Scenic Sapphire from Marseille: Departure April 28, 2023, Arrival Date May 5, 2023

Avignon is a city of Southern France with ancestral origins. The area on which the city is now has been inhabited by humans since the Stone Age. The city has been property of many populations such as the Romans and the Burgundi. It then became independent and afterwards, France took possession of it. Avignon is an ancient papal city after that John XXII made it his residence in 1316.

The Palais des Papes, facing onto a wide square, is a touristic destination all year round. After you have visited the palace, have a walk on the Promenade des Papes that will take you to the gardens where the popes used to cultivate aromatic herbs. The walls of the city are noteworthy: they are 4 km long with 39 towers and 7 doors, making the city a treasure to shield. Avignon has a rich cultural heritage, but leisure and relaxation are not missing at all. Having a walk in the city centre you can find many bars and bistrot where you can taste the specialties of the most famous cuisine in the world and immerge in the magic atmosphere that surrounds the whole city.

Lyon is the third biggest city of France after Paris and Marseille and offers many attractions for the tourists. Its historical centre becamse part of UNESCO World Heritade in 1998 and has many museums, monuments, churches, parks and landscapes. It also offers a remarkable gastronomic culture. 

The city centre, the so-called Presqu'île (i.e. peninsula in French) hosts the Fine Arts Museums, the Basilica of Saint-Martin d’Ainay, Saint-Nizier Church and many other buildings with a huge historical and cultural meaning. The Presqu'île is also the heart of the life of Lion. Here you can find any kind of shops, restaurants and bars.
On the west-side hill of the city, there is the centre of Fourvierés, that can be reached by two funicular railways, one of which is one of the most ancient and still working. In December the city hosts one of the most characteristic festivals in Europe, the Lion Light Festival. From 5th to 8th December, about 70 installations are set in the streets, the squares and on the buildings of the city, creating a suggestive atmosphere that attracts thousands of visitors every year. Lyon i salso the city that gave birth to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the Little Prince’s “dad” and gave him its homage with a monument in Place Bellecour 70 years after his death.

Lyon is the third biggest city of France after Paris and Marseille and offers many attractions for the tourists. Its historical centre becamse part of UNESCO World Heritade in 1998 and has many museums, monuments, churches, parks and landscapes. It also offers a remarkable gastronomic culture. 

The city centre, the so-called Presqu'île (i.e. peninsula in French) hosts the Fine Arts Museums, the Basilica of Saint-Martin d’Ainay, Saint-Nizier Church and many other buildings with a huge historical and cultural meaning. The Presqu'île is also the heart of the life of Lion. Here you can find any kind of shops, restaurants and bars.
On the west-side hill of the city, there is the centre of Fourvierés, that can be reached by two funicular railways, one of which is one of the most ancient and still working. In December the city hosts one of the most characteristic festivals in Europe, the Lion Light Festival. From 5th to 8th December, about 70 installations are set in the streets, the squares and on the buildings of the city, creating a suggestive atmosphere that attracts thousands of visitors every year. Lyon i salso the city that gave birth to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the Little Prince’s “dad” and gave him its homage with a monument in Place Bellecour 70 years after his death.