A lovely relaxing week in Provence
France is busy with tourists, but a lot of places are unknown from tour operators and foreign visitors.
The label France Profonde regroups several French countries able to give you another feeling of this marvellous country. Provence Profonde is plenty of pretty secret spots to discover.
Pascale and Bernard know the key sights to see and initiate you.
From the accomodation,Pascale, who is a tourist guide, will show you all about this unknown Provence.
She organizes for you expeditions, following small country lanes through beautiful peaceful farmland and wild mountains, visiting historic sites.
Poët-Laval medieval village created by the templar soldiers is a 12th century forfitied village.
Dieulefit is a village dedicated to pottery from the gallo-roman period. We heard that pottery has an aura that reflects the beauty and energy of Provence.
Taulignan the protestant town of the area, dates from the middle-ages and offers visitors 12 towers in the ramparts,it was developped during the 18 th century in relation with the silk industry .
Rousset les vignes with its old romanesque church
In Venterol old village we have a drink in a« bistrot » under the plane trees.
Nyons , because of its climate the town is called « Petit Nice » « small Nizia », sun all along the year. The city of olives, with its perfect weather allows the olive groves so it is surrounded by olive groves and vineyard.The activity around olive was developped around the fact here grove a specific olive calls « the tanche ». The day market is a lovely experience, taste produces in our craft butcher’ shop,and visit the old town, meet the family farmers who owns the Bres farm producing olives , taste their black and green olives ,their olive oil made with tanche olive,visit an olive oil mill,a lavender distillery, the renaissance church of St Vincent, taste vinagers made by Raphael with aromathic herbs from the closed lands.

The town of Nyons was originally built at the foot of a protective rocky outcrop. The forts district, the vaulted and cobbled streets,the towers and rampart remind us the fortified period. See the Randonne tower (13th c), the Renaissance church with interesting 17th c paintings, the arcade square 14th c with beautiful wood doors, and the romanesque single-span bridge over the river Eygues.
Then, have an informal lunch in French Provence style in our usual restaurant in Nyons or Vinsobres.
Vinsobres is surrounded by its famous vineyard
A visit to the chocolaterie Morin is a true experience in the world of chocolate. They are chocolate manufacturer since 3 generations , craftman from father to son, heir of the know-how , perpetuating the tradition and treats with their sweets the « chocolate lovers », according to the tradition, based on the noblest cocoa beans. In Donzere you will cross the river on typical locks which allow the boats to travel on the Rhone, carrying a lot of goods from mediterranean sea to the northern rivers of Europe.

Then, you go on in Ardeche to have a glance on Saint Montant and Viviers. In Saint Montant people lived there from the prehistoric times, it is now a magnificent hilltop fortified castle.
Viviers is one of the main towns on the road to Avignon when the popes lived there. The town dates from the romanesque period with an incredible gothic cathedral built in relation with the pilgrims going to Avignon. Don’t forget a stop to do a stop to « the guinguette » on the Rhône, in front of Viviers harbour, typical french way of life !
Driving back to Grignan , stop to visit the distillery of Eyguebelle, issued from an old monastic tradition.Heir of monk’s recipe of the Drome Provencale, the manufacture makes artisan’s syrups with more fruit and less sugar. They also make an elixir according to the recipes of the monks using herbs from the large herbarium which houses more than 70 medecinal and aromatic plants. Rationalizing its processes under ISO 9001 standard, they manufacture products with assemblies of flavours of best quality, which form part of the trade secrets of the company. Originals fumes are made, such as green apple, liquorice,coffee,violet...
A full day in Grignan allows you to be « A » French guy from Provence. You begin your day with a « cafe noir » in a local bistrot, follow to the local market, and finish your morning in at the outside terrace of a « bistrot » drinking a Pastis. In the afternoon, stroll to the local pottery,
to the « petanque square », the Durance- well-known natural cosmetic manufacture- visit of the castle,have a massage in an old house closed to the main church, have a rest on the terrace, tasting a white wine, or champagne glass from your accomodation’s cellar.
Grignan castle dates from the Renaissance period, it is the main testimony of this architectural period in the south-East of France . At first there was a fortified castle built on the rocky hill. Louis Adhemar , governor of Provence remodelled it , then it was turned into a sumptuous Renaissance palace on the order of Francois de Castellane-Adhemar , badly damaged during the French revolution, it is now restored and a national historical monument . Under one of its terraces was built Saint Sauveur’s church, during 16th c, on the order of Louis Adhemar.
In the Saint Sauveur street is the pretty guest-house ,where you stay a week long under the protection of the saint !

During those days we will introduce our visitors to :
Nyons Olive Oil
Cote du Rhone wines from Gramenon , Sang des cailloux, Kruz, Graillot,Montez, Courbis, Bour-where vineyard grows from roman period-
Vinager from Delaye
Single tracks in the Barronies and Tricastin
Picodon cheeses from Madame Deal
Potteries in Dieulefit or Cliousclat
Landscapes and colours of the area
The owners have raised the guesthouse hotel formula to a new level where they help you to experience the area,smelling,eating,drinking,the best local produces to be sure you will fall in love with this hidden part of Provence