Rhone Alps

Ardeche

Ardèche is located where Provence begins, in the south-east of France, along River Rhône, between Lyon and Avignon. Its climate is influenced by the Mediterranean Sea in the south of the county and by the Massif Central in the mountainous area.

With an easy access thanks to its location along the Rhône Valley, the county of Ardèche offers numerous and various stays for cultural or sporting groups.

SUPERB SCENERY IN ARDÈCHE

Those who love exploring the magnificent scenery in Ardèche are always fascinated by the very different landscapes, each with its own typical colour and type of rock: schist, granite, sandstone, limesto­ne... The low hills and magnificent high mountains are mostly bathed in golden sunlight. Typically medieval villages cling to the lie of the land, often near vast chestnut forests or dense thickets of Holm oak. Rivers, lakes and streams are ever-present... In fact Nature has divi­ded this beautiful county into five very distinct areas:

GREEN ARDÈCHE

The low-lying plateaux of Haut Vivarais are cut by verdant valleys where you can visit many superb vineyards: Saint Joseph, Cornas, Saint Péray...

With its numerous fields and orchards, this area stretches from the Ardèche moun­tains to the Rhône Valley in the east and to the Doux Valley on the edge of the Pilat National Park in the north.

It is the land of the impressive ruined castles of Crussol and Rochebonne, the unique Soyons archaeological site, and the town of Annonay, the largest in the county.

THE EYRIEUX VALLEY, PRIVAS, THE COIRON

Privas, famous for its marrons glacés, is also the National Government's Administrative centre in the county. Nearby are the Eyrieux Valley's famous peach orchards, the Coiron Plateau and the Montbrun Caves.

The villages here often have fabulous names: Vieux Rompon, Mirabel, Coux... and the balmy southern sun gives this area of strongly contrasting relief a very tempe­rate climate.

THE ARDÈCHE MOUNTAINS

This highland area culminates in Mont Mézenc and Gerbier de Jonc where the Loire River rises before flowing down to the Atlantic. It is a land of ancient volcanoes, crystal clear lakes, meadows and fir forests, an area of strong traditions where, today as yesterday, cottages with stone slab roofs or thatched with broom watch over the wild beauty of the countryside.

ARDÈCHE IN THE CÉVENNES

A paradise of heather, pine and chestnut woods, Ardèche in the Cévennes is an area of wild, unspoilt moun­tains.

With magnificent views, endless winding tracks, tiny towns with lively colourful markets as in Les Vans and Largentière, it is a very different world that has managed to retain all that is best of its proud history.

Part of the Cévennes massif, it has several health-giving hot springs, as in Vals les Bains, and a unique forest, the Païolive Wood, a natural labyrinth of ancient oaks and limestone outcrops.

SOUTHERN ARDÈCHE

With its endless garrigue (moorland) and sunshine, this is the most Mediterranean of Ardèche's regions.

But beneath this peaceful, hot, southern land is a hidden network of underground rivers which, over the cen­turies, scoured out miles of galleries and caves, such as the Chauvet Cave, that were subsequently occupied by our ancestors.

The Ardèche River has also carved 55 miles of wild gorges through the dominant limestone plateau, leaving behind a 200 ft free-standing natural arch Pont d'Arc.

Wherever you go you will pass proud castles alternating with exquisite towns and villages... Aubenas, Vogüé, Alba la Romaine...

For more general information about www.ardeche-guide.com  

Ardèche is a land of adventure and a privileged area for sports with canoeing, kayaking, cycling, climbing, mountain-biking, , hiking, ballooning...