Rhone

The Rhône flows south from Lyon through two of France's greatest wine regions — Burgundy and the Rhône Valley — before reaching the sun-baked landscapes of Provence and the Camargue wetlands at its delta. A cruise on the Rhône and its tributary the Saône combines world-class gastronomy, extraordinary history, and some of the most beautiful countryside in Europe.

Lyon, France's second city and self-proclaimed gastronomic capital, is a UNESCO World Heritage site whose Renaissance old town conceals a network of secret traboule passageways. The city's bouchon restaurants have been serving hearty Lyonnaise cuisine for generations. Heading south, Burgundy's Côte d'Or produces the greatest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the world.

Further south, the Rhône Valley introduces Châteauneuf-du-Pape and medieval Avignon, whose Palais des Papes is the largest Gothic palace in Europe. The ancient Roman theatre at Orange and the Pont du Gard aqueduct complete a region of extraordinary historical richness.