The first foothills of the Vercors (route no. 3) in Valence

l.pascale-LaDromeTourism

Description

The panorama is the major interest of this circuit associated with the discovery of the foothills of the Vercors. (124km)

The essentials: Fortified gate tower from the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. de Chabeuil, the magnificent Cistercian abbey of Léoncel, the medieval Tower of Crest and the narrow streets of the old town. The roads taken to go to the Col des Limouches and Col Jérôme Cavalli. As an option, the Combe d'Oyans (accessible on foot - climbing site) and the Bird Garden in Upie for families!

The plus of this circuit: its diversity between plains and pre-Alps, the panorama of the Valence plain on one side and the Drôme Valley on the other. The Romanesque churches of Gigors-et-Lozeron and Etoile-sur-Rhône. Beaufort-sur-Gervanne (old village with ramparts).

Did you know ? : The highest keep in France, 52 meters high, the Crest Tower (1633th century) was originally the major component of a vast fortress, dismantled in XNUMX. Only the Tower escaped destruction. It then served as a prison until the XNUMXth century. Hundreds of graffiti on the walls bear witness to the suffering or hopes of prisoners (protesters, political detainees, etc.). Classification as Historic Monuments.

Heritage to discover

Cistercian Abbey of Léoncel

A Cistercian abbey founded in 1137 and listed as a Historic Monument by Prosper Mérimée in 1840, the choir features a robust and uncluttered Romanesque style. The nave shows signs of a discreet evolution towards the Gothic style.
Nativity scene in the abbey church.

Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral

The Saint-Apollinaire cathedral is one of the oldest monuments in Valence. It is located in the center of the cathedral district and adjoins to the south the old early Christian baptistery and the episcopal palace, now a museum.

Armenian Heritage Center

Dedicated to the history of civilizations and the exodus of the Armenian people, the CPA highlights one of the highlights of the life of Valencia: the arrival of many Armenians in 1920 during the genocide that affected them.

Notre-Dame Church

This Notre-Dame church, originally known as Saint-Marcellin, is a fine example of late Romanesque art in the middle Rhône Valley.

Church of St. John the Baptist

The St-Jean district was a large parish in the Middle Ages. If no vestige of the initial building remains, its bell tower dates partly from the XNUMXth century and houses two historiated Romanesque capitals: the Woman with the Snakes and Tobias Capturing the Fish.

Saint Sauveur Church

This is the 3rd church on this site. It was rebuilt between 1842 and 1847 in an Italian neoclassical style on a new orientation (North/South), in order to free up a market square in the city center. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1983.

The House of Heads

Built at the beginning of the XNUMXth century by Antoine De Dorne, Professor at the University and Consul of Valence, this house marks the transition from the flamboyant Gothic style to that of the Renaissance. It owes its name to the presence of numerous sculpted heads.

The Tower of Crest

From the height of its 52 m, the highest keep in France invites you to relive 900 years of history: a medieval keep (XNUMXth-XNUMXth century), which later became a prison tower (XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries). Not to be missed: historical reconstructions and magnificent panorama.

The Field of Mars

The old “Promenade de Beauregard”, created on the initiative of the Bishop of Valence in the 1770s, took the name of Champ de Mars a decade later.

Upie Zoo

The Zoo invites you to discover more than 800 animals from 180 different species. From colorful parrots to majestic birds of prey, from graceful servals to curious meerkats, including tortoises and lemurs, they're sure to captivate the whole family!

The Peynet Kiosk

The Champ de Mars bandstand was created in 1862 by the architect Eugène Poitoux and became famous in 1942 thanks to the illustrator Raymond Peynet.

Jouvet Park

At the end of the XNUMXth century, anxious to preserve the panorama on the hill of Crussol, the municipality decided to create a public garden under the Champ de Mars, in the Robine district, embellished with a network of canals and small gardens. .

The pendant

In the cloister of the Cathedral was erected in 1548 the funerary monument of Canon Mistral. Constructed of molasse, its triumphal arch shape bears witness to the Renaissance's renewed interest in forms from Antiquity.

Etoile-sur-Rhone

The ancient history of Étoile is rich and the town has preserved evidence of the Roman era, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance but also of the Revolution.

Valencia Museum - Art and Archeology

The Museum of Valencia, Art and Archaeology, on the edge of the first terrace of the city, is located in the historic center of Valencia. Adjoining the Saint-Apollinaire cathedral, it offers a wide panoramic view of the landscape.

Beaufort-sur-Gervanne

Its dominant location offers the visitor an exceptional view from the Vivarais to the Vercors, up to the Saoû massif. Inside its well-preserved ramparts to the north, the village offers a fine example of a village grouped around its castle.

Gigors-et-Lozeron

The small village of Gigors, an integral part of the Vercors Regional Natural Park, clings, at an altitude of 600 meters, to the slopes below the cliffs of Savel, offering one of the most beautiful views in the region.

Crest

Crest, a cultural, sporting and festive town in the heart of the Drôme Valley, is a gateway to the Vercors. The medieval city was built on a rocky ridge, overlooked by the Tower.
Labeled “Most beautiful detours in France”.