Who goes there? You're at the gateway to the South: welcome to
Valence, half-way between
Lyon and
Avignon. The French illustrator
Raymond Peynet, set his romantic illustrations in
Valence and indeed the town is a little haven of romantisicm and poetry. Built on four tiered terraces beside the
Rhône,
Valence can be found between the wild countryside of the
Ardèche and the
Vercors.
Valence offers a little taste of the south and is well known for its fine cuisine.
The 11th century Romanesque
Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral in Valence dominates the town, this is one of the oldest buildings in
Valence. In the choir resides the statue of Pope
Pius VI, who died in
Valence in 1799. You'll find other traces of his presence in the boulangeries in
Valence: try a
Suisse, an orange-flavoured pastry biscuit which looks just like a Vatican guard, and is in fact around 200 years old (the recipe, that is).
The ghosts of Peynet's famous illustrated "sweethearts" still haunt the
Kiosque Peynet, a bandstand on the Champ de Mars: take your sweetheart and recite some poetry or whisper sweet nothings there.
In the town centre, the
Parc Jouvet is one of the most beautiful parks in the
Rhone valley, with an impressive view over the ruins of the
Château de Crussol.
The
Maison des Têtes (house of heads) is a fabulously decorative 16th century
hôtel particulier, which has welcomed numerous illustrious figures over the years. See if you can spot some of the famous "heads" on the façade, such as
Aristotle, Homer, Hippocrates and
Eve.
Valence is proud of its fine cuisine, and of the fact that
France's greatest chef,
Anne-Sophie Pic who has three
Michelin stars weaves her culinary magic in
Valence. Award yourself a visit to her restaurant
La Maison Pic.
Chocolate-lovers, take note:
Valence is chocolate heaven. The
chocolaterie Valrhona in Tain l'Hermitage (20 minutes away) makes what must be the
crème de la crème of chocolate. You'll find
Valrhona chocolate sold in numerous
shops in Valence... For the ultimate choco-paradise, don't miss the
Valence Chocolate and Sweets Fair. Take the opportunity to try some local sweet treats, such as
pogne (egg brioche flavoured with orange blossom or rum),
Montélimar nougat, truffles, sweet chestnut paste from Ardèche and
Valence fruits.
If you intend to
travel to Valence, the
Ardèche Gorges not far away are well worth an excursion. Equally, the
Pont d'Arc, is a stunning naturally occurring arched bridge: a sight worth seeing.
If you're visiting
Valence with the family, the
Soyons Archeological Site will fascinate the kids with the story of how man once lived in prehistoric caves.