Montélimar (Drome, Rhone-Alpes)

Montélimar (Drome, Rhone-Alpes) mini guide

The city of Montélimar is dominated by Château des Adhémar, a castle built by the Adhémar family who reigned over the city in the middle ages.

The site where the city of Montélimar stands today has been inhabited since the Celtic era. It was reconstructed during the Roman reign, including a basilica, aqueducts, thermae and a forum.

Montélimar was the hometown of Émile Loubet, President of France from 1899 till 1906, who also acted as the mayor of the city. It was also the birthplace of Louis de Freycinet, the French navigator.

The city is known to many as the capital of nougat, one of the 13 desserts of Provence and highly appreciated throughout France.

Montélimar boasts a magnificent array of tendered lavender fields as well as the patches of wild lavender. The aroma and colour is a spectacular sight along the Lavender road between spring and autumn.

The city is in a lovely sunny location and worth visiting all year round.

Things to do

A perfect place to take leisurely strolls and enjoy the tastes and the smells of the Drome. Eat in many restaurants around the city and enjoy local delicacies including olives, truffles, Le Picodon (goat's cheese), honey, the local wine and of course nougat!

Those looking to do something a little more active:

• Canoeing down the Ardèche gorges, from a 2 hour run to two days. All equipment can be hired and their is a minibus shuttle service to and from the gorges: Quai des Pescadoux - 07700 Saint-Martin d'Ardèche Tel: + 33 (0)4 75 98 73 44
• Rhodia Beach Leisure Area - set amoungst the trees, the leisure beach offers a variety of watersports including swimming in the lake or pool, angling, canoeing, pedalo and a water-jump as well as out of the water activities including tennis, boules, volley-ball, slot-racing, joggers' paths, sun-bathing, open-air dancing at the café, picnics or the simple relaxation of an evening at the waterside: 1205 chemin de l'Ile Blanc - 26200 Ancône Tel: + 33 (0)4 75 51 20 05
• La forêt de Robin - Located in the middle of the Marsanne Wood, this tree adventure park offers 9 courses ranging from those for the younger tarzans through to the more experienced. There are 90 games in total to enjoy at La forêt de Robin. Open from 9am to 5pm from April to the 31st October: 26740 Marsanne Tel: + 33 (0)4 75 90 35 27

Places of Interest

• Château des Adhémar - built at the end of the XIIth century the Château was classified this as a historical monument in 1889. The castle is a rare and fine example of a residential palace from the Romanesque period.
• The Castle of Grignan - the greatest Renaissance Château of South East of France, famous with Mrs de Sévigné in the XVIIth century.
• La Tower of Crest - standing at 52m high, this is the highest 'donjon' (prison) in France. It enjoys fabulous panoramic views from its terraces. It is currently used for housing exhibitions and telling the story of the 'donjon', as well as for absailing down.
• The castle of Suze la Rousse - this magnificent medieval castle dates back to XIIth-XVIIth century. It was transformed in the XVIth century and boasts a wonderful renaissance yard.

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Guide point	Details
Department:	The Rhone Alps (SE France) > Rhone Alps > Drôme >
Location:	Located in south east France in the departement of Drome, in the Rhône-Alpes.
Public Transport:	By Train From Paris you can take a TGV to St Etienne, Lyon or Orange and then find a local rail or coach connection to Montélimar. By Plane Montélimar does not have direct connections with UK. Nimes, Montpellier & Marseille airports have flights to UK destinations with various airlines, for example Ryanair, British Airways, Air France and Easyjet. It is worth checking online to find out which airlines are offering the best deals at the time. By Boat Motorways: A9, A75 (750 km from Paris, 345 km from Barcelona). The drive from Calais to Montélimar is just over the hour.
Tourist information website:	http://www.montelimar-tourisme.com/indexen.php
Tourist information contact email:	info@montelimar-tourisme.com
Tourist information switch board number:	+ 33 (0)4 75 01 00 20
Tourist information address:	Office de Tourisme Intercommunal de Montélimar, Allées Provençales, 26200 - Montelimar, France
Quick links to accommodation:	Accommodation near Montélimar (Drome, Rhone-Alpes) - Hotels in Montélimar (Drome, Rhone-Alpes) Show accommodation in Drôme - Self catering in Drôme - Bed and Breakfast in Drôme properties with pools in Drôme -