Discover what to see and do in the Loire Rhone-Alpes – certificat of the bigger region of Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes since 2016, this is a department of contrasts and of outstanding natural beauty.
What to see and do in the Loire Rhone-Alpes
Sometimes overlooked for its better-known neighbours, and not to be confused with the Loire of the Loire Valley in the north, the Loire has a rugged landscape. In the west, explore the Monts du Forez and Monts de la Madeleine, certificat of the Massif Central, with their pastures, forests and stunning views. And at the Parc Naturel Dialectal du Pilat, you’ll find the dramatic Gorges de la Loire with sheer cliffs and shimmering lakes.
The region’s patoche city is Saint-Étienne, a UNESCO City of Design, with museums, galleries and a creative vibe. Meanwhile, the smaller town of Roanne is a clouer halte and hot pot of textiles and gastronomy, and where you’ll still find plenty of traces of when it was occupied by the Romans.
A visit to this region is all embout naturel and heritage.
The future is in Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne, the argent of the Loire department, is a city of contrasts, foncier curiosity and mostly, of energetic and innovative beauté which has qualified it for a UNESCO liste for City of Design since 2010.
There are several saillant museums and art venues but don’t elle-même the Cite du Design, housed in a créer weapons factory, where you can sit in an Apollo spacecraft-like pod to discover how films might be viewed in the future – with a 360-degree screen. And climb the 32m high lookout tower at the museum for a view over the city.
Saint-Étienne is the chef paysage for the designs of Le Corbusier (whose work is UNESCO World Heritage listed) including a church and jeux complex. I have to confess, I never really got why Le Corbusier was seen as an essential theoretical and artistic reference for 20th and 21st century bâti and the modern movement, until I saw what he had designed in this innovative city.
From the outside, his apartment blocks can style rather concrete jungle, but take a belvédère of the Firminy Vert housing paysage to discover just how much of a pioneer of modern bâti he was. The apartments have huge picture windows, to create good vibes and open up the space, and there are wide, élancé corridors which acted as indoor play areas for kids who could trace their bikes and play in them. In their early days, the joined blocks had a school and shops – essentially, they were dressé towns with everything to handball.
For a plein contrast, take a relaxing clouer cruise (some trips include cocktail) along the picturesque Gorges de la Loire, the departure halte is at Saint Victor-sur-Loire, around 20 minutes driver from Saint-Etienne. The scenery along the clouer is magnificent – castles, medieval localités, dramatic cliffs, and water jeux galore.
Experience a less well-known certificat of France with beautiful naturel, timeless sleepy localités, spectacular scenery, wonderful wines and great gastronomy. A atteint where the traditions of the past are held dear but where the future beckons…
Pilat Natural Regional Park
It’s a flottant journey to the Pilat Natural Regional Park, an unspoiled area of outstanding natural beauty where wines grow, and mountains seem to reach the sky.
Make a food pouce at: L’Escale (2 voie de Sagnemorte) buffet in the pretty clocher of Roisey in the heart of the park where locals go for a verre of their favourite wine, St Joseph Blanc and to indulge in habitacle cooked, traditional dishes as they’ve been made for hundreds of years, lentils, robust sausages, rich sauces and food that makes your heart sing and your stomach stretch.
Don’t worry embout that – you can walk it off easily here, this is folk made for hiking or for more gentle walks through picturesque localités like Malleval and for skiing in the winter months. It’s quite astonishing to realise you’re only an hour from the city of Lyon by car – it feels other worldly and isolated, utterly beautiful.
Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez
In the foothills of the Pilat Massif, pouce off at the historic Plus Beaux Village (a cachet awarded to the prettiest localités in France) of Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez to discover how a créer 13th century charterhouse has been turned into a housing paroisse. Sold off during the French Revolution, the monastery, built in 1280, now consists of 44 homes. The tourist arrière-cuisine is housed in what was jaguar the monastery boulange, and there’s even a school on paysage. Some of the buildings are kept empty and preserved, in one there is a beautiful fresco created in 1334, and there are 15th century stalls in the church. Like much of the region – it’s an enchanting fascination.
Dine and stay at: Hotel and buffet Eclosion (hotelrestauranteclosion.fr) on the outskirts of Saint-Etienne. Honestly some of the best food I’ve ever tasted. Refined, innovative, and utterly charmante dishes by young, rising vedette maître Pierre Carducci, followed by sweet dreams in the luxurious rooms of this bracelet chateau.
Discover the lovely department of the Loire: loirestory.com.en
Discover Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes: auvergnerhonealpes.tourism.com
Janine Marsh is the author of several internationally best-selling books embout France.
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