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VIARHÔNA, From Lake to the Mediterranean, A CYCLING ROUTE ALONGSIDE THE RIVER at your own pace! RHÔNE

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Geneva/ Lyon/Valence Genève Lyon Valence/ For Avignon/Port Saint-Louis Montpellier Marseille Avignon/Sète For those with rambling the energetic in their blood

From Lake Geneva Avignon to Port-St- From Valence From Saint-Gilles to Lyon 322 km Louis-du-Rhône to Pouzin 33 km to Aigues-Mortes 32 km Start from the banks of beautiful Lake After a break at the Epervière port in Valence, Between Saint-Gilles and Gallician, the route Geneva, wend your way through the hills 108 km the ViaRhôna continues on its way through enters the Camargue Gardoise, classified and valleys of the Upper Rhône and end As you cycle this section of the ViaRhôna, the Ardèche. As you move from cavern to as a Grand Site de , through which your journey in the elegant city of the Gauls. which starts from the romantic city of the archaeological site, from quaint village it continues to the Scamandre Centre. In GET READY FOR YOUR STAY Along the way, you will find breathtaking Popes, you will make the acquaintance of the to chateau, through nature reserves and Gallicien, starting from the yacht harbour, landscapes within Upper and Lower Savoy southern banks of the Rhône. This stretch, sensitive natural areas, you will enter the you will rejoin the greenway to pass through AT www.viarhona.com and the , with a series of gorges, where the sun reigns supreme, is punctuated heart of the Ardèche. Resume your journey this magnificent area, home to exceptional lakes and marshlands dotted with authentic with historic settlements and ports with a through the Printegarde nature reserve before animal and plant wildlife. You will ride along See different stages (detailed descriptions, elevation villages, and discover Lyon through its most Mediterranean atmosphere. When you arrive, ending up in after a brief excursion the former towpaths of the Rhône canal to profiles, points to be aware of) and download GPX tracks symbolic features and monuments. you will quickly fall under the spell of the into the Drôme. From La Voulte-sur-Rhône Sète, which will take you through marshland Camargue, with its pools, rice fields and salt you can get onto the Dolce Via, a greenway before you reach Aigues-Mortes, a fortified free of charge. marshes, criss-crossed with canals which cycle route. town in the midst of bogs, vineyards and lead to the beaches of the Mediterranean. salt marshes. Don’t miss the view from the Carbonnière tower, a good place to admire Get tips and practical info: accommodation, bike hire, this exceptional landscape. luggage transport, tourist locations etc.

Find must-sees and all-inclusive stays

From Jons to Lyon From Viviers to Bourg- 26.5 km Saint-Andéol 24.6 km STAY CONNECTED! This stage of the ViaRhôna cleverly takes From Châteauneuf-du-Rhône, you follow advantage of the urbanized environment the backwaters to Viviers and its mediaeval of Greater Lyon to link the city’s parks and Chat and get news Share your trip heart, Bourg-Saint-Andéol, with its legendary lakes, the Grand Large and Miribel-Jonage, and tips about ViaRhôna #viarhona bas-relief of the god Mithras. This stage of with greenways. Next comes a superb urban the ViaRhôna has a strong heritage bias, with ramble by bicycle along the banks of the the wealth of chapels, cathedrals and palaces Rhône. At the confluence with the Saône, in the historic towns along its route. Nature you enter a renovated zone with innovative lovers and history buffs, you will be in your architecture symbolized by the Confluences element! Its itinerary follows greenways and museum. small back roads. Waymarked on leaving Viviers. Christian Martelet / Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourisme ; CRT PACA- T.Seray ; Tourisme ADRT ; Anne-Sophie Pic ©Anne-Emmanuelle Thion ; B.Levet ; Hilke Maunder ; Vienne – P.Blanc ; Lyon, musée de confluences ; Drôme Tourisme For Our suggestions Check out all the sections and stopover points on 2015-2020 the family www.viarhona.com (downloadable maps, detailed content, places to visit, accommodation, services, etc.) La ViaRhôna, a collection of atmospheres ViaRhôna, culture

When you follow the ViaRhôna, you go back to the origins of civilization, from prehistoric times to the present day. The Rhône, a line where wealth, mankind and ideas converge, has undergone a metamorphosis in harmony with its riparian societies. Thus every epoch is represented, and with them all the local heritage, skills, art and traditions. From the ancient theatres in Vienne and Orange to the Confluences museum in Lyon, with Viviers and , small gems of the Middle Ages, and not forgetting the Avignon Bridge, the hilltop villages of Provence or the mediaeval town of Aigues-Mortes, all these Enjoy historical relics explain why the Rhône has been called the River of Civilizations. yourself! You will also get to know Lyon, the capital of the Gauls, Orange, the city of Princes, the Roman settlement of Arles, Saint-Gilles, a waystage on the Saint James’s Way, and many more with every turn of your wheels. The trail is punctuated with numerous museums, such as the archaeological museum of Saint-Romain-en-Gal, the Musée des Beaux-arts in Valence, the Musée International des Arts Modestes in Sète, and the Souleiado museum in Tarascon. The ViaRhôna also gives access to a range of festivals, such as the Nuits Sonores in Lyon, Jazz in Vienne, the Festival d’Avignon and the Rencontres de la Photographie in Arles.

CAP SUR LE RHÔNE, communication and innovation The Cap Sur le Rhône network is a forum for museums, heritage sites, nature reserves and ViaRhôna, all the diverse manifestations of the cultural resources of the river, past present and future: landscapes and land use, industrial heritage, present-day issues, localities and local know- how, beliefs, history, and so much more (website scheduled to go online in the summer of 2018). nature

As you ride the ViaRhôna, you will catch the aromas wafting from the vineyards that cling As you travel alongside the Rhône from north to south, you’ll witness a parade of to the mountainsides and the terraced slopes. Between the Rhône and the vines, you can landscapes, each different from the next: the hills of the Genevois region, the poplar start to learn about oenology, visit winegrowers’ estates, take part in cookery and wine groves of Chautagne, the foothills of the Jura, the plains and hills of the Dauphiné, workshops and explore the vineyards by Segway, electric bike or even hot-air balloon. and, further south, the orchards, vineyards and landscapes of Provence, including its famous lavender, culminating in Along the route, you will find no fewer than ten destinations bearing the ‘‘Vignobles et the Camargue and the shores of the Mediterranean. Explore Découvertes’’ label: , Lac du Bourget; Bugey; Condrieu, Côte-Rôtie; from Hermitage to Saint-Joseph; from to Saint-Péray; vineyards of the southern Ardèche; Drôme Much of the powerful and turbulent River Rhône has been (Provence); Côtes du Rhône Gardoises; Costières de Nîmes; the Thau region. This channelled over time. These days, thanks, among other protected label certifies the quality of resources and services on offer in the localities concerned, things, to the ViaRhôna cycle route, it has been rediscovered guaranteeing that visitors will find accommodation among the vines, restaurants serving and is better protected. Some of the natural treasures to areas local produce and matching the food with the wines, and wine cellars waiting to welcome which it is home have been developed and improved, without them. disturbing the region’s flora and fauna. In the backwaters of the Rhône, known as ‘‘lones’’, you will find some splendid of nature As well as this quality status, the ViaRhôna also offers a collection of AOC wines natural features, including the marshland of , some wonderful parts of the (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée): Savoy wines, Bugey wines, Côtes du Rhône, Camargue, and the 2,200 hectares comprising the Grand Parc Miribel Jonage, close Châteauneuf du Pape, wine growers of Arles, Gard wines, to Lyon. Some of the islands and meandering stretches of the river have also become Languedoc wines, and Costières de Nîmes. The AOC is not only nature reserves, with educational trails and hides, meaning you can get up really the French official quality mark, but also the expression of the close to this large watercourse and its associated ecosystems. strong link between the product and place where it was grown. Taste The ViaRhôna also means a parade of local produce and specialities that invite you to enjoy some delicious stopoffs. and enjoy From north to south, the list of products is a taste bud tantaliser, including brioche from Saint-Genix, fruit from the Rhône Valley, Valrhôna chocolate, nougat from Montélimar, black truffles from Tricastin and , olive oil from Nîmes, garlic, rice and salt from the Camargue, Bouzigues oysters, Tielle Sétoise (octopus pie), and mussels & oysters from Carteau. Naturally enough, the variety of excellent local produce explains why the region has such a reputation for fine food and why it is home to 34 Michelin-starred restaurants along the ViaRhôna.

ViaRhôna, wine & fine food The ViaRhôna greenway cycle route, 815 km in length and mainly close to the River Rhône, provides cyclists who use it with a variety of exceptional landscapes. From Alpine panoramas to the riverbanks and the vineyards that punctuate it, and passing by hilltop villages and the lavender fields and olive groves of VIARHÔNA, Provence, this is France in microcosm, just waiting to be discovered by cyclists. And as well as cycling, ViaRhôna represents a wonderful opportunity to discover and take in at your own pace the various highlights lying in the A CYCLING ROUTE regions through which you pass.

Fine food and wine, culture, heritage and nature will be the main travel companions for the inquisitive tourist. ALONGSIDE THE RIVER RHONE

The entire route switches between two modes of travel: Using the safety of the greenway (around 60% of the route), which is for use by cyclists and non-motorised LAUSANNE transport only; La cathédrale and using the bike paths, secondary roads that are de ne Rhô u also used by cars but which usually carry little traffic. d e n t a u m Stingolph o Lé R c Fort La Évian- cluse les-Bains Yvoire R o Few ups and downs: THONON- u Gex t Chens e LES-BAINS d Apart from the first 80 km between Geneva and Seyssel, the u R h route encounters few major difficulties alongside the river. ô n eneva e Mâcon Parc naturel régional Pays Further information about the route Le Parc du Haut-Jura de Gex Aéroport Téléphérique des iseaux International de Genève is available at www.viarhona.com de Salève Haute-Savoie e Annemasse BOURG-EN- ôn L'Échapée bleue Rh Moselle-Saône à vélo Fort-l'Écluse Valleiry St-Julien- Bellegarde-sur-Valserine en-Genevois Lé Pérouges Vulbens Le Genevois m e a L Haut-Savoyard Bonneville n M lo o il n L' S n Alpin * t - La barque La Saône V L'Albarine Usinens 6 B 2 Ain l du Léman a Seyssel- n Ambérieu- Le Petit Pays c Le Geopark en-Bugey Seyssel V La 6 du Beaujolais 1 Beaujolais L'Arve Grand ANNECY Colombier Pérouges Le Fier St-Sorlin-en-Bugey Serrières- Lac Les Ponts en-Chautagne de la Caille - Sault-Brénaz d'Annecy Rhône Vions Grand Parc les-Grottes Miribel Jonage Montalieu Chanaz Miribel Jons Le Bugey Chautagne Abbaye on Hières- Belley d'Hautecombe sur-Amby Monts Part Groslée Mont Lac du du Lyonnais Dieu du Chat Bourget Parc naturel La Balme Crémieu régional Aix-les-Bains Aéroport des Bauges Lyon - St Exupéry Vernaison Morestel Solaize S lAbbaye il Avant lo dHautecombe La basilique Dauphiné n Pays Savoyard A Plaines et Collines Les Avenières l de Fourvière Lyon Givors St-Genix- p sur-Guiers in La Bourbre * V CHAMBÉRY 6 3 Estressin Isère Lac Loire-sur- d'Aiguebelette Rhône Vienne / St-Romain-en-Gal Pont-de- Savoie Loire Beauvoisin Le Gier Montmélian Parc naturel Ampuis La Gère régional Condrieu Le Guiers Livradois-Forez SAINT-ÉTIENNE Parc naturel Lac de Les-Roches-de-Condrieu Le patrimoine régional Paladru 3 St Clair-Les Roches 6 gallo-romain de Vienne V Chavanay du Pilat -

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Bleue Bleue Voie Voie alence La future cité Saint-Martin- L'Eyrieux de-Valamas de la gastronomie Charmes-sur-Rhône La Loire Haut Mont Gerbier olce Via Vallée Le kiosque Peynet de Jonc Vivarais D Livron-sur-Drôme de la Drôme / de Valence Les Ollières- La Voulte- sur-Rhône sur-Eyrieux Vélodrôme Diois Allex Le Pouzin Loriol- Crest sur-Drôme La Payre le train La Drôme de lArdèche Chomérac L'Ardèche La passerelle Drôme de Parc naturel La Coucourde régional Le Roubion Mirmande des Monts Rochemaure d'Ardèche MONTÉLIMAR Véloroute Alba-la-Romaine Dieulefitdu Jabron Parc naturel Montjoux Viviers Châteauneuf- Le château régional Ardèche Viviers du-Rhône de Grignan des Baronnies Le Chassezac Donzère Drôme provençales La caverne Provençale du Pont dArc La Combe Bourg-St-Andéol d’Arc Pierrelatte Le lez Nyons de l'ArdècheGorges La Ferme aux Crocodiles Le Grand Site de l’Aven d’rgnac La Cèze L'Aigue Bollène Vaison- Pont-St-Esprit la-Romaine e Lamotte-du-Rhône z è vers v Lavandes La Provence u Mornas O à vélo ' Le d'Alès Gard L Rhodanien Piolenc Arc de triomphe ORANGE d’range Théatre antique ViaRhôna greenway Tour des Côtes du Rhône à vélo d’range Alès Courthézon ViaRhôna provisional route Châteauneuf-du-Pape Roquemaure Mont-ventoux Bédarrides Uzès ViaRhôna shared route Boucle de l'Uzège Voie verte Villeneuve- du Pont lez-Avignon Le Pontet La Tour Carbonnière Le Gard du Gard Les Angles ViaRhôna not completed

Remoulins Avignon Châteauneuf du Pape Circuits, variations and access Aramon to ViaRhôna (some sections incomplete) Montfrin Vaucluse Vallabrègues Les Arènes Gard La Méditerranée Parc naturel Route du Rhône de Nimes NÎMES Beaucaire Tarascon à Vélo EV8 régional du Luberon Boat shuttle service Parc naturel La Durance Pont d’Avignon Bellegarde Les Arènes régional et palais des papes Aigues Mortes dArles des Alpilles Town/city on route Boucle Fourques des Costières Le Petit Rhône ARLES Boucle et Voie verte Canal du Stopover town Le Grau du Roi Saint-Gilles de la Camargue gardoise Gallician Rhône à Sète Tour Bouches-du-Rhône La Tour Saint Louis TER railway station (regional trains) Carbonnière Camargue Mas-Thibert MONTPELLIER La Grande- Parc Motte Gardoise Villeneuve- Carnon naturel Marais du Vigueirat TGV railway station (high-speed trains) lès-Maguelone Aigues-Mortes Le Grand AIX-EN-PROVENCE Hérault Le Grau- régional Rhône Mireval Palavas- Port- du-Roi de Camargue Camargue Istres Vic-la-Gardiole les-Flots Voie verte Saintes-Maries- Airport de l'Espiguette de-la-Mer Aéroport Marseille Provence Ste Plage de * Provisional name of route vers Canal l'Espiguette des 2 mers Frontignan Salin-de-Giraud à vélo et ortStouisduhne La Méditerranée à Vélo EV8 Bateau de croisière Plage MARSEILLE Mer Méditerranée Napoléon

Accueil Vélo Accueil Vélo is a national label which Eurovélo In late 2015, the ViaRhôna joined guarantees a welcome, equipment and facilities that are suited to the Les Topoguides A series of these topographical the Eurovélo network as Eurovélo 17, following a joint needs of cyclotourists using cycling routes in France. This green logo guides are available to help you get ready for your trip along application with the Route du Rhône in Switzerland, means you can quickly identify certified locations (accommodation, bike the ViaRhôna. They contain detailed maps, practical tips and and thus putting forward a route of 1,115 km following hire, tourist offices, locations to visit etc.) which have to be less than practical guides. the entire course of the River Rhône. 5 km from the route. Coming soon in spring 2019: Guide du Routard ViaRhôna www.eurovelo.com