Welcome to Drôme
The panoramic view of this French department is both impressive and changing, a feature that is provided by the fact that it is located between the Massif Central and the Alps, two undisputed French attractions for nature lovers.
If you want to enjoy doing tourism, you can start with the capital, Valence, which is also known as the Gateway to the South, or go on a route enjoying its cultural heritage with elements such as the Castle of Grignan or Suze la Rousse.
It has a wide tourist offer that also focuses on its lavender fields and walks through the most authentic flavours of typical products such as apricot, truffle or olives.
What to see in Drôme?
Living a very complete rural tourism experience is possible in this department where you will be able to enjoy the best views, and very varied landscapes where you will be able to connect with nature.
Among these landscapes you will be able to do a multitude of routes, both hiking and cycling, from which you will be able to observe some of the most typical villages of the area, which are located in the mountains and have a special charm.
The Romanesque heritage, materialized in churches and chapels is quite extensive in these villages, where you will find the original typical cobblestones and some of the most spectacular castles you can imagine.
But that's not all, you can also enjoy bathing areas and an endless number of plans for all kinds of travellers.
What curiosities are there?
If you feel like an urbanite and want to enjoy the towns and their heritage, you have to start with Valence, its capital, where you can visit a lot of artistic jewels that have earned it the title of Historic-Artistic City. Once you have finished, you must visit one of the most beautiful villages in France: Mirmande, with its stone buildings and views of nature.
The options are not over yet, because the thing is the Castle of Grignan or the Ideal Palace of the Postman Cheval may be other places to point out on the map.
Are you looking for strong emotions? Then look for the Combe Laval road, one of the mythical roads for the most adventurous tourists, as it runs around the perimeter of the Vercors Massif, which is part of the Alps and is one of the most impressive in France. You will find its summit at more than 2,300 meters and it is called Grand Veymont.
And since every deserves a good reward, this time we offer it to you in the form of gastronomy. Where to start? You could start with the town of Nyons, which is not only very beautiful, but also famous for its production of olive oil.
To open your mouth, try two of their most famous cheeses: the bleu du Vercors and the Picodon.
Book online your ideal rural house in Drôme
Where can you sleep?
The answer would be: any place is good to sleep in this department, since each of its nooks and corners keeps a unique essence and spaces full of charm where you will be able to enjoy the tranquillity and magic among the different types of accommodation.
There are hotels, flats and rural houses with different capacities and typologies where you will be able to disconnect as a couple, alone or with family and friends. Without a doubt, it is a corner worth enjoying on your visit to France.
You could start with areas such as Grignan where, if you stay, in a pleasant walk you can reach its imposing castle, but if you are more of a nature lover, there is nothing like a walk around Dieulefit and its iconic lavender fields.
Another of the most outstanding destinations in this department is the town of Bourdeaux, where the mountains, the forests and its different activities will allow you to enjoy the best holidays.
What to do in the area?
This French department is ideal for you to feel like an explorer and to organise the perfect plan, depending on the type of trip you are looking for. There is always an ideal option for you and your travelling companions!
For those who love routes, whether by bike, car or on foot, there is a path or a road to follow that will take you to a lavender field, or those old castles that can be seen from the surroundings, and cobbled streets between the walls of which you can thoroughly discover the medieval essence.
For those who travel with children, there are plenty of places related to nature where they can learn. If you like birds, Upie Zoo is a place where you can discover different types of birds, and learn more about them.
But if the little ones are big adventurers, they will surely be amazed at the crocodile farm in Pierrelatte, where there are more than 400 species!
When you are done with that adventure, there is nothing like starting a walk in the Saoû Forest that will be an unforgettable experience.
What typical foods are recommended?
This department has a wide variety of spaces where the most traditional products of this region are harvested and end up becoming part of the typical menu of the area.
As for the star products, we cannot fail to mention one of their big names, which are olives from the Nyons area, from which one of the most delicious oils is extracted and which will be used to prepare the typical recipes that also have a Denomination of Origin since 1994.
Among other of its most famous products, we highlight the cheese, specially two varieties of them: the Picodon, which is made from goat's milk and with an intense flavour, and the blue cheese of Vercors-Sassenage, which decorates the tables of the most sybarite inhabitants of this region.
It is precisely from these cheeses that one of the star dishes of this area is produced masterfully in the Delfinado area: ravioli.
However, if you are more of a sweet tooth and you like almonds, you will love Montélimar's nougat! A perfect option to add the icing on the cake of a most typical evening in Drôme.
Where are the festivities?
Do you want to travel to this department and you don't know if your stay will coincide with any of its local festivities? Well, you have got nothing to worry about! In many towns and villages, enjoying their traditional festivities is not an exclusively seasonal event, that is, you can make trips at the time you travel.
