A roman town in rural Provence
A Provence walking holiday through 2000 years of history
As the name suggests, Vaison La Romaine has an important Roman heritage. During the XX Century, excavations were led and an archealogical site of 7 hectares of Gallo-Roman ruins was discovered showing village life as it was at the time with remnants of shops, houses, theatres and a spa. Even more spectacular is that these ruins are right in the centre of town with over 2000 years of history merging into modern day life, these ruins stand firm around the tourist office, restaurant terraces, shops and buildings.
Visit Vaison on your walking tour of Provence
There are 2 parts to Vaison la Romaine : the medieval village perched on the rock that looks down onto the more modern part of town. The two are separated by the Ouvèze river and joined together by the one arched Gallo roman bridge. This bridge is the pride of the town having withstood German bombings and the great floods of 1616 and, more recently, 1992.
The medieval Vaison is a labyrinth of steep and narrow cobbled streets, with the odd stone fountain dotted here and there. The ruins of a XIII century castle dominate over the village. A few restaurants, art galleries and souvenir shops cater for the many visitors that walk through the streets and the view over Vaison and the surrounding hills, the Dentelles de Provence and the Mont Ventoux summit is simply breathtaking.
The modern Vaison is a busy and charming town. The main square is overflowing with tables and chairs from the various cafés, restaurants and ice cream parlours. One off clothes shops and shoe shops are scattered about the town and the souvenir shops are cheery and tasteful. It is recognised as an ‘artsy’ town with the roman amphitheatre hosting many concerts and plays throughout the year and an international dance festival is organised by the town each year. An ideal stop over on your Provence walking holiday, you will not be short of things to see and places to eat!
A typical Provençal market
Not to be missed when you are in Vaison is the Tuesday market. The entire town centre is taken over by stalls selling fruit & veg, olives, cheeses, meats, flowers, fabrics, pottery, utensils and pretty much anything else that you can think of. You can easily spend the morning strolling through the town, squeezing your way through the crowds on the narrower streets and taking the time (and enjoying the breathing space!) to sit with a drink on the main square and people watch. It’s colourful, noisy, wonderfully aromatic and ever so French!
Provence wine tours and provence lavender
Vaison is also on the wine route and there are many wine tasting opportunities in the numerous wine cellars. Our walking tour takes you on the wine trails of Provence starting with wineries in Chateauneuf du Pape, via the Dentelles de Montmirail, to Séguret, Vacqueras & Gigondas (all well known wine labels!) and ending in Vaison la Romaine. It’s also the starting block for our guided trips through the lavender fields, just a short drive away.
