A wine: L'Hermitage, a noble top wine which founds the world-wide reputation of Tain l'Hermitage together with the chocolate manufacturer Valrhôna.

The olive oil of Nyons

A typical product: The olive oil of Nyons has received a protected origin name (AOC) as the first France.

 Scenery: the Vercors nature reserve

A scenery: The nature reserve Vercors protects a so extremely rich and unique nature that he earns own book. Particularly among travellers the mountain massif enjoys an excellent call.

A cook: Anne Sophie PIC

A cook: Anne-Sophie PIC is the only woman in the select circle of the Michelin three-star chefs.

A village: Mirmande

Mirmande which was distinguished as one of the nicest villages of France crouches like an aerie on a rock – an oasis full charm in which the Middle Ages were just preserved like the nature and the arts.

A cult stop: Montélimar

Nationalstrasse 7 and traditional nougat. By now there you can enjoy the south on Ferienstrasse!

A noteworthy cultural heritage:

The castles of the Drôme offer you superior insights into the history of the Drôme provençale.

The international shoe museum of novel

A museum: the international shoe museum of novel – 4,000 years of shoe history and big fashion names... Shopping obliges!

In "Ferme aux Crocodiles"

An unusual place: In "Ferme aux Crocodiles" live more than 400 crocodiles and 10 gigantic tortoises.

  The ideal palace of the mailman Cheval

A surreal place: the ideal palace of the mailman Cheval – 40 years of stubbornness created a worldwide approved masterpiece of the kind of brood.

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All around Tain l'Hermitage two famous Côtes you Rhône with specific AOC label are grown:

The Hermitage with the Rebsorten Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne prospers on 126 hectares in three local authority districts: Tain-l'Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage et Larnage. It is a strong red wine with fine bouquet or a round white wine with full taste.

The Crozes Hermitage is grown in eleven local authority districts and on 1,250 hectares. The approved Rebsorten are those of the Hermitage. The specific feature of this wine situation consists in the fact that it is crossed by the 45th degree of latitude what gives her specific climatic conditions

The high quality of her wines – under it three Grands Crus Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Vinsobres and four AOC Côtes you Rhône, Vins de They, Châtillon-en-Diois, Grignan-les-Adhémar (without Côteaux you Tricastin) – let the Drôme in the league of the top wines join in.

beaux villages franceAn of the Rhône, with the N7 and A7 at the same time the biggest arterial road of Europe, there lie both biggest towns of the Drôme: Valence, the first hold of the TGV Méditerranée after a good two-hour journey from Paris, and Montélimar, since time immemorial here the gate to the south. And only few steps of the mountains of the Vercors remotely: Of Roman, the town of the shoes.

The villages of the Drôme belong to the nicest France – Mirmande, le Poët Laval, La Garde-Adhémar and Montbrun-les-Bains were distinguished as "Les 100 plus beaux villages de France". Sky-storming they sit high enthroned on a mountain, embedded in a unique nature.

    Proud Maltese heir in Poët Laval

The bright facades of Poët Laval contrast with dark forest scenery and are crowned by the mighty castle tower of the former Malteser-Komturei. Sinuous lanes lead to hidden art craftsmen, the cultural centre Raymond-du-Puy where contemporary art is shown, and the museum of the Protestantism. Epicures can be gone well it in the inn "Les Hospitaliers" and then must cost absolutely the local goat's cheese speciality, "Picodon".

From a medieval picture book in La Garde-Adhemar

Once the small town of La Garde-Adhemar was garrison posts of the counts Adhemar and could retain integrity his medieval ambience. A respectable town wall and mighty town gates give an impregnable painting to the small town high situated about the Rhônetal furthermore, while the old arcade stores offer today unusual art craft. The elegant bell tower of Saint Michel is already to be put out from wide distance and the church is valid as one of the nicest Romanesque churches of the Provence.

 Cultural heritage PALAIS2 LPASCALEDas of the Drôme lives on this rich variety, the report gives from the strong past and home attachment.

Extremely like her venues and programmes are the famous festivals of the Drôme. In special sites like "Palais idéal" of the mailman Cheval or on castle Grignan, before the scenery of the highest donjon of France "Tour de Crest" and in villages with character they receive gifted artists, actors and musicians.

 savoir-fair-traditional skill. What would be the Drôme without her potter works of Keramikern like Jars or Revol? Or her famous brands like Lafuma, Valrhona or Valdrôme …? In the Drôme, to the civilised country between innovation and tradition, traditional craft is alive till this day: The nothing but old craft which it is a matter to discover produces … cradle boob and violin maker, glassblower and professional manufacturer and the last manufacture of France, the still "Scourtins", fiber mats for the olive oil production!

thermes montbrun drome in unique surroundings at the foot of the village Montbrun-les-bains which were distinguished as one of the nicest villages of France the Thermen provide for well-being with Verwöhnpaketen for discoveries, relaxation or vitality … in one, two or also three afternoons. Every use contains the admission to the relaxation area, Aguagym washbasin and to the fitness space.

                                                                   Palais Delphinal - Saint Donat sur l'Herbasse

Further to the south the Drôme river crosses the Département of the east after west. As a wild river with clear floods he flows of the Alps direction Provence and offers ideal conditions on a refreshing bath with the family and/or a paddle or raft tour.

Wanderings

More than 5,000 km of marked footpaths open than "grandee Randonnée" (GR) and regional routes (GR de Pays) in the Drôme the protected nature.

One of them is especially worth mentioning: the international distant footpath "Sur les pas des Huguenots" (on the traces of the Huguenots and Waldenser). On a length of 1,400 kilometres he follows the historical tracks of the Huguenots and Waldenser till Switzerland and Germany. In the Drôme he runs of Poët Laval up to the passport Col de Menée.

 randonnee-a-pied-dromeRetrouvance as an ecotourism supplier the office national of the Forêts invites to discover the middle mountain ranges of the Diois and Vallée de la Roanne with a leader on wanderings. It is slept quite rustic in forest huts. On foot, high to horse, with the mountain bike, with the donkey, on ski or snowy shoes, even in the dog sledge the massif of the Vercors along the grandee Traversée you can be discovered Vercors on tailor-made tours for every level.

 And, finally: the Drôme on horseback. The horse country for leisure riders can be experienced in many kinds: with horse wanderings, with the wintry Ski-Joering, on Kutschfahrten, in the vacation on the pony court, by the area ride, travelling horse riding or west horse riding … The organisation of La Drôme à Cheval organises and maintains a net from 2,500 bridle paths and unites the majority of the professional suppliers in the riding tourism.

In the north the regional nature reserve of the Vercors in the midst of his picturesque middle mountainous region rescues holiday kind with sense of family. Wanderings on foot or on horseback, Mountainbiking, downhill race and cross-country skiing are here a prevailing pleasure.

 The Drome is the ideal country for the "on the edge" drivers.

A thick net of cycle tracks of more than 2,000-km length which are labelled especially for cyclists pulls through the Département. 18 round routes are performed on the bicycle routeing chart which have given change the Conseil Général and IGN. Besides, in the Département runs a wonderful bicycle route: the ViaRhôna. This bicycle distant way connects on a length of 670 kilometres along the Rhône Lake Geneva with the Mediterranean Sea and runs for the most part on old Treidelwegen. On half a way invites the Drôme to leave the main route and to discover the hinterland with the vlleys at an angle running to the Rhône on cycle tracks.

provenceAn to his shore rescues the nature reserve «Réserve temperament of the Ramières» besides pretended Travelling and Mountainbiking routes.

Mountain bike

Particularly for mountain bikers is suited the second, 130-km-long bicycle route which runs along the Drôme river. She follows of the Drôme of her spring in Bâtie-des-Fonts up to her inlet in the Rhône with Livron. Who is on the move with the mountain bike, finds in the Drôme 3,000 km of marked mountain bike routes between the Vercors massif and the plateau d'Albion.

Of the association of Drôme VTT maintains in more than 30 locations centres with rental company service in which 160 signposted round ways of all degrees of difficulty begin.

The Chemins you Soleil (solar ways) are two diverse MTB routes by the Voralpen. They connected originally Valence with Gap and Grenoble with Sisteron, became, in the meantime, however, to Digne-les-Bains extend. Both distances belong to the big national distant cycle tracks which carry the quality mark of the Fédération Française de Cyclisme.

Annually in May the best mountain bikers of Europe compete with the long distance running "Raid-VTT Les Chemins du Soleil".

Deeply in the south, finally, follows the Drôme Provençale with her wealth: with lavender, olive groves, nougat, truffle, the vineyards of the Côtes you Rhône and Grignan AOC les Adhémar, to the castles of Suze-la-Rousse, Grignan, to Montélimar and the art craft like the pottery of Dieulefit.

Golf

The high-class arrangements are embedded in diverse sceneries – in the level or the mountains, in the valley of the Rhône, in the Vercors or in the Drôme Provençale. A likeable and warmhearted receipt stamps them all

Market

And then other specialities of the Drôme lure: Not to forget truffle, nougat from Montélimar, olives and olive oil from Nyons, guinea fowl, the goat's cheese "Picodon", the mould cheese "blue you Vercors-Sassenage", the paste parcels "Raviole you Dauphiné" lime-tree blossoms from the Baronnies, spelt from the hitting Provence, walnuts from Royan, the yeast ring cake "Pogne" from novel, the mellow dough little man "Suisse de Valence", and, the quality and the aroma of the fruits from the Drôme. The highest skill in the service of the best regional products … offered from famous cooks like Anne-Sophie Pic which has brought it as the only woman to three Michelinsternen, up to future culinary stars who stand in the cookers of the "Bistrot you Pays" with which "Promenade Gourmande" boil and with love to the quality sometimes traditionally sometimes there moulder true great pleasures create.

With cooking courses grant to star cooks and passionierte professionals insights into her cookery.

And then there are still the markets, colorfully filled with the fruit and vegetables of the season, with cheese and sausages, beekeeper's products and other products of farmers who love her country and divide her products with the heart.

Biotourism and ecotourism

The Drôme is the leading bio-region of France. Otherwise, in France there nowhere are so many bio-companies and the whole food shops which lead a big range in bio-products of vegetables up to meat.

 The number one in the country is the Département also with the cultivation of aromatic plants. The Drôme covers 35% of the French production and 90% of the regional production. From the variety and high environmental quality of her natural landscapes, stand how the regional nature reserve of the Vercors under nature conservation, about environmental assessments like those of the woodland "Forêt de Sou" up to the courses in the bio-agriculture on the ecological centre "Les Amanins" a lasting chain has set up the Drôme in the ecotourism.

What do like small like big children particularly? Sweetmeats, of course! And you can enjoy this in the Drôme extensively

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Cruise on the Rhône and Saône

… live "in the lap of luxury"

Chalon-sur-Saône - Mâcon - Collonges-au-Mont-d‘Or - Tain- l‘Hermitage - Lyon - Tain-l‘Hermitage - Viviers - Ardèche - Avignon
Experience the Saône and the valley of the Rhône, enjoy the wines of the Mâconnais, Beaujolais and the Côtes you Rhône and spoil yourselves from culinary lusciousness of the French kitchen. On your trip you visit famous places of interest, like the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune, the old wine trade town of Mâcon, the region Beaujolais and the „Hameau you Vin“, the wine country of the Côtes you Rhône with Valence and the metropolis Lyons.

Travel course

1. Day: Journey after Chalon-sur-Saône

The journey leads after Chalon-sur-Saône.

2. Day: Chalon-sur-Saône - Mâcon

In the morning you start to an excursion in wine-blest Burgundy. They see world-famous wine situations like Buxy, Givry, Chagny and Pommard. Past the nicely situated castle of Rochepot the journey to Beaune, since the 18th century leads meeting place of the wine connoisseurs. In a controlled walk by the famous Hôtel-Dieu you win an impressive insight into the medical care from the longest past times. For the lunch you are again back aboard and the MS Mistral puts away in the direction of Mâcon where she moors for the night.

3. Day: Mâcon - Belleville - Trévoux - Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or

After the breakfast you experience under local-expert guidance the main places of interest the old wine and commercial town of Mâcon. Afterwards your ship thins out the anchor and goes saôneabwärts. In the late morning you are expected to a snack in the restaurant.

In Belleville you start to an excursion to the nice Weinanbaugebiet of the Beaujolais. They visit the impressive wine museum „Hameau you Vin“ in Romanèche-Thorins and of course you cost the famous wine of the region. In Trévoux you hit again on the MS Mistral which goes away about two hours to Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or. Here you experience the known restaurant of Paul Bocuse which expects you in the today's evening to a top-class menu with the master of the French noble catering trade. Details about the dinner will betray only in the evening. We wish.Die abbey "bon appétit" Collonges unusual acoustics and different affectionately restored organs have.

4. Day: Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or - Tain-l'Hermitage

Early in the morning the Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or MS Mistral leaves and reaches at the midday the famous wine place Tain-l'Hermitage. The today's excursion leads first in the small town of Tournon which offers you a marvellous view of the vineyards of Tain-l'Hermitage. The second leg of the journey in the Roman city of Valence in which you have time for a stroll about the Place of the Clercs with the cathedral St-Appollinaire. Back aboard your ship thins out the anchor and goes in the direction of Lyons. In the evening you are expected to a festive 6 way gala dress dinner in the restaurant.

5. Day: Lyons - Inspection and spare time

Already in the early morning your hotel ship has reached Lyons. After the Ausschiffung you take part in a controlled inspection tour by Lyons which leads you among other things in the old quarter St-Jean with his historical passages.

6. Day: Lyons-Valence - Tain-l'Hermitage

In the morning MS van Gogh leaves Lyons. The journey goes by the Rhônetal, past the Roman's town of Vienna and Condrieu, at the foot of the vineyards of the Côte Roties conveniently. After the lunch you reach the known wine place Tain-l'Hermitage. Here you leave your hotel ship and make an excursion which leads you in the subtending small town of Tournon.

From here you have a marvellous view of the vineyards of Tain-l'Hermitage. Further the journey goes to the Roman city of Valence. The centre of this nice town forms of the Place of the Clercs in whose southwest corner 1095 consecrated cathedrals St-Appollinaire stands. To you time remains to a stroll through the small lanes of the Old Town. Afterwards return journey to your ship in Tain-l'Hermitage. Today after the dinner a coloured evening with music takes place in the drawing room.

7. Day: Tain-l'Hermitage - Viviers

In the morning departure of the ship rhôneabwärts, past the nougat town of Montélimar to Viviers. After the lunch your coach is ready to an excursion to the famous gulches of the Ardèche to the entrance. The journey leads a piece rhôneabwärts after Bourg-St-Andéol and over attractive Hochstrasse of Le grass after Vallon-Pont-d'Arc. Here nearby stands the wonderful natural arch: the 34-m-high "Pont-d'Arc". In the next journey over famous Höhenstrasse you experience in numerous vantage points the wild scenery of the Ardèche gulches. In the evening you are expected to the festive gala dinner in the restaurant.

8. Day: Viviers - Avignon

During the breakfast your ship further goes rhôneabwärts. Past Pont Saint esprit and Roquemaure you experience the biggest sluice arrangement of the Rhône with Donzère-Mondragon. Early in the afternoon you have reached the old pope's town of Avignon. Their coach brings you by typical provenzalische sceneries to the Pont-du-Gard, the mighty aqueduct which the Romans established to the water supply of the city of Nîmes. Afterwards, again back in Avignon, you visit within the scope of a guidance the famous pope's palace. Up to the dinner aboard some time remains for everybody to explore the town on own initiative.

9. Day: Avignon - Journey home or the second leg of the journey

After the last breakfast you start to the return journey.

Drôme

Confidential tip

From Moritz Meyer

Here ends the inhospitable north and begins the mild Mediterranean climate.

The Drôme is a river which flows in the area of Valence of the east into the Rhone. She stamps the French department of the same name. Lying immediately towards of the a lot of more known Ardèche, she stands in the matter of tourism in lively competition with the immediate neighbours. The fact that this area was not properly discovered yet, no disadvantage must be. Though the infrastructure offers everything to the visitors what they search, nevertheless, they do not set yet in the oversized tourist stream. The area on the edge of the south nightmares remains a confidential tip. Besides, here the border runs between the rather inhospitable north and the mild empire of the Mediterranean Sea.

Geologically and klimatologisch this scenery is extremely varied. In the south olive groves and lavender fields show that the friendly climate works here. In the north and the east it goes in the runners of the Alps where the streets must writhe upwards and by gulches which have cut the wild waters in the rocks. In the west the valley of the Rhone provides for the fact that the Mistral (strong wind in the south of France) has free passageway and mostly expels the sombre rain clouds. There one also finds the big Rebgebiete which deliver a mostly inexpensive wine made happy by the sun. With us he is known as a Côte you Rhône.

Short journey

The weather gives the impulse for our rather conventional journey. We are expected end of the afternoon on Sunday in Tain-l'Hermitage on the shore of the Rhone. Because Saturday is still rainy, we decide to put back a good 500 kilometres without bigger circumlocutions above the highway. How surely we have, points our courageous attempt to make one more excursion over the country roads on the foot of the law. Immediately we are violently given a shower.

Wet pursues us further on the highway in the direction of Lyons, so that we are glad when the cloud cover bursts in the Rhone valley and dries the sun our things combinedly with the journey wind. According to route planner the distance is to be created in about five hours. We allow ourselves a whole day with several breaks. Let arise only no stress. It should become restful holidays.

From the Rhone after Them

About evening we come in the idyllic place Tain-l'Hermitage. It is named after a small hermitage which is to be seen on the hill train beside the Rhone, high about the Rebbergen, still. In the "Hôtel of 2 Coteaux" (2 hills) which lies with the a good 150 year-old suspension bridge on the shore of the Rhone expect to us Peter and Micha which will accompany us on the tour. It is fed in the equally subtending restaurant «Le of dock» where we meet the representative of the local tourism association, Natalie. The father of the landlady has a bar which the guide Michelin has awarded a star. The high honouring apparently has effects.....

 Tain-l'Hermitage

Mirmande

The  Rhône Valley

 Isère

Von Norden auf den Col de Rousset:

Col de Rousset:

 One of the numerous castles: Roussas

 Old walls on the way back to the nature

 Oilive Tree. More than 200 Years

 Canoe journeys are a gigantic hit on the Drôme

 Col de Rousset

 The time has often passed the old settlements

 Wonderful well with the castle Grignan

Drome River in Aouste-sur-Sye

Castle of Grignan

 The hotel of Hammeau de Valouse lies lonely with an imposing gulch

 Spectacular streets are numerous on the tour

Trip  Drôme: MAP