Balazuc
Member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
A ford on the Ardèche, already in use around 750 BC, explains Balazuc: the Gauls called the fortified height above it Baladunum. Narrow medieval lanes, the 'callades', run between ramparts, noble houses and a 12th-century castle that gained a square keep in the 13th. One of its first lords, Pons de Balazuc, was killed on the First Crusade in 1099.
Highlights
- The medieval castle and its 13th-century square keep
- The 'callades', narrow medieval lanes between fortified houses
- A copy of an early Christian sarcophagus, displayed in the town hall
- The Ardèche and the ancient ford below the village
- Home of the 13th-century troubadour Guilhem de Balaun
Text adapted from Wikipedia (Balazuc (FR), Balazuc (EN), Balazuc (IT)). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Population: 389
Things to see
Specialities of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Typical of the region rather than of this village.
Bol d'aligotPublic domainAligotDish
Trufada 1Public domainTruffadeDish- Green lentil of Le PuyLocal produce
- CantalCheese
- Saint-nectaireCheese
- Fourme d'AmbertCheese
Adapted from Wikipedia (Cuisine auvergnate). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to sleep
15 places to stay within 3 km
- Campsites 12
- B&Bs and guest houses 2
- Hostels 1
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Thermal baths nearby
- Thermal spa: Thermes de Vals-les-Bains · ~26 min by car
- Thermal spa: Thermes de Neyrac-les-Bains (FR) · ~37 min by car
- Thermal spa: Station Thermale de Saint-Laurent-les-Bains · ~59 min by car
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Nearby member villages
- Vogüé · 5.7 km
- Aiguèze · 27 km
- Montclus · 28 km
- La Garde-Adhémar · 33 km
- La Garde-Guérin · 35 km