A small town Valance on the banks of the Rhone is located in the south of the country, halfway between Avignon and Lyon. This is an excellent stopover in any of the wine tours along the Rhone Valley. The city was badly damaged in the century of religious strife, so there was no old medieval heritage left. But here there are good hotels, excellent restaurants and orange "Swiss" in bakeries - everything you need for a little respite on your journey.
How to get to Valence
From Lyon by train in about 45 minutes. In addition, the high-speed Mediterranean Express LGV from Marseilles runs to Valence.
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Some history
The city was founded in Roman times . In the dark dark ages he visited under the Goths , and under the francs before becoming French . In the 16th century Valance became the Protestant center of the province and was fortified by King Francis I . Louis XI took care of the development of the city: he frequented it and even built a palace of dauphins . B In the 15th century a local university was opened for him, which later abolished the . Nantes edict adversely affected the development of Valance, and from the end of the 17th century ka city has become what it is to this day: a quiet, modest and rather provincial .
The specific feature of Valence is its population composition. In the early 20th century, during the genocide organized by the Turks, many Armenians fled to the west. A considerable part of them settled in hospitable Valenza, where a large Armenian diaspora still exists. Approximately one-tenth of the valenciennes are indigenous Armenians
Entertainments, excursions and attractions Valensa
Valence - a city including beautiful churches . The main one is the Cathedral of St. Apollinaria - stands on the site of the church erected at the beginning of 3 century . The present cathedral was built in the early 11th century in the Romanesque style and was severely damaged during the religious wars, but in the 17th century it was restored . An impressive stone belfry was restored in 1861 . Inside the cathedral it is worth paying attention to the monument Pope Pius VI works of the scum пptora Kanova . Papa was imprisoned in the fortress and died here . In the museum and library at the cathedral you can see Roman sculptures, and the art gallery is placed in the old church seminary .
- At least look at the restaurant Anne-Sophie Peak, who received three Michelin stars. Madame Pick is the only woman boss honored with such an honor (but not the only one in the family: her father and grandfather have three stars!). The restaurant is located in the Mason Peak Hotel
- Lose the gift of speech in Otriv, looking at the Dream Palace, built by a simple postman
- Eat the "Swiss."
Near the cathedral there is a museum of fine arts in the building of the former episcopal palace. Here is an impressive collection of works by the famous inhabitant of the local places, the artist Hubert Robert. In the 18th century, Robert became the author of classic canvases depicting picturesque ruins, for which the artist was nicknamed "Robert Ruins." Also in the museum you can see other paintings from the 16th century up to our time.
Speaking of the ruins, one can not help mentioning one more of the sights in the vicinity of . It is the ruins of the castle of Krusseol - fortress, twice unlucky . It was erected in a very picturesque place, on a white cliff opposite the city, across the river . The castle was built in the 12th century, but in the middle of the 19th century it was destroyed by an explosion in the underground tunnel . Moreover, a hundred years later the lightning struck in the remains of the castle, after which from them is very little that remains . However, the ruins look quite enough NICU: today you can see here the walls, some with windows, and stairs .
Central Street Grand Rue is built up by beautiful buildings of the 18th century. Separately worth noting is the mansion Golov, built in the 16th century and featuring a rich decor of the facade with flowers and human faces. Noteworthy and the church of Saint-Jean, built in the Romanesque style on the same square. The church is decorated with a beautiful bell tower of the 12th century, and a nearby indoor market is located nearby. Other interesting churches of the city are the chapel of the Cordeliers and the chapel of the Capuchins.
Another well-known view of Valence is the de Peignet gazebo on the Champs de Mars with singing fountains in the park of Jouvet near. In the summer concerts are held here. The park itself takes 7 hectares on the edge of the city center, where more than 700 trees grow, many flower beds, fountains and canals. It is a favorite place for summer picnics here.
Jean Pedri Recreation Park will be a good place for resting children and adults. In the center of this large green park are two giant "Water Castle" - towers, standing above the water at a height of more than 50 m. The tower was created by the Greek sculptor Philolaos; they are asymmetric and bizarrely bent. For some reason, little known among tourists, they were built in the 70's. and are awarded a number of awards
Neighborhood Valans
About 20 km from the city there is a curious place Roman-sur-Isere. This town is famous primarily as a large medieval center of shoe business, and in the former abbey there is a shoe museum. Roman's factories are still working, and quite a few stores with more than acceptable prices are open here. In addition, in Roman there is a historical collegiate church of St. Bernard, built on the river bank. The old town of Romana is also very nice: the buildings of the 14th century are preserved here
The trip to Otriv
Otriv is located about 45 km north of Valence. And here is a building as incredible and amazing, as impressive as its beauty, and even more - the history of creation. This is the ideal palace of the postman Cheval.
Ferdinand Cheval was born in a poor family in the first half of the 19th century, during famine and disease, the great revolutions and upheavals, Freud's discoveries and the colonization of Africa and Asia by France, railways and the first world exhibitions. All this amazed the imagination, although a simple postman who walked more than 20 km on foot every day could only learn about all these news from the newspapers he was carrying.
In 1879 . at the age of 43, Cheval began work that lasted 33 years . It all started with the fact that on the way he stumbled over a bizarre stone . And after that, as a hobby the postman began to build from the picked up stones the palace of his dreams, treating each cobblestone manually . He drew inspiration from postcards and illustrated magazines that carried the recipient And decorated the palace figures never seen them animals: octopus, caimans, elephants - as well as sculptures of giants, fairies, gods of different religions other continents .
Today, this stunningly detailed and intricately decorated building is ranked among the recognized masterpieces of "naive" architecture - in fact, it was the first example of this style. The work of Cheval was admired by Picasso and Breton. In 1969, the palace was listed as a historical monument, and in 1984 the granddaughter of Cheval passed the palace to the city.
Today the palace is visited by about 150 thousand people annually. You can get here by public transport, by bus from Saint-Vallière or Roman-sur-Isère (half an hour from any city)
Cuisine Valance
A special Valenciennes delicacy is "suis" (that is, "Swiss" mop) . You can find it in almost every bakery in the city. This is a kind of hybrid bun and a large fresh-pressed gingerbread with orange flavor, made in the form of a medieval Swiss soldier. The history of manufacturing the "Swiss" goes back to 1799, when Swiss soldiers guarded the prisoner in the castle of the Pope.
Other local delicacies - chocolate, montelimaric nougat, truffles, sweet chestnut paste and "pon", egg brioche flavored with orange color or rum.
Book popular Valence hotels at the best prices
| Maison Pic from 13,082 rubles Valence 285 Avenue Victor Hugo | ||
| Best Western Clos Syrah from 5,440 rubles Valence Boulevard Pierre Tezier | Novotel Valence Sud from 6,128 rubles Valence 217 Avenue de Provence | |
| Atrium Hôtel Valence Ville from 4,820 rubles Valence 20, rue Jean Louis Barrault | Appart'hôtel Heve a from 3 650 rubles Valence 83 Avenue de la Marne | Campanile Valence Sud from 4 269 rubles Valence 9 Rue Henri Abel |
| Ace Hotel Valence from 3 099 rub Valence 47 avenue des Auréats | Cerise Valence from 2 755 rubles Valence Rue Claude Bernard | Hotel Les Negociants from 3 718 rub Valence 27 avenue Pierre Semard |