Day 1
Morning: explore Valence
• Begin your visit at 10am. Time to go and see the must-sees of Valence.
• The Champ de Mars is not to be missed. From here, you'll have a great view and also see one of the most famous monuments in the town: Peynet bandstand . This bandstand is listed as a historical monument.
• The Maison des Têtes is named as such because the façade is deocrated with sculpted heads.
• The Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral is at the top of the old town, overlooking the ancient ramparts and lower districts on the banks of the Rhône.
• Depending on your pace, you might also have time to see the Porte Saint-Ruf, the Maison Mauresque and the Saint-Jean district.
• It takes around 2 hours to see everything on foot. You can also explore the town on a little train in July and August.
Lunchtime: lunch at the Place des Clercs
• The Place des Clercs is a typical town square next to Saint-Apollinaire cathedral, and here there's a wide range of restaurants to choose from.
• Local specialities, traditional French brasserie, world cuisine, fast food, outdoors or indoors…the choice is yours.
Afternoon: Etoile park
• For the afternoon, come and enjoy some quality family time at the outdoor leisure complex Etoile Park 26.
You can try out some water sports such as stand-up paddle, kite-surfing and tubing. For a really good laugh as a family you could also go on the inflatable structures.
You can also use the petanque pits, the Bambi Park (treetop climbing available for ages 2 to 6) and relax on the sun loungers.
Evening / overnight stay: traditional "guinguette"
• In the evenings at the Etoile Park 26 complex, there's a superb musical atmosphere at the traditional guinguette . There is also a karaoke evening every Tuesday.
• The restaurant offers burgers and chips and dishes of the day.
• Evelyne will give you a warm welcome for your overnight stay near the park at the Les Galets d'Evelyne gite.
• This former farm has been completely renovated, with a swimming pool and "table d'hôte" service for your evening meal with local products.
Day 2
Morning: Etoile-sur-Rhône
- Come and explore the historic village of Etoile sur Rhône where you can see constructions from different eras.
- On Wednesday morning there is a market with a wide range of products, and on Saturday mornings there's a more traditional market.
- You can walk up to the Parc du Château for a superb view over the Rhône Valley.
Lunchtime: restaurant La Truite du Père Eugène
- For lunch, we recommend the restaurant La Truite du Père Eugène in Beaumont-les-Valence.
- Taste the delicious trout and fried trout bites, in the shade of the willow trees.
Afternoon: activities near the lake
- For the afternoon, take the time to enjoy your surroundings. Next to the restaurant, there's a lake
where you can relax and have some fun as a family
It is possible to swim, go fishing or play crazy golf on the 18-hole golf course there.
Evening / overnight
- Back to the gîte. Relax and get a good night's sleep before your next day of sightseeing in the Drôme.
Day 3
Morning: visit Chabeuil
- Start your day by exploring the medieval village of Chabeuil . It takes around 1.5 hours to follow the sightseeing trail .
- There are several architectural gems that are worth a visit: town hall, monumental gate , former convent, Church of Saint-Jean. On Tuesdays, there is a market here.
- Then you can venture along the discovery trail of the Bachassier ponds "les deux renards " (the two foxes). In this area of wetlands there are six ponds that were dug out in 2001, to create favourable habitats for local wildlife.
- It takes 2 hours maximum to follow the adventures of the two foxes on this fun, interactive and informative trail.
Lunchtime: taste the "caillette"
- For lunch, you can choose from several restaurants near the monumental gate , at the entrance to the historic centre of Chabeuil.
- Take this opportunity to taste the caillette , a speciality of the town where there is even a brotherhood of the caillette!
Afternoon: horse-riding
- For the afternoon, you can go horse-riding with the Pialoux horse-riding stables in Montvendre.
- You can choose between going on a horse ride or pony ride depending on the age and ability of your children.
- You will mainly be taken along private paths where you can really get the most out of the Drôme countryside and enjoy a breath-taking view of the foothills of the Vercors .
Evening / overnight: open-air cinema
- Back to Etoile-sur-Rhône for an evening at the open-air cinema in the castle grounds.
- There is also an evening market depending on the day and the schedule. If you like discovering local products or craft items, you'll find everything you're looking for right here.
- Back to the gîte.
Day 4
Morning: discovery trail
- Go to La Baume-Cornillane to follow the discovery trail.
- This trail takes around 1.5 hours and will take you on a discovery of the natural environment that has been marked by the past.
- There are several stages along the way and you can learn about how the Alps came to be and about the local wildlife. The centre of Pangaea rock will take walkers back in time 240 million years.
- On this walking tour, you'll also have some great views over the Valence plain, as well as the possibility to explore the ruins of the Château des Cornillans .
Lunchtime: picnic or snack bar
- You could take advantage of this superb natural environment to have a picnic.
- You could also go to Upie Zoo for the afternoon and have lunch at the snack bar there.
Afternoon: Upie Zoo
• At Upie Zoo you can discover more than a thousand birds.
• In the summer season, there are 2 unique shows: the birds of prey and parrot shows.
• There's also a mini farm and inflatable structures so the children can have some fun and relax.
Evening / overnight
• Back to the gîte for the last night of your holiday in the Drôme.
Day 5
Morning: Cité de la Chaussure and sightseeing in Romans
• Go the the Cité de la Chaussure in Romans at 10am. The tour of this historic building and production workshops takes 1 hour. It is an opportunity to learn about the different stages involved in shoemaking.
• Then you can explore the historic centre of Romans if you follow the sightseeing map that you can pick up from the Tourist Office.
• Start at Jacquemart tower and admire the monumental clock there. At the top of the tower there's a big bell and mechanical figure.
• Then the tour will lead you to Saint-Barnard Collegiate Church . Take your time admiring this beautiful church that overlooks the banks of the Isère.
Lunchtime: at the auberge
• L’Auberge St Eusèbe , in Mours-Saint-Eusèbe offers traditional cuisine with fresh products.
• You can eat on the outdoor terrace.
Afternoon: treetop climbing
• The Accroforest in Peyrins is a multi-activities leisure park, for some quality time as a family and to round off your holiday perfectly.
• There are 13 different treetop climbing trails, of varying difficulty.
• Children from 8 years old can also try the outdoor laser tag.