# Vienne, the Roman town on the Rhône, Lyon > Vienne is a small town on the Rhône 35 kilometres south of Lyon, once one of the largest cities of Roman Gaul. It keeps the Temple of Augustus and Livia, almost intact like the famous Maison Carrée in Nîmes, a large Roman theatre on the hillside that hosts the Jazz à Vienne festival each summer, and a mysterious stone pyramid from the Roman circus. In the centre stand the Gothic Saint-Maurice Cathedral and the Romanesque church of Saint-Pierre with its museum. Allow half a day. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/lyon/vienne - City: [Lyon](https://yesgo.io/france/lyon), France - YesGo score: 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 3 h 30 min - Opening hours: Town always open; theatre and museums by day - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Town free; theatre and museums ticketed - From Lyon: ≈ 35 km; train ≈ 20–30 minutes - Market: Saturdays, one of the region's biggest - Jazz: A festival in the Roman theatre in summer - Duration: ≈ half a day - Location: On the Rhône where the Gère flows in - Coordinates: 45.52556, 4.87472 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **35 km** — from Lyon (source: English Wikipedia) - **47 BC** — Vienne became a Roman colony (source: English Wikipedia) - **96 m** — length of Saint-Maurice Cathedral (source: English Wikipedia) - **1533** — the cathedral completed (source: English Wikipedia) ## About Vienne Vienne lies on the left bank of the **Rhône** where the River Gère joins it. Before the Romans it was the capital of the Gallic **Allobroges**, and around **47 BC**, under Julius Caesar, it became the Roman colony of **Vienna**, one of the leading centres of Gaul on a vital river route. Later it was a provincial capital and an important bishopric. Today it's a quiet provincial town where Roman monuments stand right among the houses. People from Lyon come for the **Saturday market**, one of the biggest in the region, and the summer jazz festival. ## What to see - **Temple of Augustus and Livia** — a Roman temple on the town square. - **The Roman theatre** — tiers on the slope of Mont Pipet. - **The Pyramid** — the circus 'Needle' on an arched portico. - **Saint-Maurice Cathedral** — Gothic, 11th–16th centuries. - **Saint-Pierre** — a Romanesque church with a stone museum. - **The Roman road** — ancient paving stones in the park. ## The Temple of Augustus and Livia Vienne's most famous monument is the **Temple of Augustus and Livia**, a rectangular temple with Corinthian columns built under Emperor Claudius. It stands on a square in the town centre, just as it did two thousand years ago. It survived so well because it was turned into a church soon after the end of paganism and later served the town in other ways. The famous Maison Carrée in Nîmes had a similar fate; they're the two finest Roman temples in France. The temple is beautifully lit in the evening. > **When to come** The best day to visit is **Saturday**, when a huge market of produce, cheese and flowers fills the centre. In summer, usually late June to July, the Roman theatre hosts the **Jazz à Vienne** festival, with open-air concerts on the ancient tiers. Book evening concert tickets ahead. ## The Roman theatre and the Pyramid On the slope of **Mont Pipet**, east of the centre, lies a large **Roman theatre**, its tiers back in use for concerts. The top rows look out over Vienne's rooftops and the Rhône. In the south of town stands the **Pyramid**, the Plan de l'Aiguille or 'Needle': a truncated stone pyramid on a portico with four arches. It decorated the central spine of the Roman **circus**, where chariot races were held. Nearby, in the town park, paving stones of a **Roman road** survive, and remains of aqueducts lie in the Gère valley. ## The cathedral and churches **Saint-Maurice Cathedral** took almost five centuries to build, from 1052 to 1533. It's 96 metres long and 27 metres high, without a transept; its Gothic west front, with portals above a stairway down towards the river, is especially fine. The Romanesque **church of Saint-Pierre** is one of France's oldest, rebuilt as early as the 9th century. It now houses a stone museum of Roman sculpture, including a head of Juno and a statue of Tutela, the town's protector. The ruins of a 13th-century castle crown Mont Salomon above the town. ## How to get there 1. By TER train from Lyon (Part-Dieu or Perrache) to Vienne, 20–30 minutes. 2. From the station to the temple, a 5-minute walk. 3. By car, 30–40 minutes on the A7 motorway. 4. To the Roman theatre, a 10-minute uphill walk from the centre. ## Tips for your visit Half a day is enough for Vienne: the temple, cathedral and Saint-Pierre are central, the theatre a little up the slope and the Pyramid a 15-minute walk south. If you love archaeology, a large Gallo-Roman museum with mosaics lies across the Rhône. Vienne pairs easily with [Vieux-Lyon](https://yesgo.io/france/lyon/vieux-lyon) and [Fourvière Basilica](https://yesgo.io/france/lyon/fourviere-basilica), which has Roman theatres too, so you see two cities of Roman Gaul in a day. The centre is flat, but the theatre involves climbs and steps. Summer afternoons are hot, so come in the morning. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Come on a Saturday for the market - [ ] See the Temple of Augustus and Livia - [ ] Climb to the Roman theatre - [ ] Find the circus Pyramid - [ ] Check the jazz festival dates ## Places in Lyon: compare and choose Places in Lyon rated by YesGo. - [Lugdunum](https://yesgo.io/france/lyon/lugdunum) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Theatres free; museum ticket - [Vienne](https://yesgo.io/france/lyon/vienne) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h 30 min · Free ## Don't mix it up Vienne is the town on the Rhône in France; Vienna, the Austrian capital, is also 'Vienne' in French. ## Tips - Saturday market. - Summer jazz in the theatre. - 20–30 minutes by train. - Mornings beat the heat. ## Questions ### How do I get to Vienne from Lyon? By TER train in 20–30 minutes. ### What is there to see in Vienne? The Temple of Augustus and Livia, the Roman theatre, the circus Pyramid and Saint-Maurice Cathedral. ### How long do I need in Vienne? About half a day. ### When is Jazz à Vienne? In summer, usually late June to July. ### Is Vienne the same as Vienna? No, Vienne is a town in France near Lyon. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Prices, hours and festival dates weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Vienne, Isère - Vienne tourist office, vienne-condrieu-tourisme.com --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.