that the last part is not paved. Once at the top you are rewarded with a magnificent view over the region.

Eat
You can find several restaurants at Place Montfort.

Go next

 * Avignon
 * Carpentras
 * Mont Ventoux
 * Nyons
 * Orange
 * Saint-Paul-Troix-Châteaux