
When visiting Vaison-la-Romaine in the Vaucluse department, the town presents itself with two faces. The Northern- lower- side of the Ouvèze river reveals the oldest and most modern parts of town at the same time. The Southern- upper- side of the river shows the medieval part. Already back then overlooked by the Giant of Provence- Mont Ventoux. This post will first bring you to the lower part, where it all began, to explore the many Roman remains. The town takes pride in being the largest archaeological site in France.
Provence
First of all, I have to confess I cheated… Normally I write about places to visit in the Occitan region. But I went on a holiday with the girls to Vaison-la-Romaine in Provence and absolutely loved it. So, I couldn’t help writing a post about it, and some more will follow. But don’t worry, my main focus will be Occitanie! Think of this as a side-trip. After all, Provence is in the south of France, too. Anyway, in this article I will take you to the first part of Vaison-la-Romaine, a lively provencal town in the Vaucluse department. To discover the oldest remaining parts, I parked my car at the Mairie de Vaison-la-Romaine on the Avenue de Saint Quenin. But the parking lot at Place Burrus is an option too, apart from Tuesday morning when it’s market day.

Roman remains
I suggest starting your discovery tour at the Avenue Jules Mazen, followed by the Chemin du Bon Ange (Path of the Good Angel). This will bring you to the Notre Dame de Nazareth Cathedral, dating from the 11th century and built on the remains of a Gallo-Roman temple followingthe spread of Christianity. Continuing on the Chemin Couradou, you will walk past the first ancient site called La Villasse. Here, you will find the remains of the main square from when Vaison-la-Romaine was controlled by the Romans. The excavations reveal a forum, a shopping street with large columns and a bathing complex, as well as luxurious mansions such as the Maison au Dauphin. The second archaeological site is called the Antique Site of Puymin, where you will also find the Archeology Museum and the Antique Theatre.
To visit all sites, you can buy a ‘billet PASS’ (a PASS ticket), sold on-site at the entrance of the Puymin site. It is a passport to access all of the town’s monuments within 24 hours and costs 9 euros for adults and 4 euros for children between 10 and 17 years old (free for children under 9).

Small history
After visiting Vaison-la-Romaine’s oldest still visible part, you will know much more about its Roman history. However, the town dates back even further than the Romans, as it was the Celts who settled in the upper part of the town which they called Vocontii in the 4th century B.C. The Romans conquered them in the 2nd century B.C. and created a new town, Vasio Vocontiorum, below the Celtic one. It soon became a thriving trade centre, as the archaeological excavations tell us. After barbarian tribes chased away the inhabitants in the 5th century A.D., it took another four centuries for Vaison-la-Romaine to become alive and bustling again. In the mid12th century, a dispute between the Count of Toulouse and the bishop made the population move to higher grounds. From this upper part, they could protect themselves better. I will write about this medieval upper part in an upcoming post.

Present day
Time to step back into the present day after all this roaming around ancient sites. Standing on the Roman bridge over the Ouvèze River, you will have a pretty view of the facades overlooking the upper part. Although these houses are old as well, they are regarded as the modern part as, obviously, these buildings are newer than the mediaeval ones. The Grand Rue will lead you to the Place de Montfort with its many restaurants. And the side streets will please the shoppers among you. Also, the weekly Tuesday market is one of the biggest in Provence, and during summer, the Roman Theatre hosts many shows. Even nowadays, Vaison-la-Romaine attracts many people from far and wide.
