"Pays d'Art et d'Histoire" in Ardeche
Vivarais awarded "Pays d’Art et d’Histoire" status With
more than 80 classified and protected monuments dotted across the area, the
Vivarais Méridional is now designated as a "
Pays d’Art et d’Histoire".
Awarded in summer 2010, the classification will give the area a higher tourist profile, as well as helping to protect local heritage and promote awareness of its importance. Located in
the far south of the Ardèche department, the
Vivarais Méridional offers rich history and unspoilt countryside, with a diverse heritage that includes
archaeological remains as well as
buildings from the Middle Ages,
Renaissance and
industrial periods.
Amongst the many visitor attractions are:
- The Paleolithic decorated caves at Figuier
- the Champvermeil dolmens at Bidon
- Iron Age strongholds
- the Gallo-Romain site at Alba
- chateaux, perched villages, and mansions
- and working communities such as Teil and Cruas.
This
tourism label will help the
Vivarais Méridional to attract visitors from a far wider public.
