![Image-Vienne-Cropped.jpg](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Image-Vienne-Cropped.jpg/300px-Image-Vienne-Cropped.jpg)
Vienne is a small city in the department of Isère in the region Rhône-Alpes. Vienne is 20 miles (32 km) south of Lyon, on the Rhône River.
Understand
The French Ministry of Culture and Communication has classified Vienne as a city of art and history (ville d'art et d'histoire).
Get in
By rail, there are several trains daily between Vienne and the Lyon railway stations: Part-Dieu and Perrache. The railway station in Vienne is within walking distance of most of the sites of interest.
Get around
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Château_de_La_Bâtie.jpg/250px-Château_de_La_Bâtie.jpg)
The medieval castle Château de La Bâtie overlooking the town.
Because of the small size of the city, walking is the best way to get around.
See
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Vienne_(avril_2009)_036.jpg/200px-Vienne_(avril_2009)_036.jpg)
Temple d'Auguste et de Livie
Théâtre Antique de Vienne
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Cathedrale.vienne38.01.jpeg/200px-Cathedrale.vienne38.01.jpeg)
Cathédrale Saint-Maurice
Hôtel de ville (city hall)
Museums
- Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie
- Musée archéologique Saint-Pierre
- Musée du cloître de Saint-André-le-Bas
- Musée de la Draperie: Textile museum
Sites from antiquity
- Temple d'Auguste et de Livie: A well-preserved Roman temple.
- Jardin de Cybèle: Archeological garden including terrasses, arcades of a forum and remains of other old structures.
- Théâtre antique de Vienne: Ancient Roman theatre seating 13,000 personnes.
- Pyramide: obelisk from a Roman arena.
- Musée gallo-romain et site archéologique de Vienne: In Saint-Romain-en-Gal across the river.
- Roman aqueduct.
Sites from the middle ages
- Cathédrale Saint-Maurice. Started in the 12th century and finished at the beginning of the 16th century.
- Abbaye Saint-Pierre. 5th century; today the musée archéologique Saint-Pierre.
- 1 Château de La Bâtie on Mount Salomon. built in 1225 and ceased being used in 1633.
- Saint-André-le-Bas de Vienne. Abbey, church and cloister (cloître) (6th century)
- Abbey of Saint-André-le-Haut de Vienne. 6th century monastery
The old town
Walk the narrow store-lined streets in the old town (la vielle ville):
- Rue Boson. If you are lucky, bakery staff will leave the delivery door open onto this street so you can peer into the kitchen of a boulangerie/patisserie.
- Rue de Bourgogne: The French Communist Party (Parti communiste francais) has a store-front office on this street.
- Rue des Clercs: narrow street for pedestrians only
- Place du Palais Charles de Gaulle with the Roman Temple d'Auguste et de Livie.
- Rue Marchande: narrow shopping street for pedestrians only
There are other similar streets in the area.
Do
The annual jazz festival in July takes place in the Roman théâtre antique in Vienne.