CULTURAL HERITAGE
BALAZUC
A pearl on the list of the ""most beautiful villages in France""
A village that seems carved into the cliffs of the Ardèche River. A village where time seems to have stood still. Stroll along the old cobblestone streets, lose yourself in the narrow streets, and enjoy the impressive views of the river and surrounding mountains. This medieval gem of the Ardèche oozes history and charm.
The Church of Sainte-Marie, a Romanesque church dating from the late 11th and early 12th centuries. The bell tower features a three-sided vault. The altar is Balazuc's oldest historical heritage. From this bell tower, there is a breathtaking view of the river. A narrow staircase allows you to climb by clicking on the notch.
VISIT THE ARDÈCHE MUSEUM IN BALAZUC
This authentic fossil collection takes you through geological time to discover the Ardèche region millions of years ago. The museum features 200 m² of exhibits dedicated to the paleontological history of the Ardèche. Outside, in a small green corner, young and old can enjoy the activities offered every day: excavation workshops, fossil excavation and making casts.
EVERYTHING IS DONE ON FOOT
In Balazuc, everything is accessible on foot. You can park either at the bottom of the village overlooking the river, or at the top of the village. There is only one through road, and everything else is accessible only on foot. So, you walk through small underground passages, up and down stairs through the small, beautiful village. Artists are often very inspired by this beautiful Balazuc. You will therefore find small workshops where painters, sculptors, and potters exhibit their works. But also small shops selling precious stones and authentic local products.
LABEAUME
Labeaume in the spotlight. Another beautiful heritage site, also listed among the "most beautiful villages in Ardèche," we present the dolmen.
Labeaume is a picturesque village in the Gorges de l'Ardèche, located on the banks of the Beaume River and surrounded by impressive limestone cliffs and numerous caves.
The characteristic houses are huddled together along narrow cobbled streets and small vaulted passages. It's a pleasure to get lost in this maze of alleys and climb to the top of the village for breathtaking views.
In the heart of the village of Labeaume lies one of the most beautiful riverside spots in the region. The village beach is very easy to access and there are plenty of parking spaces nearby. You can also walk along the river to find a secluded swimming spot. A lookout point has been built on the cliff overlooking the river in the heart of the village of Labeaume. From the top of this lookout, the view of the village and the river is magnificent. To reach it, cross the village bridge and follow the marked path towards Saint-Alban-Auriolles. Then take a small path that climbs on the right. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from the village.
RECATADOU
Just outside the center of the village of Labeaume are the hanging gardens of Récatadou. This once very scarce agricultural land inspired farmers to build small gardens against the cliff, overlooking the Gorges de La Beaume. These small hanging terraces were created in the 18th century and maintained until the mid-20th century. They can be reached on foot from the village of Labeaume by following the yellow and white marked path that runs along the river in the Gorges de Labeaume (1.2 km). You can also get there by car and park in the parking lot of the "Récatadou" village hall (sign before the village of Labeaume on the right).
LABEAUME IN MUSIC
Every year, Labeaume hosts a must-see event. The "Labeaume en Musiques Festival" is a journey between classical and world music, in unusual locations. A stage by the river, in a clearing, a cave, or a chapel. The beautiful village of Labeaume serves as a natural backdrop. Here's the June lineup. Here's what the program for the fantastic "Labeaume en musiques" festival looks like. Want to know more about the rest of the lineup? Click HERE.
THE DOLMENS WALK
The Labeaume plateau (Labeaume, Rosières and Laurac-en-Vivarais) has an exceptional density of megalithic burials: 148 known dolmens, including 138 in the commune of Labeaume alone. With 850 dolmens, the Ardèche is home to one of the largest numbers of dolmens in France,
Dolmens are most common in limestone regions, as the material is ideal for their construction. Prominent reliefs (plateaus, hills, etc.) are favored by builders. There are several reasons for this: the favorable presence of this material, which is not present in plains and sparsely wooded areas, making the monuments that characterize the region highly visible.
A beautiful 13.3 km walk along the Dolmens. It takes about 4.5 hours and is well worth it. You can download a description of the walk HERE.
VOGÜÉ
The charming village of Vogüé is listed among the "Most Beautiful Villages of France"! Small houses at the foot of an imposing cliff. Narrow streets (even the narrowest in France), stone callades, typical of old Ardèche villages. A perfectly renovated castle, with hanging gardens, from where you have a breathtaking view... And all this, on the banks of the river... Yes, yes, we start to dream, but it's truly very beautiful!
On the banks of the Ardèche, nestled against a cliff, the castle of the lords of Vogüé, with its four round towers, watches over the village and its amphitheater-shaped streets dotted with arcades and vaulted passages. The pretty houses with warm colors and round tiled roofs bear witness to the southern character of the commune.
THE CASTLE
The castle is still owned by one of the great families of Vivarais, such as the Marquis de Vogüé. The castle includes a state room, a keep, and a 12th-century kitchen, the Jean-Chièze room and the Vogüe room, a chapel, and a hanging garden overlooking the Ardèche mountains. Art exhibitions are regularly held there. It is managed by the "Vivante Ardeche" association.
The castle hosts modern art exhibitions, concerts, and events. The admission ticket grants access to the castle itself, as well as to the exhibitions.
The castle is open daily from June 28th to September 20th from 10am to 7pm. Different opening hours apply outside of peak season.
FLEA STREET
This street, the narrowest in France, no more than 80 cm wide in places, is part of the oldest part of the historic village. The streets are crisscrossed by arcades and various architectural styles. Some houses date back to the Middle Ages. Rue des Balcons, formerly known as Rue des Foins, is also worth a visit.
Most of the houses, built from granite stone, are small and narrow but tall and therefore all have staircases and balconies made from stone from the quarry located next to the chapel "La Gleyzette".
THE GLEYZETTE
A small Romanesque chapel located next to the old quarries, which can also be visited. The blue stone was highly regarded and was used for many important bridges, train stations, and war monuments. Speaking of stones, you'll also find black pebbles on Vogüé beach.
This comes from the volcanic soil. At the entrance to L'Xpérience is a mosaic compass rose surrounded by black Vogüé pebbles.
THE MILL
Built before the end of the 13th century and rebuilt in 1458, the remains of the mill, which must have suffered numerous floods, lie in the river. There are also large rock slabs where it is pleasant to sunbathe in summer. The mill processed all kinds of cereals, but also produced walnut and olive oil using a special millstone. On the quayside, just before, opposite, and after the flower mill, your inner man can be satisfied. Numerous restaurants, ice cream parlors, and bars welcome you!
AND WHAT ELSE????
In short, WHAT ELSE? You can also go hiking around Vogüé. For example, there's the Vogüé Discovery Trail. It's hard to recognize in the photo, but it's a piece of underground river that runs under the houses and flows into the Ardèche. Another walk is the Cassolles Trail, a 4-kilometer route that takes between 60 and 90 minutes. The "Blue Stone Trail" is also 4 kilometers long and passes over the magnificent viaduct. On the L'Xperience website, you'll find descriptions of the walks in Dutch. Besides hiking and heritage observation, Vogüé is also the first embarkation point for discovering the Ardèche River by canoe. Be careful, the river can be spicy.There are a lot of gears and you get burned very quickly because of the sun's reflections on the water.
From Vogüé, you cross the D579 and head towards the beautiful town of Lanas.
Remember the movie "Papillon" with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman? Henri Charrière, better known as Papillon, was born in Saint-Étienne-de-Lugdarès in Ardèche in 1906. A French criminal and writer, he became famous thanks to his autobiographical novel "Papillon." Henri Charrière was a difficult child and was therefore forced by his father to undergo training in the French Navy. He was stationed in Calvi, on the island of Corsica, where he had a large butterfly tattooed on his chest. He left for Paris in 1928 where he made a living from petty crime. In the Montmartre milieu, he was known as "Papillon." After a criminal friend, "Roland Legrand," was injured and died from a blow to the stomach, Charrière was arrested and sentenced to hard labor for a murder he did not commit. He made several escape attempts and, in 1944, finally succeeded! He wrote an adventure novel, "Papillon," about his time in the forced labor camps, which was published in 1969. He became famous and kept his head on his shoulders. The book was filmed in 1973, starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. Charrière died of throat cancer at the age of 66. He was buried according to his last wishes in Lanas (Ardèche), where his mother was from.
GUIDED WALKING TOUR
Hermine is a passionate woman who knows how to tell the story of Lanas. During the months of July and August, she organizes a guided walk every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. During this visit to the medieval center of the small town, she will tell you about its beautiful heritage. It is necessary to register for the walk. You can do this by sending an email to the town hall: communedelanas@orange.fr or by calling; 04 75 37 72 02.
MUSEUMS
THE PALACE OF CANDY AND NOUGAT OF MONTÉLIMAR
You haven't seen the Ardèche region if you haven't tasted nougat in all its different flavors. The best way to do this is to visit the candy and nougat palace in Montélimar. The weekly markets in Ardèche also offer nougat. If Montélimar seems too far away, don't hesitate to visit the artisanal production workshop Le Petit Ardéchois in Saint Etienne de Fontbellon, near Aubenas.
Opening of the palace:
Monday: 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00-11:30 AM and 2:00-5:30 PM
COUSTELLET LAVENDER MUSEUM
Since 1991, George Lincelet, founder of the Lavender Museum, has welcomed more than 50,000 tourists. Located in Coustellet, a two-and-a-half-hour drive from L'Xpérience (perhaps a bit far, but a great way to combine it with a visit to Orange). Lavender is symbolic of Provence and also the name of a room at L'Xpérience. That's why we want you to remember this legend:
Once upon a time there was a very pretty fairy called "Lavandula", she was blonde and had very pretty blue eyes, she was at the origin of the birth of wild lavender in the Lure mountain.
One day, while looking for a place to settle while leafing through her notebook of landscapes, the fairy stopped in front of the page of Provence and began to cry at the sight of these poor uncultivated lands, and hot lavender-colored tears stained the open page. Wanting to hide this clumsiness, the fairy dried her blue eyes, but the opposite effect occurred, as fine droplets scattered again on the page.
Desperate, the fairy then pulled a large piece of blue sky over this Provence to forget all these stains! Since that day, lavender grows on these lands and the young blonde girls of this country have in their blue eyes the iridescent glitter of mauve lavender color, especially when at the end of a midsummer afternoon, they look at the metallic sky falling on the fields of lavender in bloom!
A pretty legend and a few drops of fine lavender essential oil to relax... enough to de-stress and have sweet dreams!
Lavender Museum
276 Route de Gordes
BP16 - D2
84220 COUSTELLET
Tel +33 (0)4 90 76 91 23
Opening:
From May to September 7 days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
SAINT REMÈZE LAVENDER MUSEUM
Lavender belongs to the Labiatae family, which includes aromatic plants such as thyme, savory, rosemary, oregano, mint, sage, etc., species abundant in the Mediterranean regions. Lavender grows on arid soils and in low-lying limestone mountains. Several species of lavender exist in the wild or cultivated on all continents. The structure of the lavender flower seems adapted to the visit of bees. The insect's back is covered in pollen, and when the insect enters another flower, it can ensure pollination.
Come and discover lavender cultivation in Saint Remèze, Ardèche. The museum is open from April 1st to September 30th.
Lavender Museum
Gorge Road
D490
07700 Saint Remèze
SILK MUSEUM
Le Moulinet is a former silk factory, construction of which began in 1795, on the site of an old wheat mill, dating back to at least the 18th century.
It included a cocoon house, where the silkworms were smothered, a spinning mill, a very large spinning mill...
Ardèche was once a region where silkworms were raised and silk thread was produced, which was woven in Lyon.
The exhibition focuses primarily on tracing the history of the workers and peasants who lived mainly from silk in the 19th century, through numerous photographs, engravings, documents, etc.
trying to bring this era back to life, by telling the story of the lives of the inhabitants of this region, in particular the little workers in the silk mills who in the 19th century were less than 8 years old, the peasants for whom silkworm breeding was the only source of income, the spinners, who after their work, still found the energy to make their trousseau...
You'll find the Silk Museum just before the entrance to Largentière. A good combination with the Tuesday morning market.
Opening:
April to November, Tuesday to Friday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. July and August, open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday closed.
CHESTNUT GROVE MUSEUM
Located in the heart of the medieval town of Joyeuse, the Chestnut Museum tells the story of the chestnut tree and its cultivation in Ardèche from the Middle Ages to the present day. This tree and its fruit have survived through the centuries and through its uses to this day.
Known as "The Breadfruit Tree," the chestnut tree has shaped our region and its landscapes, and structured its history, culture, economy, and agriculture.
Established in the former 17th-century Oratorian college in the heart of Vieux Joyeuse, the Chestnut Museum bears witness to the close ties that united the Cévennes with the "breadfruit" for centuries. Across 400 m² of exhibition space, you can trace the history of the chestnut tree through a unique collection of tools, objects, and furniture that occupied a prominent place in the lives of the Cévennes.
Present in Ardèche for 8 million years, the chestnut tree enjoyed a prosperous period from the Middle Ages onwards before going through numerous crises from the end of the 19th century onwards: diseases, exploitation for tannin, poor fruit sales, abandonment due to rural exodus. Today, Ardèche is the leading producer of chestnuts in France.
In the Museum's boutique area, you can enjoy the flavors of this fruit through the many artisanal chestnut-based products, made by producers from the Pays Beaume Drobie: chestnut terrines, gingerbread, chestnut honey, chestnut flour galette or biscuits; plain or flavored chestnut creams; liqueur and beer?
Opening:
May, June, September and October: Tuesday to Sunday from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM and from July 2nd to August 31st: Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: open from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
ARTS
PATHS OF CREATION
In the afternoon, we recommend a visit to Laboule. This picturesque village, located at an altitude of 650 meters, is teeming with artists! Come see, for example, the exhibition by Pauline van den Berg, who lives at the foot of the road leading up to Monteil, a small hamlet of Laboule. Pauline paints and draws some rather unusual portraits. If you're having a drink on the village terrace, you'll surely recognize a few people. The road continues to Le Monteil, where Denise Ferrari will welcome you into her painting studio. Her paintings represent travel memories and influences from other cultures. We leave Le Monteil to arrive in Laboule, where Christian Hornick has his wood carving studio. He creates beautiful objects with smooth wood, and what's more, his studio smells wonderful. Isabelle René creates objects in glazed stoneware and porcelain, fired at 1280 degrees in a gas kiln. You'll find modern, stylized bowls, platters, plates, and vases highlighted in bluish-black. Well, no bees or butterflies! Eric Potron is living his dream by creating a castle that would house plenty of princesses. He carves each stone by hand. Wherever you are, you'll find something beautiful! There are mosaics and sculptures. In short, go for it! Eric will be happy to accompany you. The road continues up to the heights of Laboule, where George and Monique Stahl have their glassmaking workshop. They make glasses, vases, and basins from Lalique crystal. Bernard Moulin and Mireille Lascombes make super beautiful jewelry. They have a workshop and small boutique in Laboule and a small store in Largentière. When you've seen everything in Laboule, head to Valgorge, via Le Serre to Marie Mennessier's. She makes super pretty watercolors. The small café in Laboule, located next to the multipurpose room, is open in July and August from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. www.laboule.village.free.fr .