Photo : FrogsLegs71 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Vaison la Romaine
Between the Rhône valley and Mont Ventoux, Vaison is very close to the Dentelles de Montmirail, in hill country scented with vines and olive trees.
The Roman bridge that spans the Ouvèze links the medieval town, built on its rocky spur, to the lower town that stretches at its feet. On the left bank of the Ouvèze, the medieval town, called the "upper town", is topped by the ruins of a twelfth-century feudal castle. From its forecourt, the panorama will reward you for the effort of the climb. A walk along its narrow, winding calades is a delight. You will admire the double fortifications, the belfry, the cathedral church, the richly worked old gates, the small squares adorned with cool fountains, the dwellings built on the cliffside.
On the right bank of the Ouvèze lies the lower town. Discovered in the early twentieth century, the Roman town has been uncovered over 15 ha, revealing one of the most prosperous cities of Narbonensis, capital of the Vocontii. Right in the town centre, on either side of the Tourist Office, the ancient sites of Puymin and La Villasse sit alongside squares, cafés, restaurants and houses, and still form today the largest archaeological site in France.
