Risoul
210 km
Thursday 10 June
A town in the Drôme area of the Provence region, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux combines heritage, authenticity and verve. A land of history, the Tricastin has unveiled many archaeological remains (from the Prehistoric era, Antiquity and Middle Ages). The medieval cathedral is emblematic of a town with many attractions: its grand town houses, the discrete charm of its squares, its small streets that liven up on summer evenings… Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux is also a mainstay for gastronomy in the Drôme area of Provence, with quality products such as truffles (accounting for 60% of national production) and wine (AOC vins des coteaux du Tricastin). The town and its surroundings are also much appreciated by sports enthusiasts thanks to hiking trails, cycle tracks and facilities like the Saint Paul 2003 centre (with its covered swimming pool, fitness room, sauna, hammam, bowling alley, billiards tables, squash, tennis, and badminton courts, as well as a crazy golf course) or its sports stadiums, gymnasiums and bowling pitches. Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux can also boast a rich cultural scene: the young people’s book festival, the biennal guitar exhibition, the Soul Jazz festival, its own film festival, to name but a few.
On the doorstep of Queyras Regional Park, overlooking Mont Pelvoux and the Massif des Ecrins range, the resort of Risoul, perched at an altitude of 1,850 metres, is located in the heart of a forest of 900,000 larch trees. In summer, skiers are replaced by walkers, eager to discover the region’s wildlife and nature along marked paths and its wide range of leisure activities: an aquatic centre, accrobranche tree climbing trails, mountain biking, walking, horse riding, tennis, trampolining and more. Risoul brings you wide open spaces, fresh air, the sunshine of the south, peace and tranquillity. One hour’s walk from the resort, the mountain lake of Pré du Laus, fed by a spring, is the perfect setting for a picnic or barbecue. Risoul is also a mountain village made up of 17 hamlets built around its 16th century church. An opportunity to discover its typical mountain inhabitants, its chapels, fountains and traditional “four banaux”, communal bread-making ovens.
