Wine, flamingos and Roman ruins: The Rh?ne’s best river cruise stops

We had been warned that the excursions for “active walkers” may get our hearts racing but, as watery walks go, I hadn’t expected to find myself trekking through a five-and-a-half-foot tunnel at the top of a Roman aqueduct. Peering over the side to the dizzying 160ft drop down to the river Gard was one of the high points in our week-long voyage down the Rh?ne on the river ship AmaCello.

Twenty years ago there were just two river ships sailing the Rh?ne; now there are 29. The appeal of river cruises is that they are as tranquil as the river itself. You need unpack only once and then you glide from one city centre to another – with walks a wonderful alternative to dragging suitcases over cobbled streets.

We were on a Colours of Provence itinerary. Of course, we would have loved to cruise through a sea of purple Proven?al lavender, but the season in late July can be as short as six days, so we settled instead for the autumnal hues of the riverside vines.

Lyon, where we joined the ship, sits at the confluence of the Rh?ne and Sa?ne. The first part of the cruise was a short sail up the Sa?ne to the Beaujolais region. Coaches were waiting at Collonges au Mont d’Or to carry us through its golden, rolling landscape. In one vineyard the owner took us through the life cycle of vines that were planted by his great-grandfather on his return from the Great War.

A particular attraction of this route is the wealth of Roman history. In Vienne, the first city on the Rh?ne after Lyon, we climbed Mont Pipet to survey the Roman amphitheatre, which now hosts an annual jazz festival, and then walked to the Temple of Augustus and Livia.

All the excursions are included in the cruise fare and led by local guides. Arriving at Tournon, where dawn mists rose from the river, most of the 135 passengers opted for a ride by steam train through the Gorges du Doux. My foodie husband, who had overindulged, was one of only two to go on a nine-mile bike tour through apricot groves (there are 22 bikes on board). I was one of a dozen to tackle the steep climb through the Hermitage vineyards, followed by wine-tasting.

“This bottle should keep for 10 to 15 years,” said our guide, holding up one of the label’s pricer options. “I don’t think I have that long,” joked one of our party. 

In fact, most “active walkers” were fit 50- to 60-somethings. Many of our fellow passengers had come with American wine clubs, and were good company, although we could always find a table for two at special meals, such as the Cha?ne des R?tisseurs grill or at the Chef’s Table salon. 

Such was the conviviality among passengers that one evening we gathered around the pianist for an impromptu karaoke session – which failed to prepare us for our energetic guide in Avignon the following morning. There were a few stifled yawns at the Popes’ Palace ? Avignon was the seat of the papacy in the 14th century ?but this being France, food and drink were never far away. Soon we were lunching on trotters while sipping Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Our next destination was the Pont du Gard – the world’s biggest Roman aqueduct and a feat of engineering all the more impressive when compared with the Pont d’Avignon, which we sailed past en route to Arles. That was built a thousand years later, but destroyed in a major flood.

In Arles, just 15 miles from the Mediterranean, we indulged in a seafood lunch. The city is where the Rh?ne splits, so we visited the Camargue to see the delta’s wild white horses and streams of flamingos taking off like planes at an airport. Watching the sun set over Arles, we longed to continue our march through Roman history. But like the flamingos, it was time to leave our watery home and take flight.

A seven-night Colours of Provence cruise with AmaWaterways, departing from Lyon or Arles on April 11, 2019, costs from ￡2,392pp including flights (0800 320 2336; amawaterways.co.uk).