UNIWORLD BURGUNDY AND PROVENCE

HIDDEN GEM ARLES

Perfect for style mavens looking to cruise the Rhône and Saône rivers, the 159-passenger SS Catherine boasts a daring decor. Silk wall coverings, a bespoke Murano chandelier and the animal print fabrics and dove-grey velour of Bar du Leopard are elegance personified. Staterooms have Savoir beds and marble bathrooms, while the Cézanne Restaurant menus reflect regional French cuisine. In Beaune, the hospice known as Hôtel-Dieu, with its roof of glazed tiles in yellow, green, rust and black, is the finest example of the late-gothic style known as flamboyant. No visit to Lyon – France’s gastronomic capital – is complete without touring Les Halles and its tantalising food stalls. Nestled on opposite sides of the Rhône, the twin cities of Tournon and Tainl’Hermitage are shrouded by ripening vines cascading down steep hills. Passengers who climb the warren of narrow lanes in Viviers to the Cathedral of Saint-Vincent are rewarded by an organ recital. Continuing south, the beautiful villages perchés with their golden stone walls splashed with autumnal sunlight set the scene for Avignon, which was the capital of Christendom for several decades in the 14th century.

GEM It was the mellow light that drew Vincent van Gogh to Arles in 1888 but it’s the scent of lavender, thyme and rosemary that welcomes visitors to this history-laden town today. The elliptical Roman Arena, dating from 70AD, is the best-preserved amphitheatre in France and was the setting for the movie Gladiator. It’s one of Provence’s best-kept secrets.

THE DETAIL Seven-night cruise from Lyon to Avignon aboard SS Catherine departs on 15 October 2017. Ports: Mâcon (Beaune), Tournon (Tain-l’Hermitage), Viviers and Tarascon (for Arles). Prices from £3,359pp, uniworld.com