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ARDÈCHE / DRÔME STORY ANGLES
The
‘departments’ of Ardèche and Drôme are both located in the region of the
Rhône-Alpes in France. They have little in common with their neighbouring
Alpine ‘departments’ and have more similarity with Provence to the south.
These ‘departments’ straddle the Rhône River with the Vercors and Alps to
the east and the Massif Central to the west. Easy to reach by road from
the UK and also by TGV and Eurostar, new travel options have become
possible recently with the introduction of low cost flights to Nîmes, St.
Etienne and Montpellier to enhance the services already extant into Geneva
and Lyons. Great holiday destinations at any time of the year, these
unspoilt areas of France have much to offer.
DRÔME
Gastronomy
– a bouquet of flavours
o
The ‘Picadon’ – the goat’s cheese that has gone into
space!
o
Ravioli of the Dauphiné – now ‘appellation d’origine’
was introduced from Piedmont or it could date from the 15th
century as a dish eaten at Lent as it contains cheese and not meat. The
name comes from ‘rave’ – French for turnip with which ‘ravioles’ were
originally stuffed!
o
Nougat from Montélimar – one of the most famous
sweets in the world dates from the 17th century after the
introduction of almond trees to the area by Olivier de Serres.
o
Tricastin Truffles – the Drôme is the principal
producer of truffles in France and this tip-top truffle is the same as
those found in Périgord.
o
Olives from Nyons – known as ‘black pearls’. Olive
growing has been carried out here for centuries and some of the trees are
a thousand years old.
o
Lime Trees of The Baronnies – account for 90% of
national production. The lime tree is dedicated to Venus, although it was
known by the French Revolutionaries as the ‘Liberty Tree’. The flowers
have sedative and slimming qualities.
o
Pognes de Romans – literally a fistful…of dough is
used to make this cousin of the brioche. It used to only be eaten on
feast days but now any time will do.
o
Le Suisse de Valence – a toy you can eat! A biscuit
made to look like the Swiss Guard which should only be eaten on Palm
Sunday.
o
Guinea-fowl – a flight of fancy! Introduced to the
Drôme by Hannibal (the Roman general not the cannibal!)
o
Tutti fruiti – so much fruit is grown in the Drôme,
it is known as the orchard of France. Peaches, nectarines, apricots,
pears, apples, kiwi-fruit, walnuts…the list is endless. This is where the
Y shaped fruit tree was invented.
o
Wines of the Rhone Valley – are internationally known
and respected, and in the Drôme there are several wine routes one can
follow such as that of Hermitage and Côtes du Rhône Villages.
Fragrances
of the Drôme
o
The Lavender Routes have been devised to take one
through the most lovely scenery always surrounded by lavender. Try either
Drôme Provençale or the Vallée de la Drôme and Diois.
o
Botanical Villages - a fascinating mixture of
communities specialising in the production of aromatic, medicinal or
perfumed plants that grow so well in this ideal climate. There is a
‘Villages Botaniques’ itinerary to follow. Each village has a specific
theme and produces at least 150 different plant species.
o
Gardens of the Drôme – individual establishments also
producing botanical and aromatic plants.
o
Markets – something that no-one should miss in the
Drôme are the many food and flower markets that abound. A riot of colour
and noise and all good things.
Culture
and Heritage
o
Châteaux of the Drôme – there are four outstanding
chateaux not to be missed. They are Montélimar – a medieval masterpiece,
Grignan – a Renaissance wonder, Suze-la-Rousse – now the seat of the
‘Université du vin’ – with the highest castle tower in France!
o
Hilltop Villages – a collection of eighteen
perched-villages that represent an important piece of local history dating
from medieval times when the show of power and wealth was all important.
o
The Most Attractive Villages of France – there are
143 affiliated villages in this association and four are in the Drôme.
The idea is to rejuvenate these jewels in the French crown and bring them
to life rather than watching them slip into decline.
o
Industrial Tourism – there are a wealth of different
places to visit to learn more about the skills and traditions that still
play an important part in the local economy - the Silk Workshop for
example, or the International Museum of Shoes.
o
Location, location, location - the region actively
works with the film industry to encourage films to be made in the area as
this is a way of getting flattering photography to enhance the tourist
industry. There are many routes to follow but one the British will know
is that of the film ‘Le Hussard sur le toit’ with Juliette Binoche.
o
Concerts and festivals – there are much entertainment
but key are the various ‘Fêtes Nocturnes’, the John Sebastian Bach
Festival, the Correspondence Festival or the International Guitar
Festival.
A
Natural Playground
o
Summer activities are diverse and many but the most
popular are walking (the Drôme has more marked routes than any
‘department’ of France), climbing (there are 37 climbing areas), potholing
through the limestone karst landscape, golf – there are three 18-hole
courses, para-gliding, fishing, cycling, canoeing (even by moonlight if
you prefer), mountain-biking, riding, and wild water sports such as white
water rafting.
o
Winter sports include both cross country and downhill
skiing especially in the Vercors.
o
Go-karting – is apparently undergoing a boom at the
moment and in the Drôme there are four important circuits!
Areas
and Towns
o
The Drôme is split into five main areas:
Drôme des Collines – in the north of the ‘department’, lush and green,
it is where to find Tain l’Hermitage wines on the banks of the Rhône.
Royans-Vercors – the Vercors is now a Regional Park and houses
some of the most dramatic panoramas in this part of the world. The
history of the Second World War will never be forgotten.
Valence-sur-Rhône – a great place to stop when exploring the
Drôme it is a good centre from which to take trips.
Drôme Valley – Diois – between the Vercors and Provence, the
Drôme River flows through giving this area a great treasure of plants and
flowers. The light here brings many artists, glass-blowers, writers and
sculptors.
Drôme Provencale – the land of olives, lavender, thyme, sheep and
goats – the influence here is from the south.
o
The main towns are:
Valence – on the Rhône has a pretty Old Town with its Cathedral of St.
Appolinaire and ‘Maison des Têtes’ for example.
Montelimar – capital of nougat and home of the Museum of Miniatures
and Château des Adhemar.
Crest – has the tallest keep tower in France and hosts the Vocal Jazz
Festival every year.
Romans – centre of footwear, it has the International Museum of
Footwear with over 10,000 exhibits and plenty of factory outlets!
Die – bears testament to its importance in the Roman era, the Middle
Ages and the Renaissance. Home of the fruity, sparkling Clairette wine.
Nyons – a centre of olive-oil production, honey, picodon and lavender
are also specialities. Not to be missed are the Rencontres
Mediterraneennes and Olivades festivals in summer, nor the
Alicoque – welcoming the new oil in February.
La Chapelle en Vercors – in the centre of the Vercors, this town bears
testament to the Second World War and the events that took place in this
area at that time. |