EXPLORE France

Uncover La Belle France on a journey through fabled romantic cityscapes, historic winemaking country, and some of Europe’s finest natural scenery. As varied as it is beautiful and with a legendary history to match, each passing day in the French Republic brings innumerable charms and pleasures.

Cruising the Rhône and Saône Rivers is undoubtedly one of the finest ways to unveil the delights of the nation. Whether taking in the air among the vineyards of the Ardèche to sample the finest of wines; or strolling through celebrated galleries to observe famed works of art, in between your independent explorations, we’ll introduce you to immersing excursions for an in-depth look at local life.

Beaune

From the timber-framed houses of Chalon-sur-Saône, you’ll visit Beaune, the remarkable town at the centre of the Burgundy wine region. Beaune is a picture-perfect image of the region’s wine trade, with the distinct architecture encircled by near-endless acres of rolling vineyards. Amidst the undeniable beauty of Beaune, you’ll find the flamboyant Hospices de Beaune. Beyond the colourful tessellating roof tiles and majestic medieval façade, the Hospices reveals a fascinating history spanning from its Middle Ages foundation as a charitable hospital for the disadvantaged to today’s prominence as a prodigious wine estate and auction space.

Arles

Arles, or “the good town of Arles” as once described in a letter penned by a certain Vincent van Gogh, is a sun-soaked city of Roman ruins and terracotta-tiled houses in Provence. Meander, as Van Gogh once did, through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Roman and Romanesque monuments, the countless local cafés and bars, and the characteristically traditional houses while placing yourself in the scene of the Post-Impressionist’s nearly 200 individual works created during his time in the city. Established by Ligurian tribes, Arles exchanged hands between the Roman Empire, the Visigoths, and the Moors and as such boasts an eclectic admixture of cultural influences today.

Lyon

France’s third-largest city and a cultural powerhouse, Lyon’s positioning at the confluence of the Saône and Rhône rivers determined the city’s import across the centuries. The Gauls, Romans, and revolutionaries all left their mark on Lyon, a city famed for its UNESCO World Heritage-listed architecture and, in modern times, a world-renowned culinary scene. Standing watchfully over the riverbanks, the hilltop Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is an impressive 19th-century construction overlooking the city’s medieval cathedral below. This architectural dynamic of new and old—perfectly summarises Lyon’s atmosphere of metropolitanism in age-old surroundings.