Perched high on a rocky promontory, the village of Thines, a haven of peace in the commune of Malarce-sur-la-Thines, in the Ardèche Mountains Regional Nature Park, contains a gem of Romanesque art named as an Historic Monument by Prosper Mérimée: the 12th- century of Church of Our Lady (Notre-Dame), remarkable for its imposing door, its chevet and its sculpted capitals. Other places to explore are the narrow lanes and thackstone roofed houses, which, together with the church, make Thines a place full of authentic charm.

A haven of peace for many plant and animal species, the Païolive Wood, in the Ardèche Cévennes, near to the town of Les Vans, extends for 16 km² on the edge of the magnificent Chassezac gorges. Nicknamed the Fairy Wood, this protected area, Mediterranean in type, with its holm and white oaks, is dotted with limestone ruiniform rocks, whose mineral shapes make real natural sculptures. In the course of a ramble you can admire the marvels of this strange place: petrified rocks making astonishing shapes such as a bear or a lion, or a bird on her nest! There are many trails, such as the Hiker's Loop, the Path of the Virgin and the Corniche Path, which enable you to get close to this exceptional natural heritage.

Discover this charming little character village in the heart of the Beaume gorges in southern Ardèche, nestling along the river, at the foot of steep limestone cliffs. Take a break in Labeaume to stroll around the picturesque maze of cobbled, sloping little streets, with covered passages and fine stone façades. By the edge of the river, the pleasant Place du Sablas square boasts a nice fountain, and is shaded by hundred-year-old plane trees. Not far from there, from the submersible bridge over the Beaume, you can enjoy a superb view of the whole village, surrounded by cliffs.

Whilst in the area, take the time to go on a hike around the Beaume gorges, a conservation area which is home to many protected species.

From mid-July to mid-August, Labeaume en Musiques takes place, a festival of classical and world music.

Perched on a cliff overlooking the River Ardèche, the superb village of Balazuc has restored its heritage remarkably well. A former stronghold of the lords of Balazuc, this characterful little village, with its rich medieval past, is today listed amongst the most beautiful villages in France. A charming labyrinth of tortuous streets interspersed by arched passages, arcades and stairways, to be enjoyed on foot, during a delightful stroll...It's also a chance to admire its two beautiful buildings, listed as historic monuments: the feudal Castle, remodelled many times, and the Romanesque church of St Magdalen, which is a venue for concerts and exhibitions of paintings in summer. Then head for the bridge over the Ardèche, crossing to the other side to enjoy an uninterrupted view of the village looking like a picture postcard...

The area's other attractions include a beach for people to enjoy river bathing, a river sports centre offering canoe and kayak rides down the Ardèche, as well as a centre for education about the environment and sustainable development, situated at the Viel Audon hamlet co-operative, which is accessible in fifteen minutes on foot, along a path by the river.

One of the finest caves in France is tucked away in the Cévennes, at the edge of the departments of Gard and Ardèche - the Cocalière cave. Visitors can take an underground guided tour (lasting about an hour) to discover a splendid group of concretions: stalagmites, stalactites, discs, draperies and more. As well as these wonders, you can also see prehistoric objects and bones uncovered during digs. When the tour is over, visitors return to the starting point in the open air on board a small train through the scrub.

32 kilometres of spectacular gorges in the heart of southern Ardèche! That is what lovers of grandiose landscapes can admire between Vallon-Pont-d'Arc and Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche... It took more than a hundred million years for the waters of the famous Ardèche river to have hollowed out this deep canyon. The result is astonishing: an immense defile of limestone cliffs which can reach heights of 300 metres high, where the natural wilderness remains unspoilt...

The gateway to the gorges, the famous natural arch of the Pont d'Arc, is the ideal point of departure for making a descent of the Ardèche river by canoe-kayak. Many routes, ranging from the mini-descent of 8 kilometres to the long descent of 32 kilometres, are possible over one, two or three days. Heaven for canoeists and kayakers! Those looking for peace and tranquillity, however, should avoid going there in July and August, when the area is much visited by holidaymakers. At the foot of the Pont d'Arc, pleasant sandy beaches encourage lounging and bathing.

Leaving from the Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, you can explore the Ardèche gorges' superb tourist trail, dotted with impressive, landscaped belvederes. There are splendid, incredible views to admire from the Serre de Tourre, the Cathédrale, the Balcon des Templiers or the Ranc-Pointu belvederes.

Listed as a Nature Reserve, the Ardèche gorges are dotted with signposted walks and are also suitable for rambling. A marvellous, immediate way to enjoy the beauty of nature in Ardèche!

Situated in the Massif Central, in the heart of the Ardèche mountains, the Tanargue also has the peculiarity of being in the Ardèche Mountains Regional Nature Park, on the watershed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Nicknamed the Tonnerre (Thunder), this protected massif is home to a great ecological treasure. Its highest point is at Grand Tanargue, at 1,511 metres in altitude. Roaming the Tanargue, you can explore its wild landscape, complete with craggy foothills, high altitude grassland, peat bogs, streams and ancient forests.

To enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the Tanargue Massif, go to the Meyrand Pass, where there is a marvellous orientation balcony at an altitude of 1,371metres.

A stay in the Tanargue is also an ideal occasion to enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, cycling and climbing.

A winter sports resort, Croix de Bauzon, stretches across the heart of this area, where you can practise alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoe walking and sledging. There is also a spa resort, Saint-Laurent-les-Bains, which specialises in treating rheumatic disorders as well as promoting general well-being and relaxation at the baths.

Situated in the commune of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, near the famous Pont d'Arc, which marks the entrance to the Ardèche gorges, the Chauvet-Pont d'Arc Cave, discovered in 1994 by three passionate speleologists, is a masterpiece of prehistoric cave paintings. This Palaeolithic decorated cave has an extraordinary bestiary on its walls, which display no fewer than 425 animal figures! Dating from the Aurignacian period, these paintings and engravings are amongst the oldest in the world...

To conserve this unique place, closed to the public since its discovery, a reconstruction area composed of five buildings, with a facsimile of the Chauvet cave and a permanent exhibition about the Aurignacians and cave painting, is open since 2015, at the Razal site in Vallon-Pont-d'Arc.

Situated in the commune of Orgnac-l'Aven, close to the Ardèche gorges and the Cèze Valley, the Orgnac pothole, listed as a Great Site of France, will take you on a fabulous journey through an enchanting underground world...During the hour-long guided tour, admire its huge caves decorated with splendid concretions, its forest of "stacked plates" (stalagmites), its "palm trees" which can reach heights of 17 metres, and its majestic draperies. In the Red Room (Salle Rouge) at a depth of 121 metres, a completely enthralling sound and light show is a wonderful way to round off your exploration of the cave.

The museum called the Prehistoric City (Cité de la Préhistoire) present the archaeological heritage of Ardèche, as well as the everyday life of prehistoric humans, in a fun, interactive fashion.

Nestling at the heart of the Lozère Cévennes, near the green holiday resort of Villefort, in an unspoilt setting of lush green mountains, Villefort Lake has a surface area of 137 hectares, and is ideal for water sports. You can take a trip in a canoe, catamaran, dinghy, sailboat, pedalo, Zodiac motor boat or electric boat from the water sports centre. You can also take a walk on the footpath around the lake, relax on the sandy beach, go swimming (supervised in the afternoon in July and August) and fishing – there are plenty of leisure activities for sporty types and fans of relaxation alike!

Situated on the eastern edge of the Massif Central, the Ardèche Mountains Regional Nature Park extends across an area of more than 180,000 hectares, and covers six different landscapes, which are the Boutières, the Vernoux plateau, the Sucs region, the High Cévenne, the Piémont cévenol and the southern Cévenne. Ancient chestnut groves, dry stone terraces, old  volcanos, forests and pastures, gorges and verdant valleys, moors and garrigue all make up the variety of landscapes which characterise this vast protected area.

The Ardèche mountains stretch out to the west of the Park, with, amongst others, the Tanargue massif, an area of medium height mountains good for outdoor activities such as hiking or mountain biking, horse-riding and fishing, in the summer; and alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoe walking in the winter, at the Croix de Bauzon resort.

Famous volcanic sites, like Mount Mézenc – the highest point in the Ardèche (1 753 metres high), the Ray-Pic waterfall, the Jaujac basalt lava flows and Mount Gerbier de Jonc, at the foot of which the Loire river has its source, will delight nature lovers.

While the Ardèche Mountains Nature Park enchants sports lovers, it also delights those wishing to relax, with its three spa resorts, Neyrac-les-Bains, Saint-Laurent-les-Bains et Vals-les-Bains. Their spa establishments provide, apart from medical cures, courses of treatment for well-being, fitness and beauty therapy, such as the Thermal Baths at Neyrac-les-Bains, which offer body treatments inspired by Asia and the East...To stay in the Ardèche Mountains is also to take time to luxuriate on the beach of Lake Saint-Martial, where bathing is supervised in July and August, or to descend the Eyrieux or Chassezac rivers by canoe-kayak.

This wild conservation area is also rich in built heritage, predominantly stone edifices: Romanesque churches; medieval Castles; the picturesque little village of Chalencon with its granite houses; the hillside village of Antraigues-sur-Volane, with its shady terraces on Place de la Résistance Square and lanes whose walls are decorated with sculptures ; the remains of the Charterhouse of Bonnefoy, dating from the 18th century; the character village of Jaujac with its basalt lava flows; and Rochemure Castle, within whose walls the Park House (Maison du Parc) now stands.

To visit this part of Ardèche is also to learn about its history, traditions and skills, thanks to various museums such as the House of the Chestnut (Maison du Châtaignier) at Saint-Pierreville, the Bourlatier farm at Saint-Andéol-de-Fourchades, the Museum of Vivarais Protestants at Pranles, the Eco-museum (Ecomusée des Terrasses) at Saint-Michel-de-Chabrillanoux, and also the Chestnut Grove Museum (Musée de la Châtaigneraie) at Joyeuse.

In autumn, many places celebrate the traditional chestnut festival, the Castagnades, which honours the famous Ardèche nut.

Set in an exceptional environment, near to the wild site of the Chassezac Gorges, in the commune of Prévenchères in the Cévennes, the small fortified town of La Garde-Guérin, formerly the domain of the "Parier" knights who protected and guided the travellers following the Régordane road, is now listed among the most beautiful villages of France. A superb and particularly authentic destination, with its picturesque paved side streets that are ideal for a leisurely stroll, its admirable restored old stone houses, imposing medieval keep, and charming little Romanesque church with a bell tower wall. This area is a delight to walk around! A relic of the old castle, the 12th-century watchtower offers magnificent views of the tilestone roofs of La Garde-Guérin and the Chassezac Gorges from its summit...

Around 1 km to the north of the village, be sure to stop by the famous Chassezac belvedere, for dizzying views of the Chassezac granite canyon!

At the foot of the Coiron massif, in southern Ardèche, stands Alba-la-Romaine, famous for having been the capital of the Helvian people in antiquity. From this glorious past there are still some remains of a Roman theatre, a sanctuary, and a monumental centre to explore, going along a trail which is marked out with information signs.

But Alba-la-Romaine is not only an ancient Romano-Gallic settlement, Alba Helviorum, but also a charming medieval village, with cobbled streets lined with ancient white limestone and black basalt houses, overlooked by an impressive feudal Castle which can be visited from Easter to the beginning of November.

In the commune of Péreyres, in the Ardèche Cévennes, at 1,000 metres high, discover a remarkable natural volcanic site: the Ray-Pic Waterfall, a superb cascade springing forth amid columns of basalt! This extraordinary site can be admired from a viewpoint on the D215 road going from Péreyres to Lachamp-Raphaël, or from a landscaped belvedere which you can reach on foot in 15 minutes by taking a signposted path which starts at the roadside car park.

In the heart of the Ardèche mountains, in the Ardèche Mountains Regional Nature Park, in the commune of Saint-Andéol-de-Fourchades, stands the Bourlatier Farm, at an altitude of 1,380m. This is a former farm, traditionally built with a thackstone roof in the 17th century, and it is open to the public from May to the end of September. Topped with an impressive roof resembling an upturned bowl, its hay barn is now a memorial dedicated to its history as well as to the natural and architectural heritage of this magnificent part of Ardèche.

Interactive and fun guided tours, cultural events such as conferences, exhibitions and concerts, as well as a local produce area, are all to be enjoyed here.

The famous Loire, whose course runs through France for 1,013 kilometres, has its source in Ardèche, in the commune of Sainte-Eulalie, at the foot of Mount Gerbier de Jonc. Several springs - the geographical spring, the authentic spring and the real spring – converge here to create the famous wild river.

Not to be missed: a climb up Mount Gerbier; phonolitic in origin, it is situated on the watershed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Accessible on foot after a short but tough climb of thirty minutes, its peak, which reaches 1,551metres in altitude, gives an uninterrupted view over Ardèche, the Rhône Valley, the Cévennes and the Alps!