Latest edition : 02 December 2021
Vienna does not live to the rhythm of the three-beat waltz like the eponymous city in Austria on the shores of the beautiful blue Danube! Even if it has happened before that foreign tourists have been misled, discovering with astonishment a very French city (in french Vienna is called Vienne)!
The city on the left bank of the Rhône, where jazz notes rather than Strauss tunes resonate, is still a quite secret destination. Except for jazz lovers - its summer festival has been famous for 40 years! - or those who are fond of Gallic and Roman history.
For a first glimpse, and to better understand the importance of Vienna in the past, you have to climb up to Mont Pipet from where the statue of Our Lady of the Sellette seems to watch over the city.
Either on foot for the more courageous via the Chemin des Amoureux (the way of the lovers), or more comfortably with the “city tram” (the little tourist train); a ride is quite impressive in the increasingly narrow streets!
From the top of this rocky outcrop, the panoramic view follows the loops of the Rhône.
Opposite, on the right bank, you can see the village of Ampuis and the steep terraces of the Côte-Rôtie, a prestigious appellation of the Rhône Valley; opposite, in the loop of the river, Saint-Romain-en Gal and its fabulous Gallo-Roman site; below, as the view plunges vertiginously into the ancient theater, the city of Vienne is built around its architectural treasures that it is time to discover!
The historic heart of Vienna is not large and the visit is easily done on foot. But, to make sure you don't miss a thing, you better take a first stop at the Vienne Condrieu tourism pavilion. If only for its incredible wall: 10 meters high, 900 bottles represent all the cuvées and all the appellations of each winegrower between Vienne and Valence! A charming idea by Olivier Sanejouand, director at Vienne Condrieu Tourisme.
Take a good look: this wine wall draws the vineyard map listing the vintages of the Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu and Rhône Valley vineyards. We bet that you would like to taste a glass of wine!
As you cross the park behind the Tourist Pavilion, a section of Via Agrippa recalls the city's Roman past.
A past that remains surprisingly current: in search of a place to taste this famous glass of wine, when you come out of small street, you find yourself facing one of the city's treasures, the temple of Augustus and Livia! Built in the 1st century, it has stood the test of time, transformed into a church, a commercial court, a museum and a library. Listed as a historic monument, it is one of the most beautiful Roman sites in France. In 1784, the future President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, visiting France, made a stopover in Vienna. In his travel notebook, he sketches the temple with its Roman Corinthian capitals on the columns. During his tenure, he had public buildings built on the model of the temple of Augustus and Livia as well as his twin, the Maison Carrée in Nîmes.
Next door, you'll taste the "Galet du Rhône" at the small Panel chocolate factory: an irresistible nougatine garnished with almond and hazelnut praline, coated in dark chocolate and chocolate.
Well hidden, the cloister of Saint-André-le-Bas is the last witness to a monastery founded in the 6th century. It seduces with its elegance and its garden with flowers and medicinal plants.
The visit continues with the Saint-Maurice cathedral, in a Romanesque-Gothic style due to the long period of construction, between 1030 and 1529. The archbishop of Vienne, Gui de Bourgogne, elected pope in Cluny, is crowned there in 1119 under the name of Calixte II. Between 1311/1312, it housed the Council of Vienna which resulted in the suppression of the Order of the Templars, whose independence and wealth annoyed the King of France, Philippe le Bel.
The church of the former Saint-Pierre abbey, one of the oldest in France built from the 5th century, houses a fabulous lapidary museum. Among its collections, mosaics, stone sculptures from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, the marble bust of Pierre Schneyder, a passionate artist who showed the grandeur of the ancient Roman city, undertook excavations and saved many ancient pieces.
After visiting the “must see” places, we let ourselves be won over by the french sweetness of life by strolling through the small streets of the historic heart.
We stop in front of the window of Jean-Jacques Dubernard, talkative and passionate potter. Through the window, you can see him at work on an antique pedal lathe that is more than a century old. If you open the door, allow time, because Jean-Jacques is inexhaustible if he sees that you are interested in his work and the technique of glazed earthenware. His pieces are colorful and create a good mood!
A few streets further on, the ceramist Nathalie Pouzet - the companion of Jean-Jacques - presents her sculptures: portraits, fragmented faces, refined and timeless forms, which provoke emotions.
On Saturday mornings, people come from all over the region to fill their baskets at the market, the second largest permanent market in France. It exists since 1270, proudly believes Olivier Sanejouand who comes to do his shopping every saturday, just like the renowned chefs of the region, Philippe Girardon and Patrick Henriroux. They know the best producers. “During the week, they obviously deliver their goods to the restaurant. On Saturdays, we come to the market to supplement with some last minute products. Be careful not to pile the spinach in a plastic bag, it must be handled with care and with all due respect!" calls out Philippe Girardon to the young market gardener.
After shopping, everyone meets at the Temple bar to exchange the latest gossip.
This is life in Vienna, made up of encounters, discoveries, tastings. A city where you take the time to taste life but where it is difficult to get bored. We celebrate wine, fine cuisine and music. Numerous events punctuate the Viennese summer and for wine and jazz lovers, the winegrowers of Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie invite each week in one of the various estates labeled "Vignobles & Découverte".
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