One of the main stops on any cruise on the Rhone River in southern France is Avignon. Here, the riverboats dock right at the foot of history. A flourishing city in Roman times, Avignon is now best known for its high medieval walls, its Palace of the Popes and its broken bridge.

During the 14th century, the seat of the Roman Catholic papacy was moved from Rome to Avignon, and seven popes resided there during a period of almost 70 years. In 1348, Pope Clement VI bought the city from the Duchess of Provence, and Avignon remained a papal property until the French Revolution.

The thick walls built by the popes still encircle the city (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the narrow streets, while fine for pedestrians, are best left to local drivers unless you have a very small rental car and a very good navigator!

If you’ve ever studied French, you may have learned the song “Sur le pont d’Avignon” which describes dancing “on the bridge of Avignon.” The Saint Bénézet bridge used to span the Rhône River from Avignon to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, crossing over the Île de Barthelasse. It is on this island that people probably danced under (not on) the bridge

The bridge was built in the late 12th century at the urging of Saint Bénézet, a local shepherd boy who, according to tradition, was commanded by angels to build a bridge across the river. It originally had 22 arches and was nearly 3000 feet long. However, over the centuries, most of the bridge was destroyed by floods, and today only 4 arches remain

Avignon also has a large indoor market, where you can buy anything from cheese and sausages to regional candy specialties like calissons d’Aix (my personal favorite).

A trip to Burgundy without a wine experience wouldn’t be complete, of course. So, while I was visiting barges on the Canal de Bourgogne, I went to one of the most famous vineyards in Burgundy (and in France, for that matter)–the Clos de Vougeot. This 12th-century winery/chateau was built by Cistercian monks for their wine production. They owned the property for 700 years and life was good for a long time. But the French Revolution took everything away from them. Today, it is the headquarters of the “Confrérie des Chevaliers de Tastevin,” an elite fraternity of wine connoisseurs known for, among other things, its annual event, the “Trois Glorieuses” (the three glorious days). This extravagant event takes place on the third weekend of November. First, a meeting of the Confrérie on Saturday, then a famous charity wine auction at the Hospice de Beaune on Sunday and finally the “Paulée de Meursault” and the award of its literary prize on Monday. All of these happenings are carried out with ample celebration and pageantry, of course. At the chateau, I was particularly impressed by the four mammoth, medieval wood presses on display in the cellars. They are really enormous!

As for the vineyard, well… it is clustered all around the chateau and it is a very unique and unusual growing arrangement. The stone-wall enclosed area of 125 acres is now owned by 80 different owners. Some of them only own a few rows or even less. So, although it is the largest Grand Cru area in Burgundy, the average production per owner is just over 1,000 bottles. The grape grown is Pinot Noir which produces a delicious full-bodied red wine. Taste it–you will not be disappointed. Clos de Vougeot is classified as a national monument and is well worth the visit. Being there on the Trois Glorieuses weekend would be so much fun!

Welcome! This travel blog is about river and canal cruise vacations on luxury barge-hotels and riverboats in France. With its extensive network of rivers and canals, France offers dozens of cruising possibilities from Alsace to Normandy and the Loire valley, down to Burgundy, Provence and the Languedoc. The boats navigating French waterways can be as small as upscale barges for 4 guests on the Canal du Midi or as large as 150-passenger river cruisers on the river Seine through Paris. Cruising around the French countryside is a great way to spend a vacation. Exploring out-of-the-way places, seeing the locals up close and sampling the many regional dishes and wines is a lot of fun. So, we hope you enjoy your trip (or enjoyed, if you’ve already been there) and we look forward to chatting with you.

From our “About” page you will see that we are travel professionals who specialize in tours and cruises in France, Spain and Portugal. You might want to take a look at our website.