Let’s set off along the Rhône with the programme Passe-moi les Jumelles [Pass me the Binoculars] on RTS, Radio Télévision Suisse, for a series of 13 reports from the source of the river to the Mediterranean, across Switzerland and France.
Along the Rhône?
13 episodes and a long-form article with photos on the web to discover the river with Valérie Teuscher at the pace of this video report from Swiss television.
From the source of the Rhône to its delta in the Mediterranean, 13 walks on and around its banks, between town, countryside, unique landscape and greenway.
At the source of the Rhône
From the Alpine glacier to the source of the Rhône River, the series of reports begins on the snow-capped peaks split by the Furka Pass in the north-western part of the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
Pfyn-Finges Nature Park
The journey continues through the heart of one of the largest pine forests in Central Europe to the Illibach river, a tributary on the way to the Rhône, between Upper and Lower Valais.
Between vineyards and footbridge
The next stop is Saillon, where some thirty grape varieties cover the slopes of the Rhône Valley, a place of legends and paths to the summits.
On the heights of Les Mayens-de-Saxon
900 metres higher, this stage takes you to the summit of the Pierre d’Avoi for a bird’s eye view of the Rhône valley.
The Grangettes nature reserve
The tour continues along the Rhône shore, between the cantons of Valais and Vaud, towards the old river marshes, a natural heritage site that is now protected.
Lake Geneva
The largest Alpine lake in central Europe, which takes 12 years to change its waters, offers a peaceful cruise on this extra leg to Geneva.
Between Switzerland and France
Last stop on Swiss soil at Chancy in the canton of Geneva before crossing the Cluse, between Fort-l’Écluse and Bellegarde, the first fortification on the banks of the Rhône in France.
Straddling the Ain and Haute-Savoie departments
The water’s edge guides this stage between the banks of two départements, from Seyssel to Chanaz and the Savières canal, between artificial island and river tourism.
The ViaRhôna by bike
A new stage from the Rhône river to its banks, cycling from the Jonage canal to the large Miribel park before Lyon, the ancient capital of the Gauls and the largest city in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, on the ViaRhôna.
Vienna, a city of art and history
Visit the city of the Allobroges and its Gallo-Roman remains in the medieval streets, from the heights of the city to the banks of the river, between the departments of Isère and Rhône.
Between Ardèche and Hermitage
A wine break between Saint-Joseph in the Ardèche and Hermitage in the Drôme, where the river has carved through the steep rock to form the Château de Tournon and the Marc Seguin footbridge spanning the Rhône.
Avignon, the city of the Popes
Another visit between the two shores of the former papal enclave that is the city of Avignon, with its palace and historic city still fortified at the foot of the Rhône.
Camargue and the Mediterranean
The final stop on this journey is Arles, the Camargue and the Rhône delta, with the Camargue nature reserve and Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône at the river’s mouth on the Mediterranean.
Pass me the Binoculars along the Rhône
You can also follow the report step by step, with text, photos and panoramic views for a detailed account of each episode on the RTS website:
Along the Rhône
- Map of the Rhône river
- Towns and villages along the Rhône
- Where to sleep in the Rhône valley?
- Weather along the Rhône
- Taking the train in Switzerland and France
- Rhône bike road
- Activities and leisure in Switzerland
