Ardèche, a department to experience!
From the Massif Central, she took the mountains and the winter snows. From the Rhône valley, it captures the gentle Mediterranean way of life. Between multiple influences, Ardèche has its own personality, which attracts thousands of tourists every year. But what assets make this department one of the most visited in France?
Ardèche, between natural riches and architectural heritage
The leading department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes for green tourism, Ardèche is home to countless curiosities. Some sites are famous, such as Vallon Pont d'Arc, the Orgnac sinkhole – labeled a major site of France – or the Chauvet cave, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Mont Gerbier-de-Jonc, Lake Issarlès, the sources of the Loire, the famous juices, are all points of interest in the Montagne d'Ardèche.
But the territory also bears witness to human activities, through the slate-roofed hamlets of the Pradal valley. The Ardèche also conceals a rich built heritage and historical remains such as the abbey of Mazan, the chartreuse of Bonnefoy, the tower of Borne, the tower of Saint-Laurent-les-Bains.
Ardèche climate and landscapes
There is no one weather or geography in Ardèche. This territory is as diverse as it is unclassifiable! In the north there is a continental climate, similar to that of the plateaus of the Massif Central. In the south, Mediterranean influences offer mild temperatures and sunshine conducive to the growth of the vines. As for mountainous regions, they experience temperatures that can drop to -20°C in winter, with heavy snowfall and freezing wind, known here as “burle”.
The Ardèche natural heritage is a patchwork of mountains, hills, rivers and gorges, forests and plains. The Montagne d'Ardèche, alone, is home to an incredible diversity of panoramas: volcanic juices, peat bogs, flowery meadows, chestnut groves, basalt flows...
What activities to practice in Ardèche?
Like the landscape and climate, things to do and see in Ardèche are very varied. Depending on the season and everyone’s tastes, the area offers multiple attractions:
- gastronomic: chestnut products, fine gras from Mézenc, caillette, picodon, without forgetting the local wines of Ardèche;
- sports: hiking, horseback riding or mountain biking, via ferrata, canyoning, caving, canoeing, lake or river fishing, etc.
- cultural: multiple festivals, visit to the Most Beautiful Villages in France, visit to Mazan Abbey, Notre-Dame des Neiges Abbey, Tchier de Borée, troglodyte caves of Lake Issarlès…
- family: Safari de Peaugres, artistic itinerary of Partage des Eaux
Finally, don’t miss out on enjoying the joys of hydrotherapy at the Saint-Laurent-les Bains thermal baths in the Ardèche Mountains!
At the hotel, in a guest room or on a campsite, on foot or in a campervan, in summer or winter, discover the wonders of Ardèche.
