The Vallée de l'Eyrieux
The Vallée de l'Eyrieux, its castles, character villages and terrace farming
The Vallée de l’Eyrieux which connects Cheylard and Voulte-sur-Rhône, is an ideal destination for a relaxing country break or for an outdoor activity holiday with family or friends ! The area has marvellous, contrasting scenery, a wide range of sporting activities and cultural festivals as well as a rich architectural and industrial heritage. From 100 to 1,200 metres altitude, the landscape changes from fields to wooded hills and mountainsides. There are plenty of historic and unusual places of interest to visit, a new place to explore every day ! The Château de la Chèze at Cheylard overlooks the town from a rocky crag. The 18th century castle, a listed Huguenot heritage site, has been undergoing renovation since 1989 by a group of volunteers who have taken great care to preserve the remains of the different ages the castle has lived through. Higher up the valley, the character village of Chalencon, with its picturesque narrow streets, has some amazing views. There are also superb uninterrupted views of the valley and its meanders from the balcony viewing point at St-Michel-de-Chabrillanoux which has two orientation tables to identify landmarks and is a great place to observe grey heron and buzzards in full flight. There are yet more magnificent views from the ruins of Pierre-Gourde castle which is reached from St-Laurent-du-Pape. Further along the valley, the character village of Beauchastel has impressively striking architecture. Art has left its mark on the village offering surprises around every corner. The whole of the Vallée de l’Eyrieux is planted with chestnut groves or distinctive emblematic terraced farming.
The Vallée de l'Eyrieux : sport spots and gastronomy !
Have a fun, exhilarating holiday thanks to the numerous sporting and cultural activities on offer ! The ‘absolute must’ of the Vallée de l’Eyrieux is of course its Dolce Via, (literally ‘gentle path’) to walk or cycle along. The path is the backbone of the area and follows the River Eyrieux though the heart of the lush green valley whose scenery will bowl you over at any time of year ! Climb rocks and throw yourself off them above the Eyrieux on the Aquarock treetop adventure trail. The river is also great for canoeing down and trout fishing. To keep cool, several reservoirs have facilities for swimming as do the lakes at St-Martial and Devesset, not far from the valley. Daredevil swimmers can enjoy jumping from the top of rocks into the many deep pools ! Eyrium water park is a great place for families with slides and play equipment for children.
The wool museum, Ardelaine, runs super workshops for children ! The Arche des Métiers holds events all year round so visitors can discover the scientific and industrial culture of the area in a fun way, providing a showcase for local skills. The Vallée de l’Eyrieux is also known as the Vallée du Bijou (Valley of Jewels), as it has a long heritage of jewellery creation. Stop off at the Maison du Bijou, a jewellery centre dedicated to past traditions and contemporary creations. To keep your strength up after busy fun discovery days stroll around one of the many traditional local markets to try local specialities such as legendary picodon cheese and tasty ‘caillettes de l'Ardèche’.
« I love walking up to the orientation table at Folembert in the morning with the sun on my back to admire the panorama of the Vallée de l’Eyrieux and the hills and mountains of the Géoparc. This expanse of nature in its purest form is a reminder of just how precious such beauty is and how important it is to preserve it. » (Léa, employee at Gites de France, Ardèche).
Continue your tour of Ardèche by exploring Ardèche Verte in the north of the region.
How to get to the Vallée de l’Eyrieux :
St-Etienne – Le Cheylard : 1¾ hours via N88
Marseille – Le Cheylard : 3 hours via autoroute A7, exit Loriol
Lyon – Le Cheylard : 2¼ hours via autoroute A7, exit Tain-l’Hermitage
Valence – Le Cheylard : 1 hour 20 minutes via D roads. You can also take « Le Sept » from Valence railway station, the bus (which has a bike carrier) stops all along the valley as far as Cheylard.
