Three Months in France: June 14 Vaison-la-Romaine

Best deal in France.

There are so many Roman ruins in this area we thought we should check some out. We went to a town called Vaison-la-Romaine, about one and half hours north of Aix. It is a pretty little town, and as usual we headed for the tourist information office, picked up our map of the city, and because the ruins were right across the street (the town is built on top of them) we decided to check them out first. We payed 8 € each for admission to two extensive archeological sites that included audio guides, which were good for the entire town. In addition to the Roman ruins (two very large excavated sites, plus an amphitheatre - still in use), this community also has a very interesting medieval section and cathedral, all with audio guide explanations. We also saw an active archaeological excavation elsewhere in town. Essentially, the current town is built over the Roman town.

The audio guides provided some detailed explanations of features and symbolism of the cathedral and attached cloisters, the roman bridge, the medieval town and it's crowning chateau. Then we meandered back through the little shops, did a little shopping had an ice cream and enjoyed the sun. Enjoy the pictures.