Viviers-sur-Rhone (France)

Viviers-sur-Rhone (aka Viviers Ardeche) is a Rhone River cruise port and town in France's Ardeche Department (Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region) with population around 4,000. Viviers Ardeche was the former capital of Vivarais Province, which until 1789 was part of Languedoc Province.

This small walled town is located on the river's right bank and is crossed (north to south) by Road 6 (part of the former RN6 connecting Lyon with Nimes). At town's northern exit, Road 107 joins Road 102 towards Aubenas. From Viviers, the Avenue Pierre Mendes France allows crossing the Rhone to join the neighboring Drome Department.

As cruise port, Viviers Ardeche is included in the regular schedules of Europe's largest river cruise companies - Viking, Uniworld, CroisiEurope, AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Emerald Waterways, Scenic Tours, Scylla, Arosa, also the riverboat-chartering luxury travel brands Phoenix Reisen, Saga UK, Tauck USA (fleet).

As cruise shore excursions/bus tours from Viviers is visited Grignan - a small village famous for its medieval castle/chateau built on a hilltop and surrounded by forests, beautiful gardens and a lush lavender field.

The castle's construction started in the 12th century, the building was expanded to a fortress in the 13th century, remodeled to a castle in the 16th century (1545-58) and transformed into a palace in the 17th century (1668-90). Unfortunately, it was completely ruined in the late-18th-century (1793) and restored to the current Chateau de Grignan complex in the 20th century.