Saint-Romain-en-Gal / Vienne / Sablons

This remarkable ViaRhôna stage offers a great variety of landscapes. From Vienne, once an ancient capital of Roman Gaul, to the nature reserve of L’île au Beurre, bearing witness to the Rhône’s wild side, via steeply terraced vineyards, including the prestigious Côte-Rôtie, and the first major orchards along the Rhône Valley, this stage will delight those interested in history, nature and gastronomy. You follow greenways for almost the entire length, joining a road to enter Sablons.

The route

The stage is almost entirely on greenways that are well signposted and laid out up to Sablons. There are just a few small stretches on roads, particularly arriving at Sablons. Take care on the D 4 road at Sablons.

Train stations:

Vienne railway station - Saint Clair-les-Roches - Péage de Roussillon:

• TER line 5 : Lyon> Valence > Avignon > Marseille

Sablons bus station:

Local bus services (bikes are not accepted) : line 75 : Lyon > Vienne > Le Péage de Roussillon > Sablons > Serrières > Félines > Peaugres > Davézieux > Annonay

>> Check TER timetables in Rhône-Alpes

Tourist Information Centres :  

• Vienne Condrieu Tourist Office Tel. +33 (0)4 74 53 70 10
• Pilat Tourist Office Tel. +33 (0)4 74 87 52 00
• Bièvre et Rhône Tourist Office Tel. +33 (0)4 74 86 72 07

Don't miss :

Vienne: a Ville d’Art et d’Histoire, in recognition of its cultural riches. The town boasts one of the richest Roman legacies in France, with an ancient theatre, the Cybèle archaeological garden, the temple of Augustus and Livia, plus an enigmatic pyramid. Vienne is also known for its International Jazz Festival, held each July.

Saint-Romain-en-Gal: for its archaeological site and its Gallo-Roman museum.

L’île Barlet: located on a secondary branch of the Rhône in St-Romain-en-Gal, with outdoor café (guinguette), cycle hire and a fitness trail.

Ampuis: here, the vines of Côte-Rôtie have been famed since antiquity.

Centre d'observation de l'Ile du Beurre – in Tupins-et-Semons: this is a protected site, an island whose changing landscapes bear witness to the Rhône’s wild side. Along the nature trail are two observatories, open every day of the year. There’s also a permanent exhibition on beavers and aquariums presenting the fish to be found in the Rhône and its secondary branches.

The outdoor sports and recreation centre in Les Roches de Condrieu

The outdoor sports and recreation centre in Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf

Sablons: l’île de la Platière, an island on the Rhône.

Serrières: Musée des mariniers, a museum dedicated to the Rhône’s former mariners.

Excursion to the Parc Naturel Régional du Pilat: above the famous wine village of Condrieu, the steep slopes are covered with vines, and majestic views open onto the Rhône Valley. Then comes wilder countryside scattered with historic villages like Malleval, a medieval fortified village in a remarkable site. 

Markets:

Vienne : Saturday morning

Loire sur Rhône : Tuesday morning

Ampuis : Wednesday morning

Condrieu : Friday morning

Les Roches de Condrieu : Tuesday morning

Le Péage de Roussillon : Thursday and Saturday morning

Sablons : Tuesday morning