Places to Visit
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La Domain des Aromes
Just down the hill, in Beaufort-sur-Gervanne, this has a fabulous garden with hundreds of varieties of herbs and medicinal plants. There is a shop where they sell soap, scented candles and Body Shop style products manufactured on the premises using natural oils.
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15 mins |
Ralph Cambell's Honey Farm
The other side of Beaufort is the honey farm where you can taste and buy different varieties of honey (eg acacia,chestnut,lavender ) and see bees at work.
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20 mins |
Marble Factory, Aouste-sur-Sye
Usine de Billes. Marbles - those things you play with in the playground. Have you ever laid awake at night wondering how they can make them so round? The man who has been doing it for centuries explains all. In French. Gripping.
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20 mins |
Crest
Beautiful mediaeval town, perched on a hill, crowned by the notorious Donjon - the highest tower in France this was built in the c10 and has served for a dungeon for prisoners during various wars. Worth visiting, lots of steep steps.
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Crest: 25 |
Hulerie Richard, Aouste-sur-Sye
Olive Oil factory where you can crush your own olives and walnuts. Produces a huge variety of oils and vinegars, organic and spicy.
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Aouste: 20 mins |
Die
Another beautiful mediaeval town, the same distance from Escoulin as Crest but the opposite direction. This is centre of the local wine commune manufacturing Clairette de Die and has a great market on Saturday morning.
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Die: 25 |
Saillans
A glorious little village nestled under the Trois Becs.Great creperie (Le Tunnel) and market on sunday morning. The silk museum is a must for anyone fascinated by silk worms and our favourite canoe rental (Lido) is just down the road.
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Saillans: 20 |
Saou
Stunning little village where the inhabitants stage annual Mozart festivals and goats cheese festivals. Its home to our favourite restaurant L'Oiseaux sur sa Branche and the forest above the village is the start of the walk over the Trois Becs.
stop here en route to Dieulefit & Grignan
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Saou: 30 |
Dieulefit
Became the centre for arts refusing to conform to Nazi dogma during the war. capital of French pottery and a mecca for ceramic artists of variable abilities. Walk along the main street, visit the grotte shop, fantastic modern glassworks. Dine alfresco at the Escargot D'Ore, just next door.
Drive through Saou and Stop at Oiseux sur sa branche for lunch
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Dieulefit: 1 hour |
Chateau de Grignan
The grand hilltop castle where Madame de Sevigny wrote her celebrated letters. In the summer they do "Fete Nocturnes" where all the villagers and a few unengaged actors dress up in 18c costumes and perform 18c vignettes of courtly life and – in the castle square, a Moliere comedy. Buy tickets in advance from tourist information office in Beaufort / Crest.
Go via Saou and Dieulefit
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Grignan: 1 hour 15 mins. |
Le Village Provençal Miniature
An enormous hall stuffed with hundreds of dolls in Provencal costumes, posed in typical vignettes of local life (kicking dog, beating wife etc.) Definitely worth visiting if you are going to Grignan.
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1 hour 15 mins |
The Crocodile Farm, Pierrelatte
Europe's only crocodile farm features not only crocodiles but also exciting selection of alligators.
( worth combining with Grotte)
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1 hour |
Montelimar
A pretty town famed for nougat
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40 mins |
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Valence
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40 mins |
The Vercors
La Grotte de la Draye Blanche, an amazing underground cavern covered with stalagmites and stalactites that looks as if its dripping with vanilla ice cream (take a jumper and long trousers as it’s cold underground).
La Chapelle-en-Vercors: cemetery where an entire village was killed by Nazis as retaliation for Resistance attack.
Resistance Museum: gruesome photos and letters
La Caverne de l'Ours: a unique bear museum (?!).
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Varies: Grotte de la Draye Blanche is about 40 mins. |
Jardin des Oiseaux, Upie
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Romans
The shoe capital of France this charming city boasts the "world famous museum of shoes" which features mummified feet, Chinese foot binding and strange shoes through the ages.
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40 mins |
Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval, Hautrives
One of the most extraordinary things you will ever see this is a long drive but worth the trek. An extraordinary postman built this edifice between 1879 et 1912.Worth a visit, perhaps en route back home.
Go via Romans
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Hautrives: 2 hours |
Excursions
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Local Trip (2-3 hours)
Domain des Aromes - Beaufort
Honey Farm – Beaufort
Le Velan(panoramic views from + on plateau) – Plan-De-Baix
Eat: Hotel du Midi
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Crest Trip (half day)
The Marble factory (Usine de Billes) before Aouste
Huilerie Richard (Aouste)
Donjon (Crest)
Eat: La Porte Monsegur
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Die (half day)
Die Cathedral and town
Butterfly Farm
Eat: Les Batets or Le Petit Auberge
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Saillans
Canoeing / market on Sunday am
Walk through village
Wine tasting / buying
Eat: Le Creperie
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Drome Provence (all day, leaving at 10am)
Dieulefit town, market and potteries
Lunch: L'Escagot D'Or
Shop: Le Temps D’Autrefois
Grignan Chateau (and Miniature museum if time)
Dinner: Saou, L'Oiseau sur sa Branche.
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Vercours (all day)
L’Abbaye de
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North (3/4 day)
Roman town (antique shops) and Shoe museum
Lunch: In Roman nice place by the square?
Hautrives, Palais Ideal
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