Date: 27th July 2023
Travelled: 60 kms from Saint-Martin dโArdรฉche to Vogรผรฉ ย
Visited: Gorges de lโArdรฉche and Vogรผรฉ ย
Stayed: Camping les Peupliers, โฌ37, N44.53740, E04.41040ย ย
Budget: 66 days @ โฌ84 per day
Whilst Pam goes for a walk I service the Hymer and make ready for the road. We want an early start today our 10 year old guide book tell us the Gorges de lโArdeche and Pont dโArc are very popular and overcrowded during the holiday season. Our French neighbours give us a wave goodbye, our GPS set for Pont dโArc.
The drive through the Gorges is spectacular. Trying not to look at the views whilst dodging cyclists isnโt easy. There are several viewing points along the road giving us the opportunity to pass the same cyclist several times.
Vallon-Pont-d’Arc, Largentiรจre, Ardรจche, Auvergne-Rhรดne-Alpes, Metropolitan France, 07150, France
At some point the road suddenly descends and the road tunnels start, lots of tunnels mostly short.
Suddenly we are at river level and the traffic chaos begins. As we swing around a corner the Pont dโArc appears we slow to walking pace but thereโs no place to stop and take a picture. So we eventually work out you need to park a couple of kms away and catch a bus back to the Arch. So a Wiki picture it is.
The GPS eventually finds the aire at the co-ordinates I had entered. Whilst it has services it sits in a shadeless car park on a day itโs predicted to reach the mid 30ยฐs, So we re-set the GPS for a campsite at Vogรผรจ.
There are three big campsites around Vogรผรจ all very expensive, we check each one out in turn and go for best shade v biggest pool. Itโs peak holiday time in France and there are nearly all full. Must be peak holiday season in Holland as a third of the campers, cars and motorhome have NL (Netherlands) plates.
We spend the afternoon at the pool deciding on exploring Vogรผรจ tomorrow.
Itโs a 1500 m walk into Vogรผรจ which is pleasant in the cool of the morning. The railway viaduct and view of the village looking across the River Ardรจche make for some good photos.
As we walk though the village there are some lovely houses but they are more by exception. Pictured below.
At the far end of the village we find the รglise Sainte-Marie, the date stone above the portal states the year 1691. But a panel around the corner tell us it has been rebuilt 3 times since then.
Pictured outside a boutique hotel, a Citroรซn Mรฉhari, an absolute classic. They made 144,000 of this mini-moke look a likes. Why are they so rare ? The body, doors and panels were all plastic. They finished production in 1988 still long before they developed UV resistant plastic.
As we wander back through the village a couple of streets higher we find Vogรผรฉ Castle the ancestral home of one of the most illustrious families in France. The Castle is now a national monument and museum. As it doesnโt open for another hour we wonโt get to see inside.
So weโve done Vogรผรฉ as best we can, we wander back to the Hymer. Once the Hymer is set for the road we catch a last quick swim, not keen to pay another โฌ37. The GPS is set for Le Poรซt Laval in the Provence.
Michael + Pam
One thought on “Vogรผรฉ, France ๐ซ๐ท 2023”
The mountains with their sheer cliff faces look like some of those that are closer to home. Keep enjoying the shade!