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Vienne is a small city in the department of Isère in the region Rhône-Alpes. Vienne is 20 miles (32 km) south of Lyon, on the Rhône River.
Understand
[edit]The French Ministry of Culture and Communication has classified Vienne as a city of art and history (ville d'art et d'histoire).
Get in
[edit]By rail, there are several trains daily between Vienne and the Lyon railway stations: Part-Dieu and Perrache. The railway station in Vienne is within walking distance of most of the sites of interest.
Get around
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Because of the small size of the city, walking is the best way to get around.
See
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Museums
[edit]- Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie
- Musée archéologique Saint-Pierre
- Musée du cloître de Saint-André-le-Bas
- Musée de la Draperie: Textile museum
Sites from antiquity
[edit]- 1 Temple d'Auguste et de Livie
- Jardin de Cybèle: Archeological garden including terrasses, arcades of a forum and remains of other old structures.
- Théâtre antique de Vienne: Ancient Roman theatre seating 13,000 personnes.
- Pyramide: obelisk from a Roman arena.
- Musée gallo-romain et site archéologique de Vienne: In Saint-Romain-en-Gal across the river.
- Roman aqueduct.
Sites from the middle ages
[edit]- Cathédrale Saint-Maurice. Started in the 12th century and finished at the beginning of the 16th century.
- Abbaye Saint-Pierre. 5th century; today the musée archéologique Saint-Pierre.
- 2 Château de La Bâtie on Mount Salomon. built in 1225 and ceased being used in 1633.
- Saint-André-le-Bas de Vienne. Abbey, church and cloister (cloître) (6th century)
- Abbey of Saint-André-le-Haut de Vienne. 6th century monastery
The old town
[edit]Walk the narrow store-lined streets in the old town (la vielle ville):
- Rue Boson. If you are lucky, bakery staff will leave the delivery door open onto this street so you can peer into the kitchen of a boulangerie/patisserie.
- Rue de Bourgogne: The French Communist Party (Parti communiste francais) has a store-front office on this street.
- Rue des Clercs: narrow street for pedestrians only
- Place du Palais Charles de Gaulle with the Roman Temple d'Auguste et de Livie.
- Rue Marchande: narrow shopping street for pedestrians only
There are other similar streets in the area.
Do
[edit]The annual jazz festival in July takes place in the Roman théâtre antique in Vienne.